visible bell (communications) (Or "visual bell") A program option (whether in a terminal program, termcap setting, or as a stand-alone program) which outputs the bell character code as a visual signal (e.g., a flashing status bar or menu bar).
Generally intended for deaf or hearing-disabled users who couldn't hear the normal auditory beep; also widely used by users who simply don't want their machines feeping at them or disturbing other users. [Implementations?] Last updated: 1997-04-07