# That small orange artifact in the "A" of "The Straight Dope" banner **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [May 3, 2004, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-small-orange-artifact-in-the-a-of-the-straight-dope-banner/243260 "2004-05-03T10:01:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2004, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-small-orange-artifact-in-the-a-of-the-straight-dope-banner/243260/21 "2004-05-04T18:07:05Z")
Have you been getting messages from dolphins in your sleep? ---
**Author:** ![Klaatu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Klaatu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Klaatu)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2004, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-small-orange-artifact-in-the-a-of-the-straight-dope-banner/243260/22 "2004-05-04T18:19:48Z")
You are obviously channeling that Nasa moon hoax dude who used to post here, Seethruart or whatever his handle was. Do you see any tiny cities and such? 😃 ---
**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:** [May 5, 2004, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-small-orange-artifact-in-the-a-of-the-straight-dope-banner/243260/23 "2004-05-05T02:33:13Z")
> [@Snooooopy](#): > > If anybody would like to take a look at the bitmap image that I downloaded with the artifacts intact, let me know. My alien masters would certainly like me to put this behind me so I can start focusing on work again free of distraction. E-mail/IM it to me and I can post it. jefftroymcclure at sbcglobal dot net or AIM to my SDMB name. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2004, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-small-orange-artifact-in-the-a-of-the-straight-dope-banner/243260/24 "2004-05-05T04:22:27Z")
> [@Troy McClure SF](#): > > E-mail/IM it to me and I can post it. jefftroymcclure at sbcglobal dot net or AIM to my SDMB name. Excellent! Maybe you can shed some light on these mysterious artifacts. ---
**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:** [May 5, 2004, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-small-orange-artifact-in-the-a-of-the-straight-dope-banner/243260/25 "2004-05-05T05:38:17Z")
> [@Troy McClure SF](#): > > E-mail/IM it to me and I can post it. jefftroymcclure at sbcglobal dot net or AIM to my SDMB name. [58k .bmp](http://jjtm.homeip.net/sub/sdmb/SDMBartifacts.bmp) ---
**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:** [May 5, 2004, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-small-orange-artifact-in-the-a-of-the-straight-dope-banner/243260/26 "2004-05-05T05:40:55Z")
Hrm. How many colors does your monitor run at? That looks a lot like a relatively detailed image knocked down to 256 colors. ---
**Author:** ![nocturnal\_tick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/3d9bf3/32.png) [@nocturnal\_tick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nocturnal_tick)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2004, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-small-orange-artifact-in-the-a-of-the-straight-dope-banner/243260/27 "2004-05-05T12:29:43Z")
Wait a minute, you mean it’s true? The aliens really are coming to get **Snooooopy**? Tough break, man. Give us a holler when you get to Alpha Centauri. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2004, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-small-orange-artifact-in-the-a-of-the-straight-dope-banner/243260/28 "2004-05-05T13:13:01Z")
> [@Troy McClure SF](#): > > Hrm. How many colors does your monitor run at? That looks a lot like a relatively detailed image knocked down to 256 colors. I agree. In fact, I can reproduce it that way, by exporting it as a GIF with Windows only colors. ---
**Author:** ![mailman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8491ac/32.png) [@mailman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mailman)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2004, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-small-orange-artifact-in-the-a-of-the-straight-dope-banner/243260/29 "2004-05-05T13:46:27Z")
See? My aluminum foil dreadlocks really work. ---
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2004, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-small-orange-artifact-in-the-a-of-the-straight-dope-banner/243260/30 "2004-05-05T13:49:00Z")
Well, it’s finally happened to good, ole Snoooopy. A fine education has finally taken its toll on your vision. Poor kid. You stared at the books for too long, and now it’s too late! Vision blow-out. Hallucinationitious Extrema… ---
**Author:** ![Limbo\_Donni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Limbo\_Donni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Limbo_Donni)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2004, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-small-orange-artifact-in-the-a-of-the-straight-dope-banner/243260/31 "2004-05-05T14:13:03Z")
> [@Troy McClure SF](#): > > Hrm. How many colors does your monitor run at? That looks a lot like a relatively detailed image knocked down to 256 colors. > [@Libertarian](#): > > I agree. In fact, I can reproduce it that way, by exporting it as a GIF with Windows only colors. **Snooooopy** - Both of them have a point worth checking. Also, are you using an “accelerator”. The ones for MSN and Juno each speed up surfing by cutting the colors in images. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2004, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-small-orange-artifact-in-the-a-of-the-straight-dope-banner/243260/32 "2004-05-05T17:03:05Z")
Oh yeah, I see the artifacts in the file that **Troy McClure SF** posted. Can’t miss 'em! Big orange loopy ovals and circles, they are. …what? ---
**Author:** ![Corner\_Case](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/corner_case/32/234_2.png) [@Corner\_Case](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corner_Case)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2004, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-small-orange-artifact-in-the-a-of-the-straight-dope-banner/243260/33 "2004-05-05T17:47:39Z")
I think they’re the precursors to electronic versions of crop circles! Be sure to have a glass of water, a baseball bat, Albuterol, and your faith handy. Excuse me, I have to fix my radio. There’s some awful static all of a sudden. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2004, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-small-orange-artifact-in-the-a-of-the-straight-dope-banner/243260/34 "2004-05-05T22:31:14Z")
> [@Limbo Donni](#): > > **Snooooopy** - Both of them have a point worth checking. Also, are you using an “accelerator”. The ones for MSN and Juno each speed up surfing by cutting the colors in images. I’m using AOL 9.0 so, you know, Satan could be involved somehow. ---
**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:** [May 6, 2004, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-small-orange-artifact-in-the-a-of-the-straight-dope-banner/243260/35 "2004-05-06T20:19:09Z")
AOL, eh? That’s probably it. IIRC from when I used AOL (a few releases ago), there’s a setting somewhere to turn image compression on or off. You could turn it off temporarily and then access the SDMB to see if the artifact disappears. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2004, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-small-orange-artifact-in-the-a-of-the-straight-dope-banner/243260/36 "2004-05-06T23:48:20Z")
> [@rowrrbazzle](#): > > AOL, eh? That’s probably it. IIRC from when I used AOL (a few releases ago), there’s a setting somewhere to turn image compression on or off. You could turn it off temporarily and then access the SDMB to see if the artifact disappears. That did it! The artifacts are gone from the banner. My alien masters will be very pleased that I am no longer wasting time on this issue. Prepare to be assimila … oh, actually, these are the kinds of aliens that enslave, not assimilate. I can be so forgetful sometimes! It’s amazing that the aliens bothered contacting me in the first place. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-small-orange-artifact-in-the-a-of-the-straight-dope-banner/243260.md?page=1)