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}.
[glossary]
[Reference(s) to this entry by made by: {demoeffect}{demoscene}{hack value}{munching squares}{plaid screen}{psychedelicware}{smoking clover}{virus}]