Sunday 4 September 2011

Is there anybody there?


Sometimes I think supernatural forces are taking over my laptop computer. I tried adding a comment to my blog to accompany a photograph and was astonished to find I was writing in code. No matter what I tried, I couldn’t find a way out of it and eventually had to type, copy and paste into Word.

There were no spiritual messages coming through, however, for I discovered, when I transferred the ‘code’ to Word, that it is a font called Wingdings.

I also realised anew that my touch typing leaves much to be desired.

Can't quite reach that icht! translates to ‘Can't quite reach that icht!’

6 comments:

  1. Oh yes, Wingdings. There are several Wingding fonts, and these days there are also fonts of Christmas trees, Santas, snowmen, bells, etc., and probably another one of Easter eggs, rabbits, and so on.
    In the old, old days of typesetting by hand, a printer couldn't afford to have wingdings in every point size, so had to settle on one or maybe two sizes, maybe a 12-pt. and an 18 or 24-pt.
    Many typefaces came with a small assortment of such things: bullets, stars, etc., which were used regularly.
    I can understand your shock when you inadvertently switched from your usual easy-to-read typeface to all these bizarre shapes. Great fun for me to read about it, though!
    — K

    Kay, Alberta, Canada
    An Unfittie's Guide to Adventurous Travel

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  2. When I was teaching 9-year-olds they found it very amusing to use Wingdings in various forms to write messages. The trend didn't last long, though.
    It's interesting what you say about typesetting, Kay. I know it must have been very time-consuming and probably trying to the eyes but I wonder if there were fewer mistakes? I'm constantly surprised by the typographical errors I see in books and in particular on my Kindle. Very irritating!!

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  3. <<<<<hears the theme song from The Twilight Zone playing in the background

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  4. That must have been a shock to look up and see your words in Wingdings. We all make slips of the fingers at times but as you said in the comment above, it is irritating to see mistakes in books or on Kindle.

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  5. Hi Janice .. good to meet you - and thanks for popping over to meet up with me ..

    Wingdings and Blogger - probably go together well .. ?!

    Oh well - it was fun to read, to say the least ... and love the translation .. a necessary evil with wingdings ..

    It's blowing a gale down here too - even Beachy Head isn't stopping it .. and Autumn is definitely here sad to say .. as long as it's not as freezing or snowy as last winter I won't mind so much.

    Good meet you .. I'm off to subscribe now as my pretty pic is up! .. cheers Hilary

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