Write-only memory (joke)

Write-only memory (WOM), the opposite of read-only memory (ROM), began as a humorous reference to a memory device that could be written to but not read, as there seemed to be no practical use for a memory circuit from which data could not be retrieved. However, it was eventually recognized that write-only describes certain functionalities in microprocessor systems. The concept is still often used as a joke or euphemism for a failed memory device.

The first use of the term is generally attributed to Signetics, whose write-only memory literature, created in 1972 as in-house practical joke, is frequently referenced within the electronics industry, a staple of software engineering lexicons, and included in "best hoaxes" collections.