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From: swift@reed.UUCP (Theodore Swift)
Newsgroups: net.books,net.nlang
Subject: Re: Definition of "kludge"
Message-ID: <1189@reed.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 27-Mar-85 17:28:25 EST
Article-I.D.: reed.1189
Posted: Wed Mar 27 17:28:25 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 29-Mar-85 02:48:28 EST
References: <445@cadovax.UUCP>
Reply-To: swift@reed.UUCP(Ted Swift)
Distribution: net.books
Organization: Reed College, Portland, Oregon
Lines: 21
Keywords: kludge, software, hardware
Xref: watmath net.books:1604 net.nlang:2800
Summary:  "kludge" is used other places 


In most of the net articles I've read refering to *kludge*, there
seem to be few or no references to the word's use in other than
a CS/software environment.  Being a mostly hardware techy sort, I feel
obliged to point out that these definitions are not comprehensive.
  In hardware-land, kludge is often used (as a noun) as it is in CS,
i.e., "ill-fitting parts forming a distressing whole".  A "quick-and-
dirty" solution to a mechanical or electrical problem (one that does
what it needs to, but is understood to be ineligant and temporary) is
a kludge.
   "Kludge" is also used as a verb meaning to throw together a circuit
to "patch" a problem or anomaly. Example:  "I kludged up something to
fix the noise problem, but it'll have to be redesigned".

There are probably other forms to be extracted and well-defined, but
I can't think of them right now.  You might say this article is itself
a kludge....

"If the text seems not clear, or that the Author is confused
 the Reader should assume that something Profound is Couched beneath"
   _Jonathan Swift, as quoted in Knuth's Vol 3 of CS