why do business people use "ping" as a verb?

[Deleted]

as in "i'll ping you later on that." which i take to mean "get in contact with using some form of telephonic or electronic communication."

it sounds 99% ridiculous.

[Deleted]

I've never heard that in every day. The only time I heard it was when my friend and I both had Latitude on our phones. You could "ping" someone to ask them to check in so you could see where they were. Which neither of us ever did, because it felt nosy.

[Deleted]

Aug 14, 2012 9:15:31 GMT -5 @tambcat said:

I've never heard that. I was thinking pinging on the radar.

that makes sense as a root origin.

"ping" still doesn't make sense as used in businessspeak. it's one of those weird verbal tics that drive me batty. i know lawyers have their weird stuff too, but at least we don't say things like ping, damnit!

[lazyphoque]

Techie speak - if an ip address doesn't seem to be responding, you can ping it using various services to see if the breakdown is at the host level.

ETA - and yeah, using it in business makes you sound like a doofus.

[MWOS]

[Deleted]

California lawyers use it! It's a tech thing.

[speckledfrog]

I've seen it on here a few times. I assumed people meant it as emailing but that's not how MH or his other computery friends use it. When they ping something it's to see if the internet is working or how fast it's going or something along those lines.

[Deleted]

That sounds ridiculous. I used to work in DSL back when it was brand new technology and the term meant that you would send some data to an ip address to see if it was working. "I'm going to ping the ip...yup. It went through. It's working." it sounded stupid even in that context.

[Deleted]

Aug 14, 2012 9:19:18 GMT -5 elle said:

California lawyers use it! It's a tech thing.

fuck california. you're all screwed in the head.

[Deleted]

Aug 14, 2012 9:20:31 GMT -5 cville said:

Aug 14, 2012 9:19:18 GMT -5 elle said:

California lawyers use it! It's a tech thing.

fuck california. you're all screwed in the head.

Silicon valley.

[Deleted]

you pay $850k for a brokedown 2/1! and call that normal! the whole state is insane!

lol.

[speckledfrog]

Elle, are they using the term to mean anything different than checking on IP addresses?

[janegold]

Aug 14, 2012 9:17:24 GMT -5 cville said:

Aug 14, 2012 9:15:31 GMT -5 @tambcat said:

I've never heard that. I was thinking pinging on the radar.

that makes sense as a root origin.

"ping" still doesn't make sense as used in businessspeak. it's one of those weird verbal tics that drive me batty. i know lawyers have their weird stuff too, but at least we don't say things like ping, damnit!

Lawyers in my office do! (Not me though; I agree that it sounds ridiculous.)

[Nicole]

I use this all of the time. We have instant messager for the whole corp so I can instant message someone from anywhere in the world to ask a question. We oddly don't really use phones that much. I prefer to have everything in writing communication so I can refer to it later anyhow.

so ping = instant message in my world

[Deleted]

Aug 14, 2012 9:34:05 GMT -5 Nicole said:

I use this all of the time. We have instant messager for the whole corp so I can instant message someone from anywhere in the world to ask a question. We oddly don't really use phones that much. I prefer to have everything in writing communication so I can refer to it later anyhow.

I wish my company would get an instant messaging system. I have to delete every email as soon as I get the information I need so that I don't run out of space.

IM's would be so much better for quick questions.

[Deleted]

Aug 14, 2012 9:24:31 GMT -5 speckledfrog said:

Elle, are they using the term to mean anything different than checking on IP addresses?

We use it to mean "I'll contact you" but I assume it has its roots in actual "pinging." Or because AOL used to make a pinging noise. The saying has been around since I started practicing, so at least a decade.

Now, a more exciting phrase is combining synergies in coopertition. That's a personal favorite of mine.

[revolution]

I work IT and we use it to refer to connecting to servers/other machines to see if you can access it/them. Outside of that context, I think it sounds ridiculous.

[cbwm1]

This is a very widely used term at my company. But it's mostly used in regards to IMing someone.

[mypunkinpie]

Aug 14, 2012 9:18:54 GMT -5 TR said:

"Shit, no man. I believe you'd get your ass kicked saying something like that, man."

:heart: Lawrence

[EmilieMadison]

Aug 14, 2012 9:34:05 GMT -5 Nicole said:

I use this all of the time. We have instant messager for the whole corp so I can instant message someone from anywhere in the world to ask a question. We oddly don't really use phones that much. I prefer to have everything in writing communication so I can refer to it later anyhow.

so ping = instant message in my world

Yes, this is the same for my DH. They're required to use instant message internally, and it's called a "ping".

[revolution]

Why can't people say 'IM' or 'send you a message' and not ping. They don't mean the same thing (at least not in my techie world and I DO Ping servers and PC's and I IM people all day long). Maybe using them interchangeably irritates me because they have separate meanings in my world.

[mrsjuleshs]

I hear that here occassionally along with "circle back" and "reaching out". Recruiter lingo is annoying.

[StormyDixon]

Aug 14, 2012 10:13:47 GMT -5 mrsjuleshs said:

I hear that here occassionally along with "circle back" and "reaching out". Recruiter lingo is annoying.

ugh, I hate "circle back"

[-Moe-]

Seattle and DC use this routinely. At least consultants do. I use it daily, and my friends mock me mercilessly. But yeah...

I always hear a little "ping" sound in my head when someone says it.

[Deleted]

I use it all the time, as do my collegues (in the context you stated.)

[Deleted]

Aug 14, 2012 10:05:14 GMT -5 revolution said:

Why can't people say 'IM' or 'send you a message' and not ping. They don't mean the same thing (at least not in my techie world and I DO Ping servers and PC's and I IM people all day long). Maybe using them interchangeably irritates me because they have separate meanings in my world.

I use it generically when I'm not sure what mode I'm going to use to contact someone - otherwise I am more specific (i.e. say that I will email/call/IM them.)

[LLL]

I used to hear it all.the.time.
Luckily, not so much anymore.

[lissaholly]

Yeah. My DH is a consultant and uses it all the time. Mostly for IMing but he always tells me, "I have my phone, I'll ping you/ you can ping me" when he leaves the house. I have accepted but always wonderede about it vaguely.

[sydney02]

I don't hear ping too much thank goodness.

All of a sudden lately I'm hearing "out of pocket" to mean unavailable. I never heard this term and in the past few months I feel like I'm hearing it a couple of times of week.