I was confused by the reference to “lossy” networks in this page. Does this have a different meaning in this context than something like lossy compression where data is actually discarded?
For an example of what this means, try setting your MTU above the limit, and watch the raw traffic.
* - it's been years since I cared about the formal definition, my apologies if I got it wrong.
A “lossy” protocol is one that doesn’t attempt to compensate for that. In most cases, but not all, that means a higher level protocol will need to ensure that every bit of data has made it through. (An example protocol that might not care is one for watching broadcast TV on the Internet… if you miss a few seconds it’s not a big deal).