pixel sort
n.
[Commodore users] Any compression routine which irretrievably loses
valuable data in the process of {crunch}ing it. Disparagingly used for
`lossy' methods such as JPEG. The theory, of course, is that these
methods are only used on photographic images in which minor
loss-of-data is not visible to the human eye. The term pixel sort
implies distrust of this theory. Compare {bogo-sort}.