Repost:Computer Slang Words

Hello, maybe you can settle an argument. The internet leaves people trying to spell words a little different, or creating new ones all together. For example, rocks, becomes rox, becomes roxor (said rocks-or)
This leads to my question. ‘Boox’ is the ‘word’ in question. I think it should be said books like in rox, and roxor. (I know roxor isn’t a real word but still..) My friend says it should be said “Boo” and word readers pounce it so. They also have a problem pronouncing things with X in general.
So, how is ‘Boox’ pronounced? If it’s wrong what would you suggest for a silly spelling of the word ‘books’ with some x’s in there.
Thanks for your time with this silly question.

[susiedqq]

Just a guess:

Boo = buh
x = ecks

buh-ecks = books

that's the best I can make of it . . .

[David L.]

Years ago (before the Internet) advertises came up with selling 'socks' as 'sox' - same pronunciation
Boox would be the same.

[vil]

Attention: I'm not a teacher.

Hi…

There is a verisimilar explanation:

Boox (Blocks Out Of Xoops) is a module who's finality is to help you to manage content that Xoops can't access but wich is part of your site.
XOOPS is a free content management system, written in PHP, for websites.

Regards.

V.

[BobK]

Sounds good to me. Maybe it's bit of both - that is, the term was first coined as the name of a specific programming function, and then adopted more widely on the analogy of "sox" etc. I believe this has happened before, especially in the field of computer jargon; management types hear software developers using an apparently misspelt word and start using it themselves so as to look cool. No time to think of an ecample - it wouldn't be the first time though.

b

[BobK]

PS
I've thought of an example - not from the computer world though. The word is "feedback", which (in the 1920 meaning - Online Etymology Dictionary) refers specifically to the noise a microphone makes when it's placed in front of the loudspeaker that it (the microphone) is connected to. A quiet noise feeds back into the system and becomes a shrill whine/shriek. The more general use of "feedback" in the more common sense of conversational reciprocation (e.g. a speaker at a presentation might say 'I'd be glad to answer questions, but could you keep your feedback for the Q&A session at the end of my talk?') is more recent - I don't have a reference for this, but I don't remember hearing it used much before the '80s.

b