A question for people in IT

Acanthus

Lifer
Aug 28, 2001
19,915
2
76
ostif.org
I have met someone on another forum who claims to be a network admin, but doesnt understand the term lag spike.

I cannot fathom this... Are there more of you out there?
 

Crescent13

Diamond Member
Jan 12, 2005
4,793
1
0
a network admin doesn't know what a lag spike is?!?

95% of the 12 year olds I see in CS source know what that means.
 

spidey07

No Lifer
Aug 4, 2000
65,469
5
76
Why would I know what in the world a lag spike is?

Use the proper terms....a temporary increase in rountrip latency resulting in an overall jitter deviation for a short period of time.
 

EvilYoda

Lifer
Apr 1, 2001
21,198
9
81
Originally posted by: spidey07
Why would I know what in the world a lag spike is?

Use the proper terms....a temporary increase in rountrip latency resulting in an overall jitter deviation for a short period of time.

Redundant definition ;)

 

Acanthus

Lifer
Aug 28, 2001
19,915
2
76
ostif.org
Originally posted by: spidey07
Why would I know what in the world a lag spike is?

Use the proper terms....a temporary increase in rountrip latency resulting in an overall jitter deviation for a short period of time.

Because you dont want to say that every time you talk about it?
 

spidey07

No Lifer
Aug 4, 2000
65,469
5
76
Originally posted by: EvilYoda
Originally posted by: spidey07
Why would I know what in the world a lag spike is?

Use the proper terms....a temporary increase in rountrip latency resulting in an overall jitter deviation for a short period of time.

Redundant definition ;)

Not really. ;)

the temporary latency increase will trend jitter deviation upward (it's statistical) for longer then the actual time of the latency.

so there.
:p
 

spidey07

No Lifer
Aug 4, 2000
65,469
5
76
Originally posted by: Acanthus
Originally posted by: spidey07
Why would I know what in the world a lag spike is?

Use the proper terms....a temporary increase in rountrip latency resulting in an overall jitter deviation for a short period of time.

Because you dont want to say that every time you talk about it?

"lag spike" is not something ever used when speaking about networks. Using the proper terminology allows better communication.
 

notfred

Lifer
Feb 12, 2001
38,241
4
0
google cannot define "lag spike": link
dictionary.com cannot define "lag spike": link
None of four different online "tech dictionaries" I tried could define "lag spike".
Wikipedia cannot define "lag spike": link

I think you just made up the term "lag spike".
 

spidey07

No Lifer
Aug 4, 2000
65,469
5
76
Originally posted by: notfred
google cannot define "lag spike": link
dictionary.com cannot define "lag spike": link
None of four different online "tech dictionaries" I tried could define "lag spike".
Wikipedia cannot define "lag spike": link

I think you just made up the term "lag spike".

notfred joins in the discussion with a strong dose of reality.
:thumbsup:
 

Acanthus

Lifer
Aug 28, 2001
19,915
2
76
ostif.org
Originally posted by: spidey07
Originally posted by: Acanthus
Originally posted by: spidey07
Why would I know what in the world a lag spike is?

Use the proper terms....a temporary increase in rountrip latency resulting in an overall jitter deviation for a short period of time.

Because you dont want to say that every time you talk about it?

"lag spike" is not something ever used when speaking about networks. Using the proper terminology allows better communication.

Ive been using it for years... ive never had someone question it.
 

Acanthus

Lifer
Aug 28, 2001
19,915
2
76
ostif.org
Originally posted by: spidey07
Originally posted by: notfred
google cannot define "lag spike": link
dictionary.com cannot define "lag spike": link
None of four different online "tech dictionaries" I tried could define "lag spike".
Wikipedia cannot define "lag spike": link

I think you just made up the term "lag spike".

notfred joins in the discussion with a strong dose of reality.
:thumbsup:

Its "e-slang" if you will.
 

mugs

Lifer
Apr 29, 2003
48,920
46
91
Originally posted by: notfred

I think you just made up the term "lag spike".

As someone else pointed out, it's a common term in video games. Gamers made it up, he didn't.
 

notfred

Lifer
Feb 12, 2001
38,241
4
0
Originally posted by: mugs
Originally posted by: notfred

I think you just made up the term "lag spike".

As someone else pointed out, it's a common term in video games. Gamers made it up, he didn't.

Well, maybe his network admin doesn't play video games.
 

Acanthus

Lifer
Aug 28, 2001
19,915
2
76
ostif.org
Network admins that dont play video games?

Im sacred ;)

But yeah, thats probably where the discrepency lies.

Ill agree it isnt a technical term, but everyone here seemed to immediatly know what i was talking about.
 

mugs

Lifer
Apr 29, 2003
48,920
46
91
Originally posted by: notfred
Originally posted by: mugs
Originally posted by: notfred

I think you just made up the term "lag spike".

As someone else pointed out, it's a common term in video games. Gamers made it up, he didn't.

Well, maybe his network admin doesn't play video games.

Yes, clearly.

I never said it was a correct term. But your list of dictionary links is meaningless. Not all multi-word phrases are in the dictionary. I wouldn't call it a lag spike, but I think "latency spike" would be an appropriate (and concise) term.
 

spidey07

No Lifer
Aug 4, 2000
65,469
5
76
Originally posted by: Acanthus
Ive been using it for years... ive never had someone question it.

Read my post again.

It is not a term used in network communications in anyway shape or form.

Even the term lag is not used in anyway shape or form. It's a made up term and completely normal for a professional to not have any idea what it means.
 

clamum

Lifer
Feb 13, 2003
26,256
406
126
I knew what it was just because I've been playing video games online for a long time. Someone who doesn't probably wouldn't know what the phrase means. Though I don't think it would be too hard to figure out if you knew what the word "lag" meant, but maybe it's use is confined to, again, online games.
 

spidey07

No Lifer
Aug 4, 2000
65,469
5
76
Originally posted by: Acanthus
Network admins that dont play video games?

Im sacred ;)

But yeah, thats probably where the discrepency lies.

Ill agree it isnt a technical term, but everyone here seemed to immediatly know what i was talking about.

So which is it?

drops?
increased latency (one way or both?)
increased jitter?

The term "lag" is insignificant. I just view it as an excuse for not being good enough. ;)
 

Acanthus

Lifer
Aug 28, 2001
19,915
2
76
ostif.org
Originally posted by: spidey07
Originally posted by: Acanthus
Ive been using it for years... ive never had someone question it.

Read my post again.

It is not a term used in network communications in anyway shape or form.

Even the term lag is not used in anyway shape or form. It's a made up term and completely normal for a professional to not have any idea what it means.

lag1 ( P ) Pronunciation Key (lg)
v. lagged, lag·ging, lags
v. intr.
To fail to keep up a pace; straggle.
To proceed or develop with comparative slowness: The electric current lags behind the voltage.
To fail, weaken, or slacken gradually; flag.
 

notfred

Lifer
Feb 12, 2001
38,241
4
0
Originally posted by: spidey07
Originally posted by: Acanthus
Even the term lag is not used in anyway shape or form. It's a made up term and completely normal for a professional to not have any idea what it means.

Yeah, I don't see why he would expect people to know that. I'm a programmer, but if some group of people in the Half-Life mod community started referring to "polymorphism" as "shapeshifting" I'd have no freaking clue WTF they were talking about.
 

Acanthus

Lifer
Aug 28, 2001
19,915
2
76
ostif.org
Originally posted by: spidey07
Originally posted by: Acanthus
Network admins that dont play video games?

Im sacred ;)

But yeah, thats probably where the discrepency lies.

Ill agree it isnt a technical term, but everyone here seemed to immediatly know what i was talking about.

So which is it?

drops?
increased latency (one way or both?)
increased jitter?

The term "lag" is insignificant. I just view it as an excuse for not being good enough. ;)

Lag spikes are sudden tremendous increases in latency that subside after a few seconds. Usually caused by routing problems between the client and server (damn you sprintlink!).