Skip to main content
Microsoft
The Old New Thing
The Old New Thing
  • Home
  • DevBlogs
    • Visual Studio
    • Visual Studio Code
    • Visual Studio for Mac
    • DevOps
    • Developer support
    • CSE Developer
    • Engineering@Microsoft
    • Azure SDK
    • IoT
    • Command Line
    • Perf and Diagnostics
    • Dr. International
    • Notification Hubs
    • Math in Office
    • DirectX
    • PIX
    • SurfaceDuo
    • Startups
    • Sustainable Engineering
    • Windows AI Platform
    • C++
    • C#
    • F#
    • Visual Basic
    • TypeScript
    • PowerShell Community
    • PowerShell Team
    • Python
    • Q#
    • JavaScript
    • Java
    • Java Blog in Chinese
    • .NET
    • .NET MAUI
    • Blazor
    • ASP.NET
    • NuGet
    • Xamarin
    • #ifdef Windows
    • Apps for Windows
    • Azure Depth Platform
    • Azure Government
    • Bing Dev Center
    • Microsoft Edge Dev
    • Microsoft Azure
    • Microsoft 365 Developer
    • Old New Thing
    • Windows MIDI and Music dev
    • Windows Search Platform
    • Azure Cosmos DB
    • Azure Data Studio
    • Azure SQL Database
    • OData
    • Revolutions R
    • SQL Server Data Tools

    The Old New Thing

    May 2004 - The Old New Thing

    Why is the default 8-bit codepage called "ANSI"?
    Why is the default 8-bit codepage called "ANSI"?
    May 31, 2004 May 31, 2004 05/31/04
    Raymond Chen
    Reader Ben Hutchings wanted to know why the 8-bit codepage is called "ANSI" when it isn't actually ANSI. But instead of saying, "Oh well, some things mortals were never meant to know," he went and dug up the answer himself. A quick Google for Windows ANSI misnomer found me exactly what I was looking for [pdf]: "The term...

    Comments are closed.0History
    Chewing gum legalized in Singapore
    Chewing gum legalized in Singapore
    May 31, 2004 May 31, 2004 05/31/04
    Raymond Chen
    After twelve years, Singapore has relaxed its ban on chewing gum. But not so fast. Before Singaporeans think about unwrapping a pack of Wrigley's Orbit gum that's just started selling here -- and only in pharmacies -- they must submit their names and ID card numbers. If they don't, pharmacists who sell them gum could be jailed up ...

    Comments are closed.0Non-Computer
    Kipping
    Kipping
    May 28, 2004 May 28, 2004 05/28/04
    Raymond Chen
    Apparently that's the term for knitting in public. The New York Times covered the online knitting community. I wasn't aware of the Yahoo knitlist group; I may have to go check it out. (The NYT article also mentions the yarn Fizz, which I have used, but I much prefer Splash, a totally knock-your-socks-off novelty yarn. ...

    Comments are closed.0Non-Computer
    High-performance multithreading is very hard
    High-performance multithreading is very hard
    May 28, 2004 May 28, 2004 05/28/04
    Raymond Chen
    Among other things, you need to understand weak memory models. Hereby incorporating by reference Brad Abrams' discussion of volatile and MemoryBarrier(). In particular, Vance Morrison's discussion of memory models is important reading. (Though I think Brad is being too pessimistic about volatile. Ensuring release semantics at the...

    Comments are closed.0Code
    How do you undo Minimize All and Show Desktop?
    How do you undo Minimize All and Show Desktop?
    May 28, 2004 May 28, 2004 05/28/04
    Raymond Chen
    It seems it's not well-known how to undo a Minimize All or a Show Desktop, two operations which I discussed briefly yesterday. To undo a Minimize All, you can right-click the taskbar and select "Undo Minimize All", or at least you used to be able to do that. Minimize All is no longer on the menus, presumably because it ended up ...

    Comments are closed.0Tips/Support
    Meet Anton Chekhov
    Meet Anton Chekhov
    May 27, 2004 May 27, 2004 05/27/04
    Raymond Chen
    (Not to be confused with Star Trek's Pavel Chekov, who spells his name with a plain "k" instead of a "kh". Of course, since this is all transliteration from Cyrillic, of which there are multiple systems, arguing about spelling is rather dubious anyway.) The guerilla performance group Improv Everywhere stages events in public ...

    Comments are closed.0Non-Computer
    What is the difference between Minimize All and Show Desktop?
    What is the difference between Minimize All and Show Desktop?
    May 27, 2004 May 27, 2004 05/27/04
    Raymond Chen
    They do almost the same thing but not quite.

    Comments are closed.0Tips/Support
    Art too bad to be ignored
    Art too bad to be ignored
    May 26, 2004 May 26, 2004 05/26/04
    Raymond Chen
    The Museum of Bad Art: Art Too Bad To Be Ignored. The Athlete Crayon and pencil on canvas by Unknown 30"x40" Acquired from trash in Boston by Scott Wilson A startling work, and one of the largest crayon on canvas pieces that most people can ever hope to see. The bulging leg muscles, the black shoes, the white socks, the pink...

    Comments are closed.0Non-Computer
    How does the desktop choose the icon label color?
    How does the desktop choose the icon label color?
    May 26, 2004 May 26, 2004 05/26/04
    Raymond Chen
    Many system colors come in pairs, one for background and one for foreground. For example, COLOR_MENU and COLOR_MENUTEXT; COLOR_WINDOW and COLOR_WINDOWTEXT; COLOR_HIGHLIGHT and COLOR_HIGHLIGHTTEXT. More on these colors in a future blog entry. But there is COLOR_DESKTOP and no COLOR_DESKTOPTEXT. How does the desktop choose the icon ...

    Comments are closed.0Tips/Support
    The F*deral Bur*au of Inv*stigations
    The F*deral Bur*au of Inv*stigations
    May 25, 2004 May 25, 2004 05/25/04
    Raymond Chen
    According to the Chicago Division, Use of the NAME, INITIALS, or SEAL of the F*I is restricted by law and may be used only with written permission of the F*I. Asterisks inserted to avoid being arrested by the F*I for using their name and initials without written permission. (I hope they don't go after me for using their ...

    Comments are closed.0Non-Computer
    • Page 1
    • Page 2
    • Page 3
    • …
    • Page 5
    • Next page
    Archive
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • April 2012
  • March 2012
  • February 2012
  • January 2012
  • December 2011
  • November 2011
  • October 2011
  • September 2011
  • August 2011
  • July 2011
  • June 2011
  • May 2011
  • April 2011
  • March 2011
  • February 2011
  • January 2011
  • December 2010
  • November 2010
  • October 2010
  • September 2010
  • August 2010
  • July 2010
  • June 2010
  • May 2010
  • April 2010
  • March 2010
  • February 2010
  • January 2010
  • December 2009
  • November 2009
  • October 2009
  • September 2009
  • August 2009
  • July 2009
  • June 2009
  • May 2009
  • April 2009
  • March 2009
  • February 2009
  • January 2009
  • December 2008
  • November 2008
  • October 2008
  • September 2008
  • August 2008
  • July 2008
  • June 2008
  • May 2008
  • April 2008
  • March 2008
  • February 2008
  • January 2008
  • December 2007
  • November 2007
  • October 2007
  • September 2007
  • August 2007
  • July 2007
  • June 2007
  • May 2007
  • April 2007
  • March 2007
  • February 2007
  • January 2007
  • December 2006
  • November 2006
  • October 2006
  • September 2006
  • August 2006
  • July 2006
  • June 2006
  • May 2006
  • April 2006
  • March 2006
  • February 2006
  • January 2006
  • December 2005
  • November 2005
  • October 2005
  • September 2005
  • August 2005
  • July 2005
  • June 2005
  • May 2005
  • April 2005
  • March 2005
  • February 2005
  • January 2005
  • December 2004
  • November 2004
  • October 2004
  • September 2004
  • August 2004
  • July 2004
  • June 2004
  • May 2004
  • April 2004
  • March 2004
  • February 2004
  • January 2004
  • December 2003
  • November 2003
  • October 2003
  • September 2003
  • August 2003
  • July 2003
  • Relevant Links

    I wrote a book
    Ground rules
    Disclaimers and such
    My necktie's Twitter

    Categories

    Code
    History
    Tips/Support
    Other
    Non-Computer

    Stay informed

    Login
    Code Block
    What's new
    • Surface Pro 8
    • Surface Laptop Studio
    • Surface Pro X
    • Surface Go 3
    • Surface Duo 2
    • Surface Pro 7+
    • Windows 11 apps
    • HoloLens 2
    Microsoft Store
    • Account profile
    • Download Center
    • Microsoft Store support
    • Returns
    • Order tracking
    • Virtual workshops and training
    • Microsoft Store Promise
    • Flexible Payments
    Education
    • Microsoft in education
    • Devices for education
    • Microsoft Teams for Education
    • Microsoft 365 Education
    • Education consultation appointment
    • Educator training and development
    • Deals for students and parents
    • Azure for students
    Business
    • Microsoft Cloud
    • Microsoft Security
    • Azure
    • Dynamics 365
    • Microsoft 365
    • Microsoft Advertising
    • Microsoft Industry
    • Microsoft Teams
    Developer & IT
    • Developer Center
    • Documentation
    • Microsoft Learn
    • Microsoft Tech Community
    • Azure Marketplace
    • AppSource
    • Microsoft Power Platform
    • Visual Studio
    Company
    • Careers
    • About Microsoft
    • Company news
    • Privacy at Microsoft
    • Investors
    • Diversity and inclusion
    • Accessibility
    • Security
    English (United States)
    • Sitemap
    • Contact Microsoft
    • Privacy
    • Manage cookies
    • Terms of use
    • Trademarks
    • Safety & eco
    • About our ads
    • © Microsoft 2022