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<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><title>black hole</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="../B.html" title="B"/><link rel="previous" href="black-hat.html" title="black hat"/><link rel="next" href="black-magic.html" title="black magic"/></head><body><div class="navheader"><table width="100%" summary="Navigation header"><tr><th colspan="3" align="center">black hole</th></tr><tr><td width="20%" align="left"><a accesskey="p" href="black-hat.html">Prev</a> </td><th width="60%" align="center">B</th><td width="20%" align="right"> <a accesskey="n" href="black-magic.html">Next</a></td></tr></table><hr/></div><dt><a id="black-hole"/><dt xmlns="" id="black-hole"><b>black hole</b>: <span xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" class="grammar">n.,vt.</span></dt></dt><dd><p> [common] What data (a piece of email or netnews, or a stream of
TCP/IP packets) has fallen into if it disappears mysteriously between its
origin and destination sites (that is, without returning a
<a href="bounce-message.html"><i class="glossterm">bounce message</i></a>). &#8220;<span class="quote">I think there's a black
hole at <tt class="systemitem">foovax</tt>!</span>&#8221; conveys
suspicion that site <tt class="systemitem">foovax</tt> has
been dropping a lot of stuff on the floor lately (see
<a href="../D/drop-on-the-floor.html"><i class="glossterm">drop on the floor</i></a>). The implied metaphor of email as interstellar
travel is interesting in itself. Readily verbed as <span class="firstterm">blackhole</span>: &#8220;<span class="quote">That router is blackholing
IDP packets.</span>&#8221; Compare <a href="bit-bucket.html"><i class="glossterm">bit bucket</i></a> and see
<a href="../R/RBL.html"><i class="glossterm">RBL</i></a>.</p></dd><div class="navfooter"><hr/><table width="100%" summary="Navigation footer"><tr><td width="40%" align="left"><a accesskey="p" href="black-hat.html">Prev</a> </td><td width="20%" align="center"><a accesskey="u" href="../B.html">Up</a></td><td width="40%" align="right"> <a accesskey="n" href="black-magic.html">Next</a></td></tr><tr><td width="40%" align="left" valign="top">black hat </td><td width="20%" align="center"><a accesskey="h" href="../index.html">Home</a></td><td width="40%" align="right" valign="top"> black magic</td></tr></table></div></body></html>