ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

spanning tree protocol

Spanning tree protocol is a way that computers in a network can talk to each other and make sure that no two send messages at the same time. It is like a big game of telephone. When the computers talk, they use a special system so that two of them don't try to talk to each other at the same time. That way, the messages won't get all jumbled up trying to pass through too many distances at once.