talk
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)