Combat Logging
Template:Quote Combat Logging is the act of logging off or exiting a session of Elite Dangerous during ship-to-ship combat, either PvE or PvP, in an illegitimate way in order to prevent an undesirable update to player save data. Combat logging is most often done to avoid death during combat due to insurance costs, but it is also used to avoid incurring fines and bounties during activities such as smuggling, and to avoid losing valuable or difficult to obtain commodities. This exploit works because the game only saves player data when certain events occur, not continuously, and the player can interrupt the game before it saves by terminating the application or network connection. Players who witness or suspect combat logging can report the individual to Frontier Developments for review.
Definition
Frontier Developments' official stance on combat logging by terminating the game application or the network connection is that it is an "undesirable exploit" that is "not part of the game", and therefore an offense that may be punished with a ban.[1]
Exiting the game via the menu and waiting for the 15-second cooldown to elapse is always legitimate, and will not incur any penalty according to FDev.[2]
However, menu logging is still classed as Combat Logging by the community at large, and PVP organizations such as Black Wings Dojo require participants not only to agree to neither combat log nor menu log, but may look unfavourably on applicants who have committed or condoned either practice in the past. It's therefore a community recommendation that players don't exit the game during combat by any method if they choose to participate in Open play.