# Did the old rolleyes smiley cause an increase in suicides or something? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [July 30, 2014, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-old-rolleyes-smiley-cause-an-increase-in-suicides-or-something/694457 "2014-07-30T23:41:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2014, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-old-rolleyes-smiley-cause-an-increase-in-suicides-or-something/694457/41 "2014-08-03T03:00:07Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > ◔\_◔ This is actually a pretty good implementation. How does it work? ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2014, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-old-rolleyes-smiley-cause-an-increase-in-suicides-or-something/694457/42 "2014-08-03T03:05:10Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > ◔\_◔ Not arf bad! I’m going to hang onto this one. I got a lot of responses to my thread about numbers with overbars, and who can see it and who can’t. Okay, everybody. How about this one? As only **dropzone** seems to understand, it’s only useful to use if everybody _else_ can see it! ---
**Author:** ![Crazyhorse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crazyhorse/32/31_2.png) [@Crazyhorse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crazyhorse)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2014, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-old-rolleyes-smiley-cause-an-increase-in-suicides-or-something/694457/43 "2014-08-03T03:53:06Z")
> [@MeanOldLady](#): > > The new rolleyes smiley is the worst thing I’ve ever seen. Thank you, **Crazyhorse** , from saving us from this hell. Any time MOL. > [@MeanOldLady](#): > > (I like how it took longer for Crazyhorse to write the script than the literal minute it would take for the admins to make the change, but whatever.) Sure, but I’m not underworked and overpaid. Or I mean overworked and underpaid. Whatever it is, Jerry can’t be bothered to copy 6 gif images into a folder on the server and click “OK” to replace the others. The meetings, the proposals, the cost/benefit analysis, running it past the board of directors… the turning on of the dusty old monitor on the SDMB server (which had something really creepy looking crawling around on it last time the lights got flicked on in the server room…) Then the dragging, and clicking “OK” - we’re talking a mega investment of time here that simply isn’t warranted for a board that charges members for subscriptions and gets ad revenue from the rest. Instead, all the mods and admins devote eleventy million hours to typing “not going to happen” in every thread about it. Maybe they have a script for that. ---
**Author:** ![Crazyhorse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crazyhorse/32/31_2.png) [@Crazyhorse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crazyhorse)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2014, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-old-rolleyes-smiley-cause-an-increase-in-suicides-or-something/694457/44 "2014-08-03T04:07:57Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > You [meaning many of you] keep talking about scripts to display custom avatars or smilies. I do not think scripts to display custom avatars or smilies do what you think they do. > > Persons _reading_ those posts won’t see any custom anything unless _they too_ are running that script. It’s not like the person posting a post has any control over what custom images other users see. Another tip from the archives of Captain Obvious: If someone else isn’t running a script then they will see whatever they were going to see anyway, but if they are then they will see the same thing as me. > [@Senegoid](#): > > And it doesn’t do you (as a poster) any good to see your favorite //old-rolleyes// icon when the readers of your post mostly won’t see it. Not that I question your ability to know what does me any good, but I disagree. I don’t have to see the hideous new smilies either way as long as I’m using a script. If someone else happens to be running a script too, all the better. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2014, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-old-rolleyes-smiley-cause-an-increase-in-suicides-or-something/694457/45 "2014-08-03T04:42:18Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > :rolleyes: :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2014, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-old-rolleyes-smiley-cause-an-increase-in-suicides-or-something/694457/46 "2014-08-03T05:13:22Z")
(◔\_◔) ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2014, 8:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-old-rolleyes-smiley-cause-an-increase-in-suicides-or-something/694457/47 "2014-08-03T08:58:00Z")
> [@Measure\_for\_Measure](#): > > This is actually a pretty good implementation. How does it work? It’s just using [this Unicode character](http://www.fileformat.info/info/unicode/char/25d4/index.htm). I was looking for a single character that might work, and stumbled on a list of text smileys that used Unicode. This one looked a lot better than 9\_9 and @\_@. Love adding the parens, BTW. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2014, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-old-rolleyes-smiley-cause-an-increase-in-suicides-or-something/694457/48 "2014-08-03T15:32:24Z")
@\_@ says “meth addict.” ---
**Author:** ![Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/try2b_comprehensive/32/65_2.png) [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Try2B_Comprehensive)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2014, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-old-rolleyes-smiley-cause-an-increase-in-suicides-or-something/694457/49 "2014-08-03T16:04:46Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > @\_@ says “meth addict.” And we’re back to suicide by rolleyes smiley. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2014, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-old-rolleyes-smiley-cause-an-increase-in-suicides-or-something/694457/50 "2014-08-03T17:05:10Z")
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**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2014, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-old-rolleyes-smiley-cause-an-increase-in-suicides-or-something/694457/51 "2014-08-03T20:33:44Z")
◔\_◔ ```auto ◔_◔ ``` [u+25d4]\_[u+25d4] \\_\ ♦\_​:diamonds: \<◔\> _:😭:_ How does one display unicode characters in vBulletin? ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2014, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-old-rolleyes-smiley-cause-an-increase-in-suicides-or-something/694457/52 "2014-08-03T23:01:41Z")
> [@Measure\_for\_Measure](#): > > How does one display unicode characters in vBulletin? Without just pasting them in? Use HTML-entities with decimal codes. Hence &[noparse]#9684;[/noparse] becomes ◔ ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2014, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-old-rolleyes-smiley-cause-an-increase-in-suicides-or-something/694457/53 "2014-08-03T23:40:52Z")
> [@TubaDiva](#): > > The one person who can do something about it has already told you nothing’s changing. The one person who can do something about it did something about it last time the board upgraded. I don’t imagine it’s any more difficult this time. Per **CKDH** above, Jerry is only available for very important stuff. Judging by the views of the subscribing members of the SDMB, I’d call this important. Beyond that, it’s not something that only Jerry can do. Any admin can do it. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2014, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-old-rolleyes-smiley-cause-an-increase-in-suicides-or-something/694457/54 "2014-08-04T04:19:22Z")
While it’s clearly moot, neither the old nor new rolleyes smiley works for me. The old one looked more like someone gazing heavenward as if hoping for divine guidance, and the new one doesn’t make any sense to me whatsoever. How can you disdain and despise with a smile on your face? Perhaps the missing component is animation. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2014, 8:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-old-rolleyes-smiley-cause-an-increase-in-suicides-or-something/694457/55 "2014-08-04T08:52:49Z")
> [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](#): > > While it’s clearly moot, neither the old nor new rolleyes smiley works for me. The old one looked more like someone gazing heavenward as if hoping for divine guidance, and the new one doesn’t make any sense to me whatsoever. How can you disdain and despise with a smile on your face? > > Perhaps the missing component is animation. Nah. I notice him blinking more than I notice the eye rolling. But feel free to try my script, toggle the animated eye roll, and see. (I call it my script because that is the part I added.) ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2014, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-old-rolleyes-smiley-cause-an-increase-in-suicides-or-something/694457/56 "2014-08-11T22:24:01Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > The one person who can do something about it did something about it last time the board upgraded. I don’t imagine it’s any more difficult this time. > > Per **CKDH** above, Jerry is only available for very important stuff. Judging by the views of the subscribing members of the SDMB, I’d call this important. Yes. After all, many of us are Customers. Why are the wishes of the \*paying customers \*being ignored? That’s no way to run a business. ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2014, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-old-rolleyes-smiley-cause-an-increase-in-suicides-or-something/694457/57 "2014-08-12T00:43:32Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Yes. After all, many of us are Customers. Why are the wishes of the \*paying customers \*being ignored? > > That’s no way to run a business. [Brutal honesty]Because the amount you pay is pretty much peanuts. If you bought a couple hundred thousand dollars worth of advertising, you’d have a valid complaint.[/brutal honesty] Look, I wish it were otherwise, but the fact is that Jerry is being pulled in a zillion directions, and corporate business decisions are prioritized by big bucks. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2014, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-old-rolleyes-smiley-cause-an-increase-in-suicides-or-something/694457/58 "2014-08-12T01:07:46Z")
> [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](#): > > [Brutal honesty]Because the amount you pay is pretty much peanuts. If you bought a couple hundred thousand dollars worth of advertising, you’d have a valid complaint.[/brutal honesty] Look, I wish it were otherwise, but the fact is that Jerry is being pulled in a zillion directions, and corporate business decisions are prioritized by big bucks. Does anyone actually spend a couple hundred thousand dollars in advertising with the Reader? If it takes a couple hundred thousand dollars to get a few minutes of Jerry’s time, I’d be curious as to what his salary is. I mean, if he’s spending 2000 hours a year making quarter million dollar decisions, I hope his pay reflects that. If something as minor as a smiley is worth a couple hundred thousand dollars I’d like to know how much money the Reader is raking in from those vendors that serve up the adware. Must be a ton since they really don’t want to switch vendors. All the members and Charter members are paying are annual dues, at least in part to help out the board. Thanks for making, at least me, feel like like crap about it. I mean, I actually thought I was helping out, but not only do we not get listened to but our money is peanuts. Danke. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2014, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-old-rolleyes-smiley-cause-an-increase-in-suicides-or-something/694457/59 "2014-08-12T01:17:24Z")
> [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](#): > > [Brutal honesty]Because the amount you pay is pretty much peanuts. If you bought a couple hundred thousand dollars worth of advertising, you’d have a valid complaint.[/brutal honesty] Look, I wish it were otherwise, but the fact is that Jerry is being pulled in a zillion directions, and corporate business decisions are prioritized by big bucks. Is the meeting this week intended to pull the plug on the SDMB? After all, we’re not big bucks. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2014, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-old-rolleyes-smiley-cause-an-increase-in-suicides-or-something/694457/60 "2014-08-12T01:46:20Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Yes. After all, many of us are Customers. Why are the wishes of the \*paying customers \*being ignored? > > That’s no way to run a business. > [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](#): > > [Brutal honesty]Because the amount you pay is pretty much peanuts. If you bought a couple hundred thousand dollars worth of advertising, you’d have a valid complaint.[/brutal honesty] Look, I wish it were otherwise, but the fact is that Jerry is being pulled in a zillion directions, and corporate business decisions are prioritized by big bucks. These are the customers that are expected to help spot trouble on the boards so the mods can do their jobs. We’re expected to be a part of a smoothly functioning board. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-old-rolleyes-smiley-cause-an-increase-in-suicides-or-something/694457.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-old-rolleyes-smiley-cause-an-increase-in-suicides-or-something/694457.md?page=4)