How the effect works
Unicode combining marks attach to the character before them — the mechanism that builds accented letters. Nothing limits how many can stack, so piling dozens onto each letter makes them spill above and below the line.
The intensity control is really a count of marks per character. A few is a subtle unease; hundreds is the full effect, and a very large amount of text.
Where it breaks things
Some platforms strip combining marks or clip the overflow, so the effect vanishes or leaves ragged edges. Heavily stacked text has, historically, been able to slow or crash text rendering — most software now caps the stack, but it is still worth not pasting a wall of it at people.
A screen reader may attempt to announce every mark. Using it in a display name makes you unreadable to anyone relying on one.
Frequently asked questions
Why does the effect disappear when I paste it?
The platform stripped the combining marks or clipped the overflow. Many now do, precisely because the effect breaks their layout.
Can it crash things?
Extremely stacked text used to. Most software now caps the stack, but very heavy output is still worth using sparingly.
Is it accessible?
No. A screen reader may try to announce every mark, so it is a poor choice for anything other than a joke.
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