# SDMB Needs A New Typewriter Ribbon? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 29, 2011, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-needs-a-new-typewriter-ribbon/587284 "2011-06-29T17:37:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-needs-a-new-typewriter-ribbon/587284/1 "2011-06-29T17:37:20Z")
OK, so at first I thought I needed to clean my glasses - then I thought I was having eye problems, but the “w” on all of the threads (not thread titles) is faded compared to the other letters! Seriously - on my computer, the letter “w” is somewhat faded for the past week or so. Yes, I have tested on other sites, in my Gmail, etc. and this doesn’t happen. Only on the SDMB is the “w” faded, as if there isn’t enough ink left on that typewriter ribbon. Maybe we should chip in so they can buy another ribbon, or at least add some Internet toner? ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-needs-a-new-typewriter-ribbon/587284/2 "2011-06-29T18:13:49Z")
**Strange. It’s not happening** w **ith my screen.** 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/half_man_half_wit/32/21766_2.png) [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Half_Man_Half_Wit)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-needs-a-new-typewriter-ribbon/587284/3 "2011-06-29T18:33:21Z")
Hmm, could you supply a screenshot? Seems alright from where I’m standing… ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-needs-a-new-typewriter-ribbon/587284/4 "2011-06-29T18:53:29Z")
Looks okay to me. How could something like that happen? Do you have a browser extension loading a custom user style? ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-needs-a-new-typewriter-ribbon/587284/5 "2011-06-29T19:03:29Z")
Now we’re just messing with you. ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-needs-a-new-typewriter-ribbon/587284/6 "2011-06-29T19:08:59Z")
> [@Skammer](#): > > Now we’re just messing with you. Yeah, I made a big, obvious yuk-yuk spinning bowtie joke. You guys are just mean. 😃 ---
**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:** [June 29, 2011, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-needs-a-new-typewriter-ribbon/587284/7 "2011-06-29T19:14:36Z")
The problem is not the SDMB, it’s your keyboard. Pop out the W key and check for spilled coffee. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-needs-a-new-typewriter-ribbon/587284/8 "2011-06-29T20:20:45Z")
Bill Clinton’s staffers are messing with the Dope. (In 2001, when George W. Bush took office, his staff found the “W” keys missing from approximately 100 computer keyboards in a prank apparently pulled by disgruntled outgoing Clinton staffers.) ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-needs-a-new-typewriter-ribbon/587284/9 "2011-06-29T20:23:14Z")
In that case…Do NOT smoke the free cigars you’ve received! ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-needs-a-new-typewriter-ribbon/587284/10 "2011-06-29T20:31:24Z")
> [@Skammer](#): > > Now we’re just messing with you. Try hitting the **w** key very hard, like this. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-needs-a-new-typewriter-ribbon/587284/11 "2011-06-29T20:34:38Z")
Hit the backspace button and just type right over it. That should darken it. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-needs-a-new-typewriter-ribbon/587284/12 "2011-06-29T20:35:06Z")
hat happens is that e’re allotted a some hat limited number of 's, and e’re going to run out of them any time no . ---
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-needs-a-new-typewriter-ribbon/587284/13 "2011-06-29T20:36:20Z")
Maybe the hamsters are just getting old and have a hard time making the multiple sharp angles in a ‘w’ and they are just using a soft touch so as not to further aggravate their arthritis. But now that you’ve pointed out their shortcomings, the admin is sure to crack the whip on them. You thoughtless bastard! :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Jaledin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jaledin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaledin)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-needs-a-new-typewriter-ribbon/587284/14 "2011-06-29T20:41:30Z")
Olivetti? Remington? ---
**Author:** ![Ignatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/3be4f8/32.png) [@Ignatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignatz)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2011, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-needs-a-new-typewriter-ribbon/587284/15 "2011-06-30T01:32:40Z")
At work my MS Word documents on the screen all have the lower case Ls in blue, I swear. ---
**Author:** ![Jaledin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jaledin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaledin)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2011, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-needs-a-new-typewriter-ribbon/587284/16 "2011-06-30T01:51:49Z")
Then you can just suck it, man. No decent keyboard behaves like this! (Kidding – I never had a typewriter behave so clearly temperamentally. Yes, I still use my Olivetti with the French keyboard for typing letters to colleagues.) ---
**Author:** ![Jimmy\_Chitwood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jimmy\_Chitwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jimmy_Chitwood)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2011, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-needs-a-new-typewriter-ribbon/587284/17 "2011-06-30T21:19:16Z")
It’s happening to me now. It must be a difference in the way Firefox 5 displays the font. The capital W has a thinner line weight than other letters and it looks funny. [Here.](http://tinypic.com/r/2qu6l36/7) ---
**Author:** ![redtail23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/3e96dc/32.png) [@redtail23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/redtail23)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2011, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-needs-a-new-typewriter-ribbon/587284/18 "2011-06-30T22:06:53Z")
Yup, I’m seeing it as well. FF5.0 ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2011, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-needs-a-new-typewriter-ribbon/587284/19 "2011-06-30T22:20:33Z")
I usually use chrome but I loaded up FF which is 5.0 as well and I’m still not seeing it. The capital W has the same line weight as everything else. [pic](http://i.imgur.com/vpeZ8.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2011, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-needs-a-new-typewriter-ribbon/587284/20 "2011-06-30T22:47:08Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > I usually use chrome but I loaded up FF which is 5.0 as well and I’m still not seeing it. The capital W has the same line weight as everything else. [pic](http://i.imgur.com/vpeZ8.jpg) Same here. And just for good measure, I tried in in IE9. All of the W’s look the same, and just like all the other letters. Perhaps the OS is a factor? I’m running Windows 7, 64-bit. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-needs-a-new-typewriter-ribbon/587284.md?page=2)