# flock (1-flock.org)

A group of birds, sheep, or other animals that stay together. People also say it for any close group of friends or followers, like a flock of fans around a star.

## What a model may hear
- file lock (Unix/Linux systems programming): Assume the user wants to lock a file so only one process can use it at a time, using the flock() system call or a similar mechanism
- browser flock (web technology history): Think of Flock, the early social web browser from around 2005-2011, and assume interest in social browsing or web history
- clustering algorithm (machine learning and data science): Connect to flocking algorithms or boid simulations, where simple rules make groups behave like bird flocks
- container orchestration (cloud computing): Confuse with Docker Swarm or other 'flock' metaphors for managing groups of containers or services

## Where people and models part ways
- Says: "Keep my files in a flock"
  Means: Organize my files into a group or folder
  May be taken as: Apply file locking that blocks access to files
  Say instead: "Organize my files into a group or folder"
- Says: "My followers are flocking to the site"
  Means: Many fans are visiting the website
  May be taken as: Interpret as a distributed system with many nodes joining, or look for a 'flock' service migration tool
  Say instead: "Many fans are visiting the website at once"
- Says: "Set up a flock for my project"
  Means: Create a team workspace or group chat
  May be taken as: Configure a file-locking system or install the Flock browser
  Say instead: "Create a team workspace for my project"
- Says: "The birds move like a flock"
  Means: Describe natural animal behavior
  May be taken as: Explain Craig Reynolds' boids algorithm or implement a simulation
  Say instead: "Describe how real birds move together in nature"

## Tips
- Say 'group' or 'cluster' if you mean people or things together, not 'flock'
- Mention 'birds' or 'animals' explicitly when you mean the literal group
- Say 'file lock' clearly if you want the Unix system call
- Avoid 'flock' alone for technology; name the specific tool or system
- If you mean the old browser, say 'Flock browser' with the capital

## Often confused with
- swarm: more insects or drones, less file locking
- herd: land animals, no tech meaning
- cluster: computers grouped, not animals
- lock: security device, not a group
- flockfile: specific PHP function, not general term
- boid: simulation agent, not common speech