Source : Free On-Line Dictionary of Computing

slashdot effect
     
         An effect where a document on a {WWW} {server} is
        linked to from another, popular, site, with the resultant
        traffic overloading the server so that a connection cannot be
        made to it.  This is especially likely if the server is
        running {Microsoft IIS}.
     
        The term was coined by readers of the {Unix} advocacy {web
        site} {slashdot.org (http://slashdot.org/)}.
     
        (1998-10-24)