1. [techspeak] Spurious characters due to electrical noise in a
communications link, especially an RS-232 serial connection. Line
noise may be induced by poor connections, interference or crosstalk
from other circuits, electrical storms, {cosmic rays}, or
(notionally) birds crapping on the phone wires.
2. Any chunk of data in a file or elsewhere that looks like the
results of line noise in sense 1.
3. Text that is theoretically a readable text or program source but
employs syntax so bizarre that it looks like line noise in senses 1
or 2. Yes, there are languages this ugly. The canonical example is
{TECO}; it is often claimed that "TECO's input syntax is
indistinguishable from line noise." Other non-{WYSIWYG} editors, such
as Multics qed and Unix ed, in the hands of a real hacker, also
qualify easily, as do deliberately obfuscated languages such as
{INTERCAL}.
[glossary]
[Reference(s) to this entry by made by: {one-liner wars}{runes}]