Ghosting

Updated: 09/12/2023 by Computer Hope

Ghosting may refer to any of the following:

Ghost image

1. A ghost image is a permanent discoloration in a certain area on a CRT (cathode ray tube) display. See our burn-in page for further information on this term.

2. When describing an LCD (liquid-crystal display) or flat-panel display, ghosting describes an artifact caused by a slow response time. As the screen refreshes, the human eye still perceives the image previously displayed, causing a smearing or blurring visual effect. When LCDs were introduced, ghosting was a common problem with cheaper displays. Today, LCD ghosting is rarely experienced.

3. When describing a web service or CMS (content management system), Ghost is a non-profit organization founded in April 2013 to help writers create an online platform. See our Ghost blog page for further information about this service.

4. When discussing a relationship, ghosting describes when a friend or someone you're in a relationship with suddenly stops communicating with or unfollows you. When someone ghosts you, you'll get no notification or explanation with the hope you (the ghostee) get the hint.

Why would someone ghost me?

Below are some reasons someone may ghost you online.

  • If you're dating the person, it may be their way of saying they no longer want to date or have met someone else.
  • You posted, shared, or liked a post that the ghoster doesn't.
  • The person feels they don't know you well enough in the real life to be a part of their social network.
  • The person is busy or distracted by real-life events.

What should I do if I've been ghosted?

If you feel you've been ghosted, don't dwell on the situation and move on with your life. Anyone who ghosts another person for no good reason is immature and doesn't respect you. You don't want to be friends or in a relationship with this type of person.

A figure obscured by fog.

5. Ghost also describes a person who has gone offline but still appears to be logged in to chat or another service. When this occurs, the user will receive an error indicating they are already logged in upon attempting to rejoin, forcing them to wait for their account time out.

6. When describing a crime, ghosting is a term to describe a type of identity theft where someone steals the identity of a dead person.

7. Ghosting is a form of cheating in online games where players are privileged to information they shouldn't have about another player's whereabouts, hand, etc.

For example, in many first-person shooters, dead players may disclose the location of living players on the opposing team to their teammates. Another example would be watching a Hearthstone player streaming on Twitch to discover the cards in their hand.

8. When using Norton's Ghost, ghosting copies the complete hard drive contents to a CD (compact disc) or network drive. Once ghosted, this image can be distributed over several computers. Ghosting is commonly done in a corporate environment where the same operating system and corporate software must be installed on many different computers.

Burn in, Chat terms, CMS, Game terms, Ghost blog, Mirror, Video terms