Cone of Silence - Other Uses

Other Uses

The term cone of silence is also used when people are overtly zealous in trying to keep a secret: here the term usually refers to the fact that the "outsider" can see something is there, but is unable to find out exactly what.

The term cone of silence has been adopted in pop culture for any system that prevents eavesdropping, usually by creating a private or encrypted link between the clients. VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) are a good example, as is any form of encrypted or hidden instant messaging.

The term cone of silence has been adopted in online chat rooms as a method by which troublesome trolls are excluded from conversations. The shorthand term "COS" is invoked whenever a troll appears warning "regulars" not to engage the troll or encourage their behavior.

The term cone of silence has been adopted in weather related terminology to mean a small conical area around radar which data is not accurate or visible.

Cone of silence was the name given by Stanford University students at Synergy House for their method of muting the morning crows of the roosters in their chicken coop at the campus residence; it consisted of a wooden pyramid inside the coop into which the roosters were individually placed after dark and removed from in the morning.