# NYTimes on my kindlefire-- weird thing **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 21, 2013, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nytimes-on-my-kindlefire-weird-thing/656341 "2013-04-21T22:19:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2013, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nytimes-on-my-kindlefire-weird-thing/656341/1 "2013-04-21T22:19:29Z")
Sometimes when I go to the\* New York Times\* on my kindlefire there is a black box on the home page as in [this picture](http://i851.photobucket.com/albums/ab72/EveOz/NYTimesBlackSquare_w_zpsc82dfcf3.jpg). I am a paid online subscriber. My username appears in a cut-out at the top of the black box (in this picture, I’ve pasted in the word _username_). If I click on the box (tap on it) I activate the link under it as though the box were not there. It only happens on the NYTimes home page, not when I go to other pages. I read other publications online but I haven’t seen this black box anywhere else. It doesn’t happen every time. Anyone know what this is about? ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2013, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nytimes-on-my-kindlefire-weird-thing/656341/2 "2013-04-22T02:19:41Z")
Has anyone ever seen something like this? ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2013, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nytimes-on-my-kindlefire-weird-thing/656341/3 "2013-04-23T03:06:49Z")
So… do I get a _Stumped the Dope_ prize of some sort? ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2013, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nytimes-on-my-kindlefire-weird-thing/656341/4 "2013-04-23T13:01:38Z")
It’s still happening. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2013, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nytimes-on-my-kindlefire-weird-thing/656341/5 "2013-04-23T15:42:07Z")
It’s kind of special having your own private thread. I guess. ---
**Author:** ![epbrown01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ba0ec/32.png) [@epbrown01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epbrown01)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2013, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nytimes-on-my-kindlefire-weird-thing/656341/6 "2013-04-23T16:50:57Z")
Has anyone seen my pet cricket? I thought I heard chirping in here… No real help, I’m afraid, except a data point. I get the NYT on my Kindle Fire and haven’t seen this happen. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2013, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nytimes-on-my-kindlefire-weird-thing/656341/7 "2013-04-23T18:11:48Z")
Thank you for posting on my private thread. Would you like a cookie and some tea? ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2013, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nytimes-on-my-kindlefire-weird-thing/656341/8 "2013-04-24T12:36:37Z")
Just dropped in to sweep up the dust bunnies, throw out the dead flowers… Hear that? It’s the wind whistling through the cracks around the door. Might be a storm coming. Black square present on NYTimes home page this morning. ---
**Author:** ![epbrown01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ba0ec/32.png) [@epbrown01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epbrown01)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2013, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nytimes-on-my-kindlefire-weird-thing/656341/9 "2013-04-24T13:19:43Z")
Have you tried Amazon’s Kindle discussion groups? They’re pretty active, even by SMDB standards. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2013, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nytimes-on-my-kindlefire-weird-thing/656341/10 "2013-04-24T13:27:53Z")
Yeah, I should do that… ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2013, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nytimes-on-my-kindlefire-weird-thing/656341/11 "2013-04-24T14:11:50Z")
I’ve been watching this thread from the beginning. nothing helpful to contribute, but it’s cool that you have a personal chat going on. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2013, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nytimes-on-my-kindlefire-weird-thing/656341/12 "2013-04-24T14:28:21Z")
I do often chat with myself. Sometimes I play with myself. ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2013, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nytimes-on-my-kindlefire-weird-thing/656341/13 "2013-04-24T17:01:11Z")
Actually, we permit one bump to keep a thread active, otherwise we get situations like this. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2013, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nytimes-on-my-kindlefire-weird-thing/656341/14 "2013-04-24T17:18:22Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > Sometimes I play with myself. Ahhh, yes. I occasionally deal a hand of solitaire as well.🆒 ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nytimes-on-my-kindlefire-weird-thing/656341/15 "2013-04-26T20:52:04Z")
The upshot: I posted on the kindle help board (with a link to the picture of the phenomenon) and the techie there said to contact the New York Times. So I emailed the NYTimes digital support team (with a copy of the picture) and the techie there said to contact amazon. Whatever. I told you I was special. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2013, 10:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nytimes-on-my-kindlefire-weird-thing/656341/16 "2013-04-30T10:30:35Z")
The black square is gone from the New York Times on my kindlefire. I wonder if this is related to my gas stove coming on mysteriously? I live in mystery. ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2013, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nytimes-on-my-kindlefire-weird-thing/656341/17 "2013-04-30T13:03:20Z")
**ThelmaLou** please don’t keep bumping. Threads are intended for discussion, and I’m not seeing much here. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2013, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nytimes-on-my-kindlefire-weird-thing/656341/18 "2013-04-30T13:31:00Z")
I didn’t see this as (pointless) bumping. I thought it was informative that the phenomenon spontaneously stopped. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2013, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nytimes-on-my-kindlefire-weird-thing/656341/19 "2013-04-30T14:07:11Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > I didn’t see this as (pointless) bumping. I thought it was informative that the phenomenon spontaneously stopped. I’ve been following and appreciate the update.🙂