# space bar popped off keyboard **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [July 9, 2004, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/space-bar-popped-off-keyboard/254350 "2004-07-09T20:50:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![js\_africanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@js\_africanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/js_africanus)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2004, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/space-bar-popped-off-keyboard/254350/1 "2004-07-09T20:50:19Z")
sitting backward in chair. leaned forward. crack. now i must replace space bar. aarrrg! this is so difficult to do correctly. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2004, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/space-bar-popped-off-keyboard/254350/2 "2004-07-09T20:53:24Z")
You’re sure it wasn’t the shift key? ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2004, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/space-bar-popped-off-keyboard/254350/3 "2004-07-09T20:58:56Z")
> [@js\_africanus](#): > > sitting backward in chair. leaned forward. crack. now i must replace space bar. aarrrg! this is so difficult to do correctly. Did it break the clip, JS? If not, it should pop right back on. In any case, keyboards are dirt cheap nowadays. You can get one for around ten bucks at Wal-Mart. (Check your PC connection carefully before purchase.) ---
**Author:** ![Kid\_A\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Kid\_A\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kid_A_1)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2004, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/space-bar-popped-off-keyboard/254350/4 "2004-07-09T21:01:15Z")
How do you get an “!” without using a shift key? Just curious… ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2004, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/space-bar-popped-off-keyboard/254350/5 "2004-07-09T21:06:02Z")
I think he said it was the space bar. ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2004, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/space-bar-popped-off-keyboard/254350/6 "2004-07-09T21:10:19Z")
Ihatewhenthathappens. ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2004, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/space-bar-popped-off-keyboard/254350/7 "2004-07-09T21:12:27Z")
> [@Liberal](#): > > I think he said it was the space bar. Well, then, how’d he get the spaces without a space bar? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![js\_africanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@js\_africanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/js_africanus)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2004, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/space-bar-popped-off-keyboard/254350/8 "2004-07-09T21:16:34Z")
You can get a “!” by using Alt+033, as in !. I had removed some keys to get a better angle of attack and was typing with the end of a straightened paperclip because sharing my woes with the SDMB seemed more sensible than breaking the keyboard across my knee, which I was about to do. I was concentrating on getting the correct keys and eschewed the shift key for ease of typing at the expense of good communication; but, thank you for your concern. Unfortunately, it didn’t just pop back into space and it took a letter opener and two paper clips to rig it back up correctly. But it is working now and I am greatly relieved. Somehow I just felt too darn silly asking for a new keyboard just because of my bad posture. With all due respect, js\_a. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2004, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/space-bar-popped-off-keyboard/254350/9 "2004-07-09T21:17:51Z")
Well, he said that it was tedious (“so difficult to do correctly”). With the space bar missing, it is still possible to push down manually on the metal thingy. But it would be tricky. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2004, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/space-bar-popped-off-keyboard/254350/10 "2004-07-09T21:19:49Z")
So was it the shift key or the space bar? Millions of lives and billions of dollars are at stake, awaiting the answer… ---
**Author:** ![fluiddruid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@fluiddruid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fluiddruid)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2004, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/space-bar-popped-off-keyboard/254350/11 "2004-07-09T22:31:35Z")
You could copy and paste the space… ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2004, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/space-bar-popped-off-keyboard/254350/12 "2004-07-09T22:34:47Z")
IIRC there’s an alt+??? for space too. Just sayin’ ---
**Author:** ![Netbrian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71e660/32.png) [@Netbrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Netbrian)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2004, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/space-bar-popped-off-keyboard/254350/13 "2004-07-09T22:48:59Z")
My keyboard has a similar problem. I use a laptop, and my escape key is completely unfunctional. So until I get it repaired, I remapped Scroll Lock to Escape, and it works just fine for most things. A few programs still don’t like it, unfortunately. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2004, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/space-bar-popped-off-keyboard/254350/14 "2004-07-09T23:35:56Z")
Y’know what’s a cool space bar? That one in Star Wars with all the funky aliens in it. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2004, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/space-bar-popped-off-keyboard/254350/15 "2004-07-10T00:03:56Z")
Space Bar - Above and Beyond. I have the death sentance in 3 systems! I’ll be careful ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Rieux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2004, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/space-bar-popped-off-keyboard/254350/16 "2004-07-10T04:23:16Z")
> [@Thudlow Boink](#): > > Y’know what’s a cool space bar? That one in Star Wars with all the funky aliens in it. Quark’s place on DS9 is good, too. ---
**Author:** ![js\_africanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@js\_africanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/js_africanus)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2004, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/space-bar-popped-off-keyboard/254350/17 "2004-07-11T17:51:12Z")
> [@Thudlow Boink](#): > > Y’know what’s a cool space bar? That one in Star Wars with all the funky aliens in it. Indeed, that space bar is way cooler than the space bar on my keyboard at work. No contest. For the inquiring minds: It was the space bar. I didn’t think to Alt+032 for the " ", though the space preceding the “the” just before the word “space” in this sentence was brought to you by Alt+032. As were those two spaces just before this sentence. I’m thinking of getting the character map tatooed on the back of my hands.