# Why do some posts render "flashy" once in a while? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [January 21, 2008, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-posts-render-flashy-once-in-a-while/434384 "2008-01-21T16:59:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2008, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-posts-render-flashy-once-in-a-while/434384/1 "2008-01-21T16:59:30Z")
From time to time, single posts have an annoying “blink” attribute. Illustration here: [Flashy post](http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/4538/flashydopeln8.gif). For the love of god, why? I haven’t looked at the source code for the page, but since it happens in both Opera and IE7, I’m guessing it’s not entirely accidental. What’s up with that? ---
**Author:** ![Garfield226](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Garfield226](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Garfield226)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2008, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-posts-render-flashy-once-in-a-while/434384/2 "2008-01-21T17:03:36Z")
I have not once seen that in Firefox. Ever. Very strange. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2008, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-posts-render-flashy-once-in-a-while/434384/3 "2008-01-21T17:38:53Z")
It might be nice to show us the actual thread and not a GIF image of the thread. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2008, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-posts-render-flashy-once-in-a-while/434384/4 "2008-01-21T17:58:39Z")
The flashy attribute goes away if the page is reloaded, so providing a link to the thread itself would likely not be a helpful illustration. The first time I noticed this, it was with my own replies - I thought it was an intentional, “This is your post **here** , doofus!” thing. Since then it has appeared (apparently randomly) on different posts, so I dunno. Here is the [thread in question](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=9390542#post9390542). When I loaded it that time, **Cervaise** ’s post (#60) had the flashy attribute. When I selected the URL to copy it, it stopped flashing - and when I paste the URL into another window, no flashy at all. ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2008, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-posts-render-flashy-once-in-a-while/434384/5 "2008-01-21T20:12:23Z")
First time I’ve seen that. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2008, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-posts-render-flashy-once-in-a-while/434384/6 "2008-01-21T20:27:25Z")
[QUOTE=Larry Mudd] Illustration here: [Flashy post](http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/4538/flashydopeln8.gif). [/QUOTE] I don’t see any flashing at all. Are you sure you’re feeling all right? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2008, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-posts-render-flashy-once-in-a-while/434384/7 "2008-01-21T20:40:28Z")
[QUOTE=Larry Mudd] Illustration here: [Flashy post](http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/4538/flashydopeln8.gif). [/QUOTE] This is an animated GIF image. It blinks because it was deliberately created to do so. As for the second link you provided, there is nothing in the code to initiate a blink. Of course, IE has its own set of bugs so it’s possible the problem is a combination of your browser and your computer acting weird. I say that because you state it also happened in Opera, on your machine. ---
**Author:** ![Lionne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Lionne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lionne)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2008, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-posts-render-flashy-once-in-a-while/434384/8 "2008-01-21T20:46:52Z")
The first time I saw that thread in questions, that post didn’t flash. When I follow the link, it flashes. **Duckster** , are you saying the flashing is due to a bug on \*\*Larry’s \*\* computer, which causes some posts he views to become GIF? Or that \*\*Larry \*\* changed it to GIF so we could see what he sees? ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2008, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-posts-render-flashy-once-in-a-while/434384/9 "2008-01-21T21:13:39Z")
[QUOTE=Lionne] The first time I saw that thread in questions, that post didn’t flash. When I follow the link, it flashes. **Duckster** , are you saying the flashing is due to a bug on \*\*Larry’s \*\* computer, which causes some posts he views to become GIF? Or that \*\*Larry \*\* changed it to GIF so we could see what he sees? [/QUOTE] The first link posted goes to a web site for posting images. It is an animated GIF image. The second link goes to the actual thread in question. I am saying it is possible an anomaly with the computer, O/S and/or browser combination may very well cause a post to flash. I would like to know the origin of the flashing GIF posted in the first link. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2008, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-posts-render-flashy-once-in-a-while/434384/10 "2008-01-21T21:50:04Z")
The .gif file is an illustration made by sticking two screengrabs together - sorry if that is confusing, I thought it would be simpler than trying to describe it. So nobody else is seeing this at all? ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2008, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-posts-render-flashy-once-in-a-while/434384/11 "2008-01-21T23:21:03Z")
I don’t see it now. I’ve never seen it before. Don’t take the brown acid, son. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2008, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-posts-render-flashy-once-in-a-while/434384/12 "2008-01-21T23:52:17Z")
Nope, never saw it with IE 5 which I used until a year and a half or so ago, and have never seen it with Firefox which I use now. Sometimes though, when I mouse over a thread title the remaining portion of the title that usually shows up flashes quickly and then disappears. I opened this thread thinking it was about that. ---
**Author:** ![ladybug74](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a88e57/32.png) [@ladybug74](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ladybug74)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2008, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-posts-render-flashy-once-in-a-while/434384/13 "2008-01-22T02:34:30Z")
Found a bug in a patient’s ear just today. Laughed out loud at the “jumped at the chance for a case controlled study” so true and so funny. Our bug was dead, but still was a b%(\*^ to get out. It was wedged in there pretty good. ---
**Author:** ![ladybug74](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a88e57/32.png) [@ladybug74](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ladybug74)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2008, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-posts-render-flashy-once-in-a-while/434384/14 "2008-01-22T02:34:41Z")
Found a bug in a patient’s ear just today. Laughed out loud at the “jumped at the chance for a case controlled study” so true and so funny. Our bug was dead, but still was a b%(\*^ to get out. It was wedged in there pretty good. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2008, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-posts-render-flashy-once-in-a-while/434384/15 "2008-01-22T04:33:52Z")
This one sees flashing threads, and someone else is afflicted by [zombies](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=452251). It’s the sign of the End Times. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2008, 8:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-posts-render-flashy-once-in-a-while/434384/16 "2008-01-22T08:48:38Z")
I’ve viewed the SDMB with browsers from Opera to Dillo to w3m to MSIE. I’ve never once seen flashing or blinking _anything_ in any of the threads. It might be malware, it might be past life experiences intruding on the present day. Sadly, unrepeatable bugs don’t get fixed. ---
**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:** [January 22, 2008, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-posts-render-flashy-once-in-a-while/434384/17 "2008-01-22T16:14:13Z")
What **Derleth** said, except I’ll dub in Shiira, Demeter, iCab, and the X11 version of Mozilla. I’ve browsed briefly using Windows also, Firefox and IE, never seen the flashy-thing on SDMB there either. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2008, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-posts-render-flashy-once-in-a-while/434384/18 "2008-01-22T16:18:08Z")
Now I am not 100% sure I’ve seen it in IE. I’ll just install a newer version of Opera and see if it goes away. Weeeeird. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2008, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-posts-render-flashy-once-in-a-while/434384/19 "2008-01-22T16:28:32Z")
I went to edit the above post to add that _it_ rendered flashy (as if to mock me) and [this is how the edit page came up](http://img89.imageshack.us/img89/3697/flashydope2xs0.gif). Haven’t seen that before - but then I never tried to edit a flashing post. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2008, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-posts-render-flashy-once-in-a-while/434384/20 "2008-01-22T17:12:42Z")
[QUOTE=Larry Mudd] I went to edit the above post to add that _it_ rendered flashy (as if to mock me) and [this is how the edit page came up](http://img89.imageshack.us/img89/3697/flashydope2xs0.gif). Haven’t seen that before - but then I never tried to edit a flashing post. [/QUOTE] I’m betting you have some sort of malware on your system. The flashing section does not coincide with the underlying page code. I suggest a thorough cleaning of your computer and stop using IE. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-posts-render-flashy-once-in-a-while/434384.md?page=2)