Unicode Variation Selector-15 and some of my tears
Summary
This article explains how Unicode variation selectors affect rendering of certain characters (for example, the leftwards arrow with hook). It discusses the problem of glyphs being shown as emoji in some contexts, demonstrates how to force text presentation with Variation Selector-15 (FE0E) or emoji presentation with FE0F, and reviews reliable vs less reliable workarounds. It also covers tooling considerations (Kramdown, Mistune) and practical steps for SMB web content to achieve consistent rendering across platforms.