slackstake

a slackstake describes what happens when you go to write something on slack, typically making use of an extension, app, or integration particular to that technology (like inserting a relevant giphy) that doesn’t turn out exactly as planned or intended.

examples include wanting to send a giphy that ill-strates your point but then sending a giphy that doesn’t really make sense or increases confusion. similarly, going to type the correct keyboard shorthand to generate a desired emoji, but not typing it correctly and hitting send too quickly so that it doesn’t generate the emoji but just sends the jumble of symbols.

slackstakes typically occur as a result of typos and being too quick with the keyboard, but the term can also extend to doing things like dming the wrong person, including someone in a group dm or channel that shouldn’t be there, or really just committing any mistake in slack that is iconic of and/or ironic for the medium of communication.

the word is a sandwich of “slack” and “mistake”.
“oh becky pulled the funniest slackstake yesterday when she sent brian a giphy of a beluga whale when she was telling him how much she loves orcas and how she knows everything about them. didn’t even know she sent the wrong whale until we pointed it out!”

“oh yeah, john got fired because he sent maria a promiscuous set of emojis via slack. granted, it was not during business hours, but that’s still a huge slackstake, if you know what i mean.”