After the fun I had with ducks in IT last time, I looked for more weird programming terms. That led me to bugs – but not the creepy-crawly type.
You probably know how program or system errors came to be called “bugs”. The story goes that a real insect caused a malfunction in a computer in the 1940s. Computers looked a bit different then. ENIAC, for example, needed over 100 square metres of space, and weighed about 27 tons.
Scientists name and classify insects according to a formal system. Programmers have a (less scientific) system for naming computer bugs.
The common law feature bug
This is a bug that has existed for so long that it has been accepted as a feature. Nobody plans to fix it anymore. Call centres explain to users that sometimes it happens and what to do instead.
If this sounds far-fetched, try using the UIF system or the SARS e@syfile system. Then phone their help line.
The Heisenbug
The Heisenbug is a bug that seems to changes its behaviour when you try to study it. It gives different results, and might even disappear.
The term is a pun on the name of the physicist, Werner Heisenberg. Heisenberg stated that the act of observing a system inevitably changes its state.
The Bohrbug
This bug is the opposite of the Heisenbug. It is named after Niels Bohr, who developed the foundational theory of the atom model.
This is the programmer’s ideal bug, if such a thing exists. The Bohrbug is a bug that is repeatable and predictable. That generally makes it easier to find and fix the problem.
The Higgs Bugson
For decades, physicists believed the Higgs boson particle existed, but could not prove it. (It was eventually proved in 2012.)
The Higgs Bugson is a bug that is believed to exist, based on vague reports or user claims. It is difficult, or even impossible, to recreate. So you never really know if the bug actually exists.
The Hindenbug
The Hindenburg airship caught fire in 1937, causing the death of 35 people. This infamous disaster led to the end of the airship era.
As the name suggest, the Hindenbug is the most dreaded of all bugs. It is catastrophic. This bug destroys your data, and cripples or crashes your system.
The Hydra bug
In Greek mythology, the Hydra is a monster with many heads. When one head was cut off, two more heads would grow back.
The Hydra bug behaves in the same way. Every attempt to fix it results in two new bugs. Like Hercules, many programmers have had to wrestle this monster.
The Loch Ness Monster bug
Does the Loch Ness monster exist? Who knows? Like the Scottish monster, the Loch Ness bug has only been spotted by one person. It has never been seen again. Does it exist? Nobody knows. It is impossible to recreate, so it cannot be fixed.
The Mad Girlfriend bug
The Mad Girlfriend bug is the kind of bug you see with your own eyes, but the system tells you that everything is fine.
It’s based on a stereotype in heterosexual relationships. When a woman tells you that everything is fine, know that nothing is fine!
Warning: Using this term in the presence of female programmers or managers may be hazardous to your health.
I’d love to know if you have any other names for bugs. Please share your comments.