talk definition
<chat, tool, networking, messaging> A Unix program and
protocol supporting conversation between two or more users
who may be logged into the same computer or different
computers on a network. Variants include ntalk, ytalk,
and ports or emulators of these programs for other
platforms.
Unix has the talk program and protocol and its variants
xtalk and ytalk for the X Window System; VMS has
phone; Windows for Workgroups has chat. ITS also has
a talk system. These split the screen into separate areas for
each user.
Unix's write command can also be used, though it does not
attempt to separate input and output on the screen.
Users of such systems are said to be in talk mode which has
many conventional abbreviations and idioms. Most of these
survived into chat jargon, but many fell out of common use
with the migration of user prattle from talk-like systems to
chat systems in the early 1990s. These disused
talk-specific forms include:
"BYE?" - are you ready to close the conversation? This is the
standard way to end a talk-mode conversation; the other person
types "BYE" to confirm, or else continues the conversation.
"JAM"/"MIN" - just a minute
"O" - "over" (I have stopped talking). Also "/" as in x/y - x
over y, or two newlines (the latter being the most common).
"OO" - "over and out" - end of conversation.
"\" - Greek lambda.
"R U THERE?" - are you there?
"SEC" - wait a second.
"/\/\/" - laughter. But on a MUD, this usually means
"earthquake fault".
See also talk bomb.
(1998-01-25)
Nearby terms:
TAL « TALE « Taligent « talk » talk bomb » talker system » talk mode
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