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<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><title>voodoo programming</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="../../jargon.css" type="text/css"/><meta name="generator" content="DocBook XSL Stylesheets V1.61.0"/><link rel="home" href="../index.html" title="The Jargon File"/><link rel="up" href="../V.html" title="V"/><link rel="previous" href="voice-net.html" title="voice-net"/><link rel="next" href="VR.html" title="VR"/></head><body><div class="navheader"><table width="100%" summary="Navigation header"><tr><th colspan="3" align="center">voodoo programming</th></tr><tr><td width="20%" align="left"><a accesskey="p" href="voice-net.html">Prev</a> </td><th width="60%" align="center">V</th><td width="20%" align="right"> <a accesskey="n" href="VR.html">Next</a></td></tr></table><hr/></div><dt><a id="voodoo-programming"/><dt xmlns="" id="voodoo-programming"><b>voodoo programming</b>: <span xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" class="grammar">n.</span></dt></dt><dd><p> [from George Bush Sr.'s &#8220;<span class="quote">voodoo economics</span>&#8221;] </p></dd><dd><p> 1. The use by guess or cookbook of an <a href="../O/obscure.html"><i class="glossterm">obscure</i></a>
or <a href="../H/hairy.html"><i class="glossterm">hairy</i></a> system, feature, or algorithm that one does
not truly understand. The implication is that the technique may not work,
and if it doesn't, one will never know why. Almost synonymous with
<a href="../B/black-magic.html"><i class="glossterm">black magic</i></a>, except that black magic typically isn't
documented and <span class="emphasis"><em>nobody</em></span> understands it. Compare
<a href="../M/magic.html"><i class="glossterm">magic</i></a>, <a href="../D/deep-magic.html"><i class="glossterm">deep magic</i></a>,
<a href="../H/heavy-wizardry.html"><i class="glossterm">heavy wizardry</i></a>, <a href="../R/rain-dance.html"><i class="glossterm">rain dance</i></a>,
<a href="../C/cargo-cult-programming.html"><i class="glossterm">cargo cult programming</i></a>,
<a href="../W/wave-a-dead-chicken.html"><i class="glossterm">wave a dead chicken</i></a>, <a href="../S/SCSI-voodoo.html"><i class="glossterm">SCSI voodoo</i></a>.</p></dd><dd><p> 2. Things programmers do that they know shouldn't work but they try
anyway, and which sometimes actually work, such as recompiling
everything.</p></dd><div class="navfooter"><hr/><table width="100%" summary="Navigation footer"><tr><td width="40%" align="left"><a accesskey="p" href="voice-net.html">Prev</a> </td><td width="20%" align="center"><a accesskey="u" href="../V.html">Up</a></td><td width="40%" align="right"> <a accesskey="n" href="VR.html">Next</a></td></tr><tr><td width="40%" align="left" valign="top">voice-net </td><td width="20%" align="center"><a accesskey="h" href="../index.html">Home</a></td><td width="40%" align="right" valign="top"> VR</td></tr></table></div></body></html>