bring X to its knees = B = broadcast storm

brittle adj.

Said of software that is functional but easily broken by changes in operating environment or configuration, or by any minor tweak to the software itself. Also, any system that responds inappropriately and disastrously to abnormal but expected external stimuli; e.g., a file system that is usually totally scrambled by a power failure is said to be brittle. This term is often used to describe the results of a research effort that were never intended to be robust, but it can be applied to commercial software, which (due to closed-source development) displays the quality far more often than it ought to. Oppose robust.

--Jargon File, autonoded by rescdsk.

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Brit"tle (?), a. [OE. britel, brutel, AS. bryttian to dispense, fr. breotan to break; akin to Icel. brytja, Sw. bryta, Dan. bryde. Cf. Brickle.]

Easily broken; apt to break; fragile; not tough or tenacious<-- contrast to flexible; usually hard -->.

Farewell, thou pretty, brittle piece Of fine-cut crystal. Cotton.

Brittle silver ore, the mineral stephanite.

 

© Webster 1913.

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