NO CARRIER

For this reason, the NO CARRIER message was ubiquitously understood to mean that one was no longer connected to a remote system.

If it does not receive data from the calling modem within a set amount of time, it disconnects the line.

The calling modem waits for the tone after it dials the phone line before it initiates data transmission.

This joke may mean that the typist was writing something excessively boring or illogical, or something the authorities (usually either the government or the site moderators) would supposedly want to suppress.

Don't pick up the ph{#`%${%&`+'${`%&NO CARRIER) This joke anachronistically continues to be seen on the Internet despite the waning use of modems in favor of broadband connectivity.

Current use: no carrier status message shown in widgets of a PC-BSD 10.1.2 network manager (running on MATE ). Three network interface widgets (2 Ethernet and 1 WiFi ) showing two network interfaces being up, one being down with no cable plugged in (hence: "no carrier"), underlined in red.
NO CARRIER status message of an Ethernet network interface being up but with no cable plugged in