# Sad smilie for locked threads **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [January 6, 2001, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sad-smilie-for-locked-threads/48696 "2001-01-06T05:00:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MysterEcks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f475e1/32.png) [@MysterEcks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MysterEcks)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2001, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sad-smilie-for-locked-threads/48696/1 "2001-01-06T05:00:13Z")
I noticed for the first time tonight that locked threads have a ☹ istead of an envelope with a padlock. Is this: (A) A new policy recently implemented? (B) A weird technical glitch on my computer’s part? (C) A sign that I need a long vacation and/or a higher blood alcohol level? If it’s (A), I’d like to go on record that I _really_don’t like it. ---
**Author:** ![TVeblen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@TVeblen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TVeblen)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2001, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sad-smilie-for-locked-threads/48696/2 "2001-01-06T05:11:29Z")
??? On a quick scan around, the only locked threads I saw had the padlocked envelopes. I agree; a frowny face would be a bit sick making. Can you provide a link, **MysterEcks**? Maybe I scanned too fast and just didn’t see it. Veb ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2001, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sad-smilie-for-locked-threads/48696/3 "2001-01-06T16:31:26Z")
I agree with TVeblen, I also see the padlocked enveloppes. Time to stop eating all that cold pizza right before bedtime MysterEcks. ---
**Author:** ![CumulativeTheory\_Insanity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@CumulativeTheory\_Insanity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CumulativeTheory_Insanity)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2001, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sad-smilie-for-locked-threads/48696/4 "2001-01-06T22:25:42Z")
Perhaps your icon registry is corrupted. There are tools to fix that. One is on your Windows installation disk. Search for Tweak There is a Rebuild Icon Cache option ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2001, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sad-smilie-for-locked-threads/48696/5 "2001-01-06T22:51:35Z")
Well, we could have the ‘Putz’ smilie instead of the padlock but, on further thought, the padlock is better. ---
**Author:** ![MysterEcks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f475e1/32.png) [@MysterEcks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MysterEcks)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2001, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sad-smilie-for-locked-threads/48696/6 "2001-01-07T06:38:12Z")
It was all of the locked threads, **Veb**. But tonight they are back as they should be, and I didn’t do anything to my computer today, which means **Arnold** may be right and I need to lay off the cold pizza before bed. Or maybe it’s because my blood alcohol level is much higher tonight. Or maybe I’m just nuts. (No, to answer the unasked question, I am not looking for opinions on whether I’m nuts. I know very well how the vote would go on _that._) Anyway, thanks for your help, everyone. ---
**Author:** ![MysterEcks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f475e1/32.png) [@MysterEcks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MysterEcks)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2001, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sad-smilie-for-locked-threads/48696/7 "2001-01-07T06:58:50Z")
And, of course, having posted that things were back to normal, I go back into ATMB and discover the [Message Board spelling errors](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=54168) thread has a ☹ instead of a locked envelope. (Though considering what seemed to be going on in there, a Mr. Yuck symbol might have been appropriate.) I’m just gonna go get my bottle of bourbon and pretend everything’s normal, including me. ---
**Author:** ![waterj2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/858c86/32.png) [@waterj2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waterj2)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2001, 8:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sad-smilie-for-locked-threads/48696/8 "2001-01-07T08:59:57Z")
I’d guess that you don’t have a large enough cache for your browser. I’d suggest making it bigger (probably the memory cache, not the disk cache). Until then, I’ll revel in the fact that my cache is bigger than yours. ---
**Author:** ![MysterEcks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f475e1/32.png) [@MysterEcks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MysterEcks)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2001, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sad-smilie-for-locked-threads/48696/9 "2001-01-08T03:14:44Z")
But _I_have a longer username. ---
**Author:** ![TVeblen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@TVeblen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TVeblen)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2001, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sad-smilie-for-locked-threads/48696/10 "2001-01-08T23:56:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by MysterEcks \* > \*\* > I’m just gonna go get my bottle of bourbon and pretend everything’s normal, including me. \*\* Whatever you have, it’s catching, **MysterEcks**. No, I wasn’t seeing frowny faces in place of padlocked envelopes. Though _not_ seeing them had me suspecting my friendly neighborhood freelance distiller had slipped me some bad white lightnin’ again. Don’t you just _hate_ that? Immediately after reading your post my computer started forgetting all its display setting: size goes hinky, color slips down to pond-murky, etc. But techno-whiz that I am, I deduced it’s just a bad case of MysterEcksItis. :::pounds head slowly and repeatedly against wall::: Veb P.S. Wanna share that bourbon? ---
**Author:** ![MysterEcks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f475e1/32.png) [@MysterEcks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MysterEcks)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2001, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sad-smilie-for-locked-threads/48696/11 "2001-01-09T07:49:10Z")
**TVeblen** said: > [@](#): > > But techno-whiz that I am, I deduced it’s just a bad case of MysterEcksItis. Deep down, I always knew that someday I’d have either a disease or a technological malfunction named after me. > [@](#): > > ::pounds head slowly and repeatedly against wall::: Oh my God…it’s happening again! > [@](#): > > P.S. Wanna share that bourbon? Surely. But I’m afraid it’s some off-brand–a gift from my sister’s boyfriend. If she keeps him, I’ll have to initiate him into the joy that is Jim Beam. This may be completely unrelated, but tonight my computer attempted to throw my entire internet folder in the trash. Damn machine is nearly as eccentric as I am.