Scratch monkey
Encyclopedia
A Scratch Monkey is a term used in hacker jargon
, as in "Before testing or reconfiguring, always mount a scratch monkey", a proverb used to advise caution when dealing with irreplaceable data
or devices. It is used to refer to any temporary configuration changes to a computer during any risky operation which include a replacement for some precious resource or data that might otherwise be destroyed.
The meaning is based upon the use in the 1980s of a scratch tape
, or other storage device which was available for temporary use, to temporarily store a copy of valuable data or provide extra storage space in case a program required that space. If a problem occurred the valuable data could be recovered from its sole remaining copy.
The phrase "always mount a scratch monkey" originated from two tales by technicians about maintenance which was performed on computer equipment. The technicians were unaware that the computer was connected to five laboratory monkeys, and the routine maintenance procedures caused the death of three of the monkeys. The admonition is a reminder that procedures should protect everything of value, and the stories can be interpreted from the point of view of a computer technician and a laboratory worker.
Jargon
Jargon is terminology which is especially defined in relationship to a specific activity, profession, group, or event. The philosophe Condillac observed in 1782 that "Every science requires a special language because every science has its own ideas." As a rationalist member of the Enlightenment he...
, as in "Before testing or reconfiguring, always mount a scratch monkey", a proverb used to advise caution when dealing with irreplaceable data
Data
The term data refers to qualitative or quantitative attributes of a variable or set of variables. Data are typically the results of measurements and can be the basis of graphs, images, or observations of a set of variables. Data are often viewed as the lowest level of abstraction from which...
or devices. It is used to refer to any temporary configuration changes to a computer during any risky operation which include a replacement for some precious resource or data that might otherwise be destroyed.
The meaning is based upon the use in the 1980s of a scratch tape
Scratch tape
In data processing, a scratch tape is a magnetic tape that is used for temporary storage and can be reused or erased after the completion of a job or processing run. During the early years of computing, when magnetic tape was the primary form of mass storage, many programs, notably sorting...
, or other storage device which was available for temporary use, to temporarily store a copy of valuable data or provide extra storage space in case a program required that space. If a problem occurred the valuable data could be recovered from its sole remaining copy.
The phrase "always mount a scratch monkey" originated from two tales by technicians about maintenance which was performed on computer equipment. The technicians were unaware that the computer was connected to five laboratory monkeys, and the routine maintenance procedures caused the death of three of the monkeys. The admonition is a reminder that procedures should protect everything of value, and the stories can be interpreted from the point of view of a computer technician and a laboratory worker.