[W/K] :: .'display hack'

  display hack n. A program with the same approximate purpose as a
     kaleidoscope: to make pretty pictures. Famous display hacks include
     munching squares, smoking clover, the BSD Unix `rain(6)' program,
     `worms(6)' on miscellaneous Unixes, and the X `kaleid(1)' program.
     Display hacks can also be implemented by creating text files containing
     numerous escape sequences for interpretation by a video terminal; one
     notable example displayed, on any VT100, a Christmas tree with twinkling
     lights and a toy train circling its base. The hack value of a display
     hack is proportional to the esthetic value of the images times the
     cleverness of the algorithm divided by the size of the code. Syn.
     psychedelicware.
  
  

  display hack
       
           A program with the same approximate purpose as a
          kaleidoscope: to make pretty pictures.  Famous display hacks
          include munching squares, smoking clover, the BSD Unix
          "rain(6)" program, "worms(6)" on miscellaneous Unixes, and the
          X "kaleid(1)" program.  Display hacks can also be
          implemented without programming by creating text files
          containing numerous escape sequences for interpretation by a
          video terminal; one notable example displayed, on any VT100, a
          Christmas tree with twinkling lights and a toy train circling
          its base.  The hack value of a display hack is proportional
          to the aesthetic value of the images times the cleverness of
          the algorithm divided by the size of the code.  Synonym
          psychedelicware.
       
          [{Jargon File]
       
          (1995-05-10)