# How did she do that? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [April 11, 2007, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-she-do-that/399728 "2007-04-11T23:55:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![zelie\_zelerton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/59ef9b/32.png) [@zelie\_zelerton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zelie_zelerton)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2007, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-she-do-that/399728/1 "2007-04-11T23:55:02Z")
How does [❤kat&&herbrain​:heart:](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/member.php?userid=65472) get her username all purty with the hearts? I assume it’s wingdings or similar but how did she get the hamsters to accept it as a username? ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2007, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-she-do-that/399728/2 "2007-04-12T00:16:53Z")
They are part of standard ASCII. You can enter them directly using ALT+3. I ❤ ASCII. ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2007, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-she-do-that/399728/3 "2007-04-12T00:20:53Z")
Can Alt-codes be done on a laptop with no number pad? ---
**Author:** ![Slacker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@Slacker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slacker)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2007, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-she-do-that/399728/4 "2007-04-12T00:26:10Z")
Not on my Stinkpad (IBM Thinkpad). It does work using the fake numpad (press numlock, use the letter keys that have the numbers on them too). ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2007, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-she-do-that/399728/5 "2007-04-12T17:20:04Z")
I usually just copy & paste 'em from a page like [this](http://www.1728.com/altchar.htm). ♠❤♣♦ CMC fnord! ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2007, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-she-do-that/399728/6 "2007-04-12T19:01:41Z")
I like the hearts, and the name itself is cute, but why the double ampersand? ---
**Author:** ![titorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecd19e/32.png) [@titorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/titorian)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2007, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-she-do-that/399728/7 "2007-04-12T21:45:19Z")
In Windows, there is a program called Character Map for selecting any character from any installed font. It’s in Start/All Programs/ Accessories/ System Tools ---
**Author:** ![Mbossa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@Mbossa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mbossa)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2007, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-she-do-that/399728/8 "2007-04-12T23:10:51Z")
[QUOTE=Happy Lendervedder] I like the hearts, and the name itself is cute, but why the double ampersand? [/QUOTE] The ampersand is actually a ligature of ‘et’ (Latin for ‘and’) so obviously her RL name is Katet Etherbrain. ETA: Sorry, I missed a couple of letters. It’s actually ❤Katet Etherbrain​❤ . ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2007, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-she-do-that/399728/9 "2007-04-13T13:35:11Z")
Anyone find a symbol for Infinity. ∞ This was a cut and paste, I was hoping for something like an ASCII code. Jim ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2007, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-she-do-that/399728/10 "2007-04-13T19:26:36Z")
The Unicode for infinity is 221E. I have not encountered an Alt + code for inifinity. ∞ ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2007, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-she-do-that/399728/11 "2007-04-13T19:33:21Z")
What’s that look like in a microscope? ∞ ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2007, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-she-do-that/399728/12 "2007-04-13T19:35:56Z")
[QUOTE=tomndebb] The Unicode for infinity is 221E. I have not encountered an Alt + code for inifinity. ∞ [/QUOTE] Thanks **Tom** , How do you enter a Unicode symbol? ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2007, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-she-do-that/399728/13 "2007-04-13T19:41:58Z")
**What Exit?** I’m currently working on a page on my website that will show a great many HTML entity codes. Anyway, to make an infinity HTML character entity, try entering this: ∞ and you should get ∞ (Note: the semi-colon _must_ be included.) ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2007, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-she-do-that/399728/14 "2007-04-13T19:45:44Z")
Seems some folks don’t like the “microscopic” infinity so: **∞** (Font size 7 and bold) ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2007, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-she-do-that/399728/15 "2007-04-13T19:48:11Z")
[QUOTE=wolf\_meister] **What Exit?** I’m currently working on a page on my website that will show a great many HTML entity codes. Anyway, to make an infinity HTML character entity, try entering this: ∞ and you should get ∞ (Note: the semi-colon _must_ be included.) [/QUOTE] ∞ Very cool, so how did you get it to stay ∞ ; without the space. ∞ experiment without preview to change it. ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2007, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-she-do-that/399728/16 "2007-04-13T19:52:47Z")
And not to make too much of a pest of myself, here’s the ALT code: ALT + 236 produces **∞** (Edited to make the “infinity” more readable). ---
**Author:** ![\_kat\_herbrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/e47774/32.png) [@\_kat\_herbrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/_kat_herbrain)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2007, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-she-do-that/399728/17 "2007-04-13T20:37:54Z")
[QUOTE=zelie zelerton] How does [❤kat&&herbrain​❤](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/member.php?userid=65472) get her username all purty with the hearts? I assume it’s wingdings or similar but how did she get the hamsters to accept it as a username? [/QUOTE] Aww, i’m glad you think my username is purty! LOL. Anyhoo, I did it by pressing ALT+3. If you type the code “❤”, it’s not guartanteed that hearts will actually show up. I learned it the hard hway. ---
**Author:** ![\_kat\_herbrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/e47774/32.png) [@\_kat\_herbrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/_kat_herbrain)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2007, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-she-do-that/399728/18 "2007-04-13T20:39:32Z")
[QUOTE=Mbossa] The ampersand is actually a ligature of ‘et’ (Latin for ‘and’) so obviously her RL name is Katet Etherbrain. ETA: Sorry, I missed a couple of letters. It’s actually ❤Katet Etherbrain​❤ . [/QUOTE] well, I’m not smart enough to know Latin. The reason I did it is because it’s something my firends and I do a lot on IM. EX: “So, he told me I was being irrational && I disagreed.” ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2007, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-she-do-that/399728/19 "2007-04-13T20:52:23Z")
alt+236 gets infinity for me right here ∞ (XP, FF 2.0). Dunno if it’ll display with other systems/browsers. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2007, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-she-do-that/399728/20 "2007-04-13T23:23:51Z")
> [@](#): > > If you type the code “❤”, it’s not guartanteed that hearts will actually show up. I learned it the hard hway. I hate to break it to you, but they don’t show up for me (Mozilla on Mac OSX). This thread is the first that I heard that those were hearts; I thought that your name was **| kat&&herbrain |**. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-she-do-that/399728.md?page=2)