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New Hacker's Dictionary the Jargon File v 4.4.6
[US Geological Survey] A procedure that has yet to be completely automated; it still requires a smidge of clueful human interaction. Semi-automated programs usually come with written-out operator instructions that are worth their weight in gold — without them, very nasty things can happen. At USGS semi-automated programs are often referred to as “semi-automated weapons”.