JargonFile/original/html/N/NIL.html
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<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><title>NIL</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="../../jargon.css" type="text/css"/><meta name="generator" content="DocBook XSL Stylesheets V1.61.0"/><link rel="home" href="../index.html" title="The Jargon File"/><link rel="up" href="../N.html" title="N"/><link rel="previous" href="Nightmare-File-System.html" title="Nightmare File System"/><link rel="next" href="Ninety-Ninety-Rule.html" title="Ninety-Ninety Rule"/></head><body><div class="navheader"><table width="100%" summary="Navigation header"><tr><th colspan="3" align="center">NIL</th></tr><tr><td width="20%" align="left"><a accesskey="p" href="Nightmare-File-System.html">Prev</a> </td><th width="60%" align="center">N</th><td width="20%" align="right"> <a accesskey="n" href="Ninety-Ninety-Rule.html">Next</a></td></tr></table><hr/></div><dt><a id="NIL"/><dt xmlns="" id="NIL"><b>NIL</b>: <span xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" class="pronunciation">/nil/</span></dt></dt><dd><p> No. Used in reply to a question, particularly one asked using the
&#8216;-P&#8217; convention. Most hackers assume this derives simply from
LISP terminology for &#8216;false&#8217; (see also
<a href="../T/T.html"><i class="glossterm">T</i></a>), but NIL as a negative reply was well-established
among radio hams decades before the advent of LISP. The historical
connection between early hackerdom and the ham radio world was strong
enough that this may have been an influence.</p></dd><div class="navfooter"><hr/><table width="100%" summary="Navigation footer"><tr><td width="40%" align="left"><a accesskey="p" href="Nightmare-File-System.html">Prev</a> </td><td width="20%" align="center"><a accesskey="u" href="../N.html">Up</a></td><td width="40%" align="right"> <a accesskey="n" href="Ninety-Ninety-Rule.html">Next</a></td></tr><tr><td width="40%" align="left" valign="top">Nightmare File System </td><td width="20%" align="center"><a accesskey="h" href="../index.html">Home</a></td><td width="40%" align="right" valign="top"> Ninety-Ninety Rule</td></tr></table></div></body></html>