What Does This Mean?

ping timeout

[ SLANG ][ ENGLISH DAILY ]

FORCE: Machine CultureUNIVERSE: IRC & Early Internet CultureCLUSTER: chat_connection_slang

The quit reason shown when a chat server (classically on IRC) stops getting a reply to its keepalive check on a user's connection and drops that user.

REAL-WORLD EXAMPLE

""He vanished mid-sentence and the channel just showed 'Ping timeout' next to his name.""

LORE & ORIGIN

The Undernet IRC quit-message FAQ explains that servers ping users at set intervals and disconnect any client that does not answer with a pong, and the channel then shows a quit message such as "Ping timeout". It lists overloaded clients or servers, an unreliable ISP connection and routing problems among the usual causes. The IRC command list documents the PING and PONG exchange. No dated first use found.

FIRST SEEN

Unknown (IRC-era term; no dated first use found)

PEAK ERA (EDITORIAL)

1990s-2000s IRC

CURRENT STATUS

Legacy / Decaying Slang

EQUIVALENT CONCEPTS IN OTHER LANGUAGES

Español es-ESno fixed local term →Français fr-FRno fixed local term →日本語 ja-JPno fixed local term →한국어 ko-KRno fixed local term →Português pt-BRno fixed local term →中文 zh-CNno fixed local term →

AURA IMPACT ⓘ

+1 AURA

TREND STATUS

↓ FADING

EDITORIAL ESTIMATE

CULTURE CATEGORY

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RELATED TERMS

MENTIONS OVER TIME

DOCUMENTED SINCE

Unknown (IRC-era term; no dated first use found)

NOW

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