We can blame our previous host for that. Back when I reworked several tables in the database just before we'd upgraded the forum's system from SMF 1.0 to 1.1 in May '07, those bizarre characters were substituted for extra spaces in posts (though, strangely enough, NOT in ALL posts with extra spaces) when the tables were reintroduced into the database by using our old host's interface with the database (which was the only way to do it with them because the tables were so large). And trust me, no one is more aggravated by that having happened than I am, and I'm hoping to figure out an easier way to eliminate the problem than going into every affected post to delete the problem characters out manually...