upside-down October 1, 2010 7:39 AM   Subscribe


he used characters that are upside down versions of the regular letters.

noʎ ɹoɟ sıɥʇ op uɐɔ ʇɐɥʇ ǝbɐdqǝʍ ɐ sı ǝɹǝɥ
posted by yeoz at 7:42 AM on October 1, 2010 [7 favorites]


I was expecting the answer in question to come from an Autralian user, but alas, they're from Toronto. I got nothin'.
posted by Verdant at 7:42 AM on October 1, 2010


˙uo ǝʌoɯ puɐ ʇı bɐןɟ 'osןɐ
posted by yeoz at 7:43 AM on October 1, 2010


Yeah, it's a silly display trick. It's also totally not a reasonable thing to do in an askme answer if the question isn't "can you please give an example of upside-down text rendering", so I'm afraid this metatalk was destined to be nerfed.
posted by cortex (staff) at 7:51 AM on October 1, 2010 [3 favorites]


Looking at that upside down text makes me feel queasy.
posted by cider at 7:51 AM on October 1, 2010


We should have an entire upside-down thread so I can justify that I turned my monitor over yesterday.
posted by shakespeherian at 8:01 AM on October 1, 2010 [1 favorite]


can't you just stand on your head?
posted by pyramid termite at 8:06 AM on October 1, 2010


Wait 'til he does one inside out and round and round, though respectfully, I'm aware that he's cheatin'
posted by Abiezer at 8:07 AM on October 1, 2010 [2 favorites]


uıʍ ı pɐǝɥ ɹnoʎ uɹnʇ noʎ ɟı
posted by The Whelk at 8:14 AM on October 1, 2010 [1 favorite]


Just don't start reading a Möbius comment...
posted by inigo2 at 8:14 AM on October 1, 2010 [1 favorite]


uıʍ ı pɐǝɥ ɹnoʎ uɹnʇ noʎ ɟı

I did not turn my head. What do I win.
posted by pwally at 8:22 AM on October 1, 2010 [4 favorites]


Eyestrain?
posted by maryr at 8:26 AM on October 1, 2010 [1 favorite]


this meta-comment which is about
ʇnoqɐ sı ɥɔıɥʍ ʇuǝɯɯoɔ ןɐıʇuǝɹǝɟǝɹ-ɟןǝs sıɥʇ
posted by shakespeherian at 8:31 AM on October 1, 2010 [11 favorites]


The real reason that comment was deleted was because it contained secrets of Masonic arcana that the general public is not prepared for.

Did you notice the askme thread #?
posted by jtron at 8:36 AM on October 1, 2010 [1 favorite]


what does nerfed mean? (I am over forty, that's my excuse)
posted by The Lady is a designer at 8:50 AM on October 1, 2010


It means "tossed into a padded room with all the other nutty comments." This is also the origin of the term "nerf-herder," now synonymous with "MeFi mod."
posted by AkzidenzGrotesk at 8:59 AM on October 1, 2010 [1 favorite]


I've seen it used mostly with online games, when the publishers of the game alter the talents of a particular class or talent, to the point where it isn't as useful as it once was. It's usually done in an attempt to restore balance to the game.
posted by crunchland at 9:01 AM on October 1, 2010 [1 favorite]


Paging #12391.
posted by Faint of Butt at 9:02 AM on October 1, 2010


Did you notice the askme thread #?

holy shit
posted by chinston at 9:05 AM on October 1, 2010


I didn't know there was a way to flap comments
posted by Namlit at 9:08 AM on October 1, 2010


System -> Preferences -> Monitors: Rotation: Upside Down.
posted by kmz at 9:17 AM on October 1, 2010


Upside down text + Zalgo = ʞ͜ɔ̕ı̛s ǝ͞q o͝ʇ bu҉ı͝ob͘ ͝ɯ̸,ı̧ ͠ʞu͘ı̧ɥ̴ʇ͢ ı b̧ɯó
posted by Dr-Baa at 9:48 AM on October 1, 2010 [2 favorites]


s̼̳͋͊͂ͮ͘ǝ̶̲͙͇̣̀̈́ͣͦ̆͐ʌ̺͛͛͐ͩ̎̈ͪͨ̚͟ɐ̖̝͙̖͓̬̦̫̋͌̍͂͐̕͞ǝ̡̤̠͚͋͝ן̴͔̖ͦ͜͝ ̨̗̅͑͡ǝ̷͔̠ͩ͐̃̕ɥ̴̦̠̼̏͛ͦ͊̀
posted by grouse at 9:53 AM on October 1, 2010 [1 favorite]


crunchland writes "I've seen it used mostly with online games, when the publishers of the game alter the talents of a particular class or talent, to the point where it isn't as useful as it once was. It's usually done in an attempt to restore balance to the game."

It originates from Nerf toys who sell a bunch of what would be dangerous implements except they are wrapped with foam.

Interestingly when an object/ruleset gets nerfed it is often stated that it has been hit by a nerf bat.
posted by Mitheral at 9:54 AM on October 1, 2010


Burhanistan: "Quicker:
Ctrl + Alt + arrow key of your choic
"

This is video card driver dependent.
posted by Mitheral at 9:55 AM on October 1, 2010 [1 favorite]


ɐqןǝ ʍɐs ı ǝɹǝ ı sɐʍ ǝןqɐ
posted by Bonzai at 10:02 AM on October 1, 2010


What's an alt key?
posted by cjorgensen at 10:05 AM on October 1, 2010


Whenever I place a dot in an obit thread, that dot is upside-down. You know, to symbolize the emotional tumult of the loss.
posted by .kobayashi. at 10:11 AM on October 1, 2010 [4 favorites]


I used to do that too in obit threads, until I realized The Mods automatically turned them right side up again.
posted by chavenet at 10:16 AM on October 1, 2010


cjorgenson: using ale yeast?
posted by jtron at 10:17 AM on October 1, 2010 [2 favorites]


Totally works in facebook. That's going to confuse some people.
posted by unSane at 10:19 AM on October 1, 2010


This is also the origin of the term "nerf-herder,"

No, that was The Empire Strikes Back.
posted by anazgnos at 10:20 AM on October 1, 2010 [1 favorite]


‮Everyone in here seems to be wearing a goatee.‭
posted by carsonb at 10:21 AM on October 1, 2010


When my six grade teacher found out that I could read just as fast upside-down as right-side up she moved me away from in front of her desk. Somebody ratted me out. Bastard.
posted by Splunge at 10:26 AM on October 1, 2010 [3 favorites]


ZALGO IS THE NEW BIFF

am i doin it rite?
posted by GuyZero at 10:40 AM on October 1, 2010


私は彼女が正しいとするとすぐに逆さに読むことができることが判明する前に、私の机は、彼女をオフにして六年生の先生です。誰か私をバッシング。バスタード。

Before I found that you can read upside down as soon as she is right, my desk is a sixth grade teacher to clear her. Someone bashing me. Bastard.
posted by jtron at 11:25 AM on October 1, 2010


Some people think font tricks like the upside-down characters and Zalgo are funny.

I'm not one of them.
posted by mephron at 11:30 AM on October 1, 2010 [1 favorite]


I know people like to boast about how they can read upside-down or in mirror image. But what I want to know is were we go to brag about the fact that we can write upside down or in mirror image.

Because that's the kind of thing you do when taking notes in a meeting if you want to really irritate and confuse the person sitting next to you.
posted by quin at 11:37 AM on October 1, 2010


I don't like the font tricks either, but probably for a different reason. Instead of seeing "odd" fonts, I see a series of little boxes with numbers/letters in them. This I do not understand.
posted by heyho at 11:40 AM on October 1, 2010


5318008
posted by Kabanos at 12:07 PM on October 1, 2010 [2 favorites]


Some people think font tricks like the upside-down characters and Zalgo are funny.

I'm not one of them.


Yes, but to you have a semi-drunken rant decrying these tricks?
posted by cjorgensen at 12:26 PM on October 1, 2010


¡ǝɯ ǝdoɥ ǝsɐǝןd 'ɹoʇɐɹʇsıuıɯpɐ
posted by Deathalicious at 1:19 PM on October 1, 2010


Yes, but to you have a semi-drunken rant decrying these tricks?

I'll need a bottle of Lagavulin and a half-hour to get it done. It's a Friday and I'm unemployed.
posted by mephron at 1:50 PM on October 1, 2010 [1 favorite]


Funny how inverting the letters makes me that much more conscious of spacing and line thickness.

Or is it in a different font?

*stands on head*

Ow. This hurts. I haven't done this since middle school.

*falls over*
posted by BitterOldPunk at 2:37 PM on October 1, 2010


Instead of seeing "odd" fonts, I see a series of little boxes with numbers/letters in them.

If I spend too much time running queries on the Infodump, the entire site starts looking this way to me. Usually green numbers and letters, cascading down the screen.
posted by FishBike at 3:11 PM on October 1, 2010


Funny how inverting the letters makes me that much more conscious of spacing and line thickness.

Or is it in a different font?


Well, the spacing is different between "right side up" letters and their "upside down" counterparts — or at least, it is for me.
ʍǝןן' ʇɥǝ sdɐɔıuƃ ıs pıɟɟǝɹǝuʇ qǝʇʍǝǝu „ɹıƃɥʇ sıpǝ nd„ ןǝʇʇǝɹs ɐup ʇɥǝıɹ „ndsıpǝ poʍu„ ɔonuʇǝɹdɐɹʇs — oɹ ɐʇ ןǝɐsʇ' ıʇ ıs ɟoɹ ɯǝ˙

(In my browser a lot of the upside down characters are skinnier or more closely spaced.)
(ıu ɯʎ qɹoʍsǝɹ ɐ ןoʇ oɟ ʇɥǝ ndsıpǝ poʍu ɔɥɐɹɐɔʇǝɹs ɐɹǝ sʞıuuıǝɹ oɹ ɯoɹǝ ɔןosǝןʎ sdɐɔǝp˙)

Someone who really groks Unicode can probably explain why.
soɯǝouǝ ʍɥo ɹǝɐןןʎ ƃɹoʞs nuıɔopǝ ɔɐu dɹoqɐqןʎ ǝxdןɐıu ʍɥʎ˙
posted by nebulawindphone at 3:25 PM on October 1, 2010


私は彼女が正しいとするとすぐに逆さに読むことができることが判明する前に、私の机は、彼女をオフにして六年生の先生です。誰か私をバッシング。バスタード。

Before I found that you can read upside down as soon as she is right, my desk is a sixth grade teacher to clear her. Someone bashing me. Bastard.


Which of these is the Google translation?
posted by armage at 6:07 PM on October 1, 2010


˙ןɐqɐɔ ʇuǝʇsıxǝuou ǝɥʇ ɯoɹɟ ǝpıɥ noʎ ʍoɥ ʇou sı sıɥʇ
posted by BrotherCaine at 6:14 PM on October 1, 2010


I intentionally printed my sports column headline upside down in the newspaper one time, that time the Canadian flag was carried upside down at the World Series. People liked it.
posted by planetkyoto at 4:30 AM on October 2, 2010

私は彼女が正しいとするとすぐに逆さに読むことができることが判明する前に、私の机は、彼女をオフにして六年生の先生です。誰か私をバッシング。バスタード。

Before I found that you can read upside down as soon as she is right, my desk is a sixth grade teacher to clear her. Someone bashing me. Bastard.

Which of these is the Google translation?
posted by armage at 8:07 PM on October 1 [+] [!]
これらは、Google、翻訳は、何ですか

These, Google, translation, what is?
posted by jtron at 1:03 PM on October 2, 2010


When I was in high school, I convinced my French teacher to tutor me privately in Romanian. I'm still meh-level at Romanian, but one skill I gained from those one-on-one sessions was the ability to quickly read and write upside-down. It's a great skill to have for tutoring, especially in language-learning.
posted by trip and a half at 4:09 PM on October 2, 2010


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