Phrase origin: Why do we "call" functions?

Off topic somewhat but where the hell did the verb 'jump' come from for video calls? I'm always being asked to jump on a call

Maybe it's a hint that the operation is irreversible! :-)

I always thought it was just a metaphor for suddenly leaving whatever you were doing at the time. You’re doing something else, and then you jump on a call. You don’t mosey on over and show up on the call fifteen minutes later.

This was a result of Zoom's acquisition of the band House of Pain.

Thought it was Kris Kross.

I assume it's because you're doing something you'd rather not do to benefit somebody else, much like you'd jump on a grenade :p

That's just a standard meaning of the word jump. You're jumping from whatever you were doing to a video call.

You would jump on a call before video was involved. Not even necessarily a conference call either, you could jump on the horn etc.

It just means to start doing something, no great mystery.

I'll henceforth take this as the canonical explanation :)

When in reality it was Van Halen.

I thought it's like hopping onto a bus. Then it doesn't take a lot for "hop" to change into "jump".

It seems like it has the connotation of being spontaneous and not requiring preparation.

That has nothing to do with the video aspect, but the group aspect. "Jump", "Hop" and the like are making a group call analogous to a bus ride, where people can jump on and off.