How did killdevil do what he did?

October 21, 2007 3:34 PM

So killdevil posted a reversed comment in this thread about backwards autographs.

That's not surprising, as there are any number of websotes that will reverse a block of text, but something he did caused all subsequent text to be reversed, even the metadata and permalink. "View Source" even shows up backwards. Copying and pasting his text does the same trick on your message, too, but only below the point you paste his stuff.

The source of his comment looks unremarkable and pasting into a text editor, it pastes unreversed, but there's a character, which is apparently not in my character set, which shows up as ??.

What did he do?

What did he do? It's not readily apparent via Google.

posted by Mr. Gunn to MetaFilter-related at 3:34 PM (38 comments total)

There's a unicode character that sets the text direction to right-to-left. Some languages are read that way. He probably used that.
posted by Mr. President Dr. Steve Elvis America at 3:45 PM on October 21, 2007

I think that was answered in the thread by delmoi, but I bet it would have looked double-cool in this font.

-used to write backwards journals as a kid
posted by fermezporte at 3:46 PM on October 21, 2007

Yep, the Unicode right-to-left mark.
posted by cillit bang at 3:48 PM on October 21, 2007 [2 favorites]

it didn't show up backwards for me (safari on a macbook) - I didn't get why it was getting favorited until people began commenting. I've seen backwards comments around here before, though, I think, so not sure why.
posted by mdn at 3:53 PM on October 21, 2007

-used to write backwards journals as a kid

Yes, we know. In fact we know all about your childhood exploits. Perhaps backwards and in latin would have been wise.
posted by R. Mutt at 3:57 PM on October 21, 2007 [2 favorites]

I figured it was some symbol. Thanks for the info. Delmoi must have chimed in after I read it.
posted by Mr. Gunn at 3:59 PM on October 21, 2007

.yek7331 esu osla nac uoY
posted by Eideteker at 4:00 PM on October 21, 2007

killdevil also pointed out how to properly post ascii art on here a while ago.
posted by puke & cry at 4:00 PM on October 21, 2007

Clearly someone better befriended than antagonized.
posted by R. Mutt at 4:03 PM on October 21, 2007 [1 favorite]

Previously
posted by scodger at 4:20 PM on October 21, 2007

Previouser
posted by Abiezer at 5:17 PM on October 21, 2007

Stupid Web Tricks. Me likey!
posted by ZachsMind at 5:17 PM on October 21, 2007

hahahaha it's funny when in a thread about backwards stuff someone writes backwards! hahahaha I can't believe I didn't think of that first! hahahaha. It would be even better if in the MeTa thread about that people wrote backwards there, too. Ha!
posted by sneakin at 5:40 PM on October 21, 2007

It would have been even better if you had a funny snark, sneakin.
posted by klangklangston at 5:50 PM on October 21, 2007

hahahaha it's funny when in a thread about backwards stuff someone writes backwards! hahahaha I can't believe I didn't think of that first! hahahaha. It would be even better if in the MeTa thread about that people wrote backwards there, too. Ha!

You sound kinda nervous, Tex. You wearin' a wire?
posted by loquacious at 5:57 PM on October 21, 2007 [4 favorites]

You sound kinda nervous, Tex.

I ain't said a damn thing, mister.
posted by cortex at 6:03 PM on October 21, 2007

klang: Try reading it backwards.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 6:04 PM on October 21, 2007

Just out of curiosity, why do you filter out numeric HTML entities, but not any Unicode characters?
posted by delmoi at 6:09 PM on October 21, 2007

Because in the case of numeric entities it's trivial to accomplish the same thing without them by using the named form or by just using the direct Unicode character, whereas there is no way to type certain accented or foreign gliphs without unicode.
posted by Rhomboid at 6:26 PM on October 21, 2007

(and because there was some exploit long ago that used hex encoding of chars to do evil <a href="javascript:foo"> kinds of stuff that got past the filter.)
posted by Rhomboid at 6:27 PM on October 21, 2007

killdevil also pointed out how to properly post ascii art on here a while ago.

Those instructions neglect to mention that if the ascii art uses < or & characters that you must change them into &lt; and &amp;.
posted by Rhomboid at 6:29 PM on October 21, 2007

A Metatalk thread about me. Does this mean I've arrived?
posted by killdevil at 9:52 PM on October 21, 2007 [1 favorite]

Yeah, but you came in backwards. Go out and try it again, and watch the stage furniture this time.
posted by Abiezer at 10:10 PM on October 21, 2007

Jesus Fucking Hitler! You people... sometimes I don't know if I should chuckle or puke. Usually I like to combine the two, but I don't think you've earned it.
posted by Item at 10:19 PM on October 21, 2007

item's just being stingy. Everybody have a pukle on me.

No, not on me—

Oh gross.
posted by cortex at 10:23 PM on October 21, 2007

Metafilter: sometimes I don't know if I should chuckle or puke.
posted by O9scar at 10:39 PM on October 21, 2007

Honestly, what surprises me most is that no one's made a MeTa post yet about the fact that MetaFilter's Own posted a witty remark in that thread.

So I'm actually torn between chuckling, puking, pukleing, and just quietly resting my head in my hands whilst letting out a seep and dramatic sigh.
posted by Item at 10:49 PM on October 21, 2007

seep? you heard me right. not deep, but a combo of sigh and deep = seep
posted by Item at 10:50 PM on October 21, 2007

Yeah, the backwards thing doesn't show up in Safari on a MacBook. Had to open Firefox to see it.
posted by miss lynnster at 11:59 PM on October 21, 2007

The Filter has two faces.
posted by Poolio at 12:05 AM on October 22, 2007

‮Very cool.‭
posted by Pope Guilty at 1:56 AM on October 22, 2007

˙ʇɐ s,ʇı ǝɹǝɥʍ sı uʍop-ǝpısdn ˙ʎɐpɹǝʇsǝʎ os sı spɹɐʍʞɔɐq ƃuıʇsod
posted by Mwongozi at 6:14 AM on October 22, 2007 [1 favorite]

And yet the comment below from asavage has more favorites.
posted by dead_ at 6:54 AM on October 22, 2007

‮‮‮‮˙˙˙ ɹəɥʇəɓoʇ ɥʇoq sdɐɥɹəd ɹO‭
posted by woodblock100 at 8:28 AM on October 22, 2007

I believe you mean Metafilter's own asavage, dead_.
posted by Kwine at 9:21 AM on October 22, 2007 [1 favorite]

It severely hurts my dyslexic brain to read backwards.
posted by slogger at 2:06 PM on October 22, 2007

I discovered the backward thing here. I had no idea about the Unicode, and I copied a backwards comment above me and noticed that when I quoted it, my stuff was backwards as well.

I kinda figured it was magic so I sacrificed a couple of chickens to Ra, just to be on the safe side.
posted by quin at 4:32 PM on October 22, 2007

item, you are mistaken, I did not post in that thread.
posted by Meatbomb at 2:03 AM on October 24, 2007