<s>
In	O
computing	O
jargon	O
,	O
the	O
bit	B-Device
bucket	I-Device
(	O
or	O
byte	B-Device
bucket	I-Device
)	O
is	O
where	O
lost	O
computerized	O
data	O
has	O
gone	O
,	O
by	O
any	O
means	O
;	O
any	O
data	O
which	O
does	O
not	O
end	O
up	O
where	O
it	O
is	O
supposed	O
to	O
,	O
being	O
lost	O
in	O
transmission	O
,	O
a	O
computer	B-General_Concept
crash	I-General_Concept
,	O
or	O
the	O
like	O
,	O
is	O
said	O
to	O
have	O
gone	O
to	O
the	O
bit	B-Device
bucket	I-Device
–	O
that	O
mysterious	O
place	O
on	O
a	O
computer	O
where	O
lost	O
data	O
goes	O
,	O
as	O
in	O
:	O
</s>
<s>
Originally	O
,	O
the	O
bit	B-Device
bucket	I-Device
was	O
the	O
container	O
on	O
teletype	O
machines	O
or	O
IBM	O
key	B-Device
punch	I-Device
machines	O
into	O
which	O
chad	O
from	O
the	O
paper	O
tape	O
punch	O
or	O
card	B-Architecture
punch	O
was	O
deposited	O
;	O
the	O
formal	O
name	O
is	O
"	O
chad	B-Device
box	I-Device
"	O
or	O
(	O
at	O
IBM	O
)	O
"	O
chip	B-Device
box	I-Device
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
term	O
was	O
then	O
generalized	O
into	O
any	O
place	O
where	O
useless	O
bits	O
go	O
,	O
a	O
useful	O
computing	O
concept	O
known	O
as	O
the	B-Operating_System
null	I-Operating_System
device	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
term	O
bit	B-Device
bucket	I-Device
is	O
also	O
used	O
in	O
discussions	O
of	O
bit	O
shift	O
operations	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
bit	B-Device
bucket	I-Device
is	O
related	O
to	O
the	O
first	B-Algorithm
in	I-Algorithm
never	I-Algorithm
out	I-Algorithm
buffer	O
and	O
write-only	O
memory	B-General_Concept
,	O
in	O
a	O
joke	O
datasheet	O
issued	O
by	O
Signetics	O
in	O
1972	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
magazine	O
,	O
Atari	B-Language
BASIC	I-Language
author	O
Bill	O
Wilkinson	O
presented	O
a	O
POKE	B-Language
that	O
implemented	O
what	O
he	O
called	O
a	O
"	O
WORN	O
"	O
(	O
Write	O
Once	O
,	O
Read	O
Never	O
)	O
device	O
,	O
"	O
a	O
close	O
relative	O
of	O
the	O
WORM	B-Device
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
programming	O
languages	O
the	O
term	O
is	O
used	O
to	O
denote	O
a	O
bitstream	O
which	O
does	O
not	O
consume	O
any	O
computer	O
resources	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
CPU	B-Device
or	O
memory	B-General_Concept
,	O
by	O
discarding	O
any	O
data	O
"	O
written	O
"	O
to	O
it	O
.	O
</s>
