Practice thread - practice using forum tools

[Tethys]

I have been thinking about posting this thread for a while now.

There are a number of forum utilities and features that I am unsure how to use.

Instead of disrupting discussion in active threads with my boo-boos, I thought it might be an idea to create a dedicated thread where anyone can practice using these utilities, and/or ask advice. Perhaps the more experienced people here will be able to provide tips.

Examples of things you might like to try out might be how to use the quoting options (including the multi-quote option), using other VB codes, using emoticons from the forum tools or from other sources, uploading graphics and pictures, linking to other sites or thread or posts, using the editing feature, using text formatting tools, etc.

Hopefully we will learn from each other’s practice posts and questions. It would be helpful if you explain what you are attempting to do. And, if you get it right, please share your tips with the rest of us.

I hope the admins or mods won’t object to this thread.

Thank you all.

Tethys

[Tethys]

So to get the ball rolling.

TheStripey1 asked if there was a devil head smiley available in the forum tools. Apparently there is none at the moment. Now I have a problem using and detecting graphical emoticons, as some of you know. I type all my emoticons using lists of codes.

This site had a devil smiley in its list:

Truly Unusual - Smilies

It says to insert a : then the word devil then another : (no spaces)

So let’s give it a go…let’s see if this code gets converted to a devil head smiley.

Ready? Insert devil head smiley here… :devil:

Tethys

[Tethys]

...And if you get it wrong...ops:

Try again or ask for advice.

So is it the case that the typed code does not work if the graphical emoticon is not in the forum tools?

Tethys

[3.14]

Originally Posted by Tethys

So is it the case that the typed code does not work if the graphical emoticon is not in the forum tools?

Tethys

Yes, the typed code won't work if the emotion is not there on the server (in the forum tools, as you say).

Basically, the admins have to assign the code to a specific smiley - after that, it works in the forums. Note though that that smiley must be there on the server where USPOL is located.

Hope that helped just a bit.

Pi Jiu

[Tethys]

Originally Posted by Pi Jiu

Yes, the typed code won't work if the emotion is not there on the server (in the forum tools, as you say).

Basically, the admins have to assign the code to a specific smiley - after that, it works in the forums. Note though that that smiley must be there on the server where USPOL is located.

Hope that helped just a bit.

Pi Jiu

Thanks. It does make sense, I guess.

I thought there was a universal code. I mean I thought that all emoticon symbols had a specific assigned typed equivalent, and that when you typed that code in any forum, it would automatically be converted to its graphical symbol.

Still, good to learn something.

In the meantime, the company that makes my screen reader has now acknowledged that there is a glitch in the newest version, which is why I could not read emoticons as I used to be able to do with previous versions. I've reverted back to using an older version until they can fix the glitch. Progress!

Good night Pi Jiu. Good night one and all. It's past midnight in Sydney.

Tethys

[3.14]

Originally Posted by Tethys

Thanks. It does make sense, I guess.

I thought there was a universal code. I mean I thought that all emoticon symbols had a specific assigned typed equivalent, and that when you typed that code in any forum, it would automatically be converted to its graphical symbol.

Still, good to learn something.

In the meantime, the company that makes my screen reader has now acknowledged that there is a glitch in the newest version, which is why I could not read emoticons as I used to be able to do with previous versions. I've reverted back to using an older version until they can fix the glitch. Progress!

Good night Pi Jiu. Good night one and all. It's past midnight in Sydney.

Tethys

Some emotion codes are pretty standard on most forums, for instance, the : confused : *without spaces* icon usually produces some form of a confused face. The codes can all be changed, though ...

Have a great night.

[MattLarson]

Originally Posted by Tethys

...And if you get it wrong...ops:

Try again or ask for advice.

So is it the case that the typed code does not work if the graphical emoticon is not in the forum tools?

Tethys

Correct - the forum software replaces the ':devil:' with the proper graphic.

However, you can link to the outside image .

To do this, you copy the URL of the picture (by right clicking it and selecting the proper menu choice) and then pasting the link here between [img] tags.

Matt

[iamwhatiseem]

If you have Firefox - I use "Smiley 4.1" - a Firefox extension

[Malvolio]

Originally Posted by Tethys

Thanks. It does make sense, I guess.

I thought there was a universal code. I mean I thought that all emoticon symbols had a specific assigned typed equivalent, and that when you typed that code in any forum, it would automatically be converted to its graphical symbol.

Oh there is just type : and ) without spaces or anything else between it and you will get the normal smily. The : stands for the eyes and the ) for a smile. You can also use ; and ) or : and ( or : and o. If you type these symbols right behind each other, they will appear as graphical symbols.

[Tethys]

Thank you Pi Jiu, Matt, iamwhatiseem and Malvolio.

I appreciate all of you taking the trouble to assist.

Originally Posted by MattLarson

Correct - the forum software replaces the ':devil:' with the proper graphic.

However, you can link to the outside image .

To do this, you copy the URL of the picture (by right clicking it and selecting the proper menu choice) and then pasting the link here between [img] tags.

Matt

Thanks Matt. Okay, I could open the link you posted but I could not “read” the emoticon with my screen reader, JAWS. As I noted in my post #5 here, the newest version of JAWS, version 8.0, fails to detect emoticons in post. However, even using my previous versions, JAWS 6.0 and 7.0 (which both can read emoticons in posts), JAWS is unable to recognise or “read” the emoticon image you linked. Thus, on the host site, ttp://www.trulyunusual.com/wards/mis...do=showsmilies, JAWS reports “graphic: devil”, but if I click on the link you posted, JAWS does not report the presence of the graphic on the page. This has happened in the past here when other people have posted external links to emoticons. For example, if someone inserts a “thumbs up” emoticon from the forum tools here, JAWS (older versions) will report “graphic: thumbs up”. However, the other day someone here posted a link to a “thumbs up” emoticon from an external source. JAWS could not read it. It might be due to alt-text tags, but I’m not sure.

Also, I followed your instructions on how to link a graphic image directly from the external host site, but I could not link directly to the devil emoticon, only to the host web page. Again, I think this is due to the limits of JAWS in handling graphics. So, I saved the link you posted to a folder in My Favourites, and labelled it “devil”. Let’s see what happens when I post it here.

[image]http://www.trulyunusual.com/wards/images/smilies/Drogar-Devil(DBG).gif[/image]

Originally Posted by iamwhatiseem

If you have Firefox - I use "Smiley 4.1" - a Firefox extension

Okay, same as happened with Matt’s link, JAWS does not recognise the images in the links you posted, iamwhatiseem. From the text of the url address, I gather they were the emoticon symbols for “loser”, “clever” and “chainsaw” (eeeeek!). Is that right? I’ll add them to My Favourites folder.

I don’t have Firefox. I use I.E. I have just realised that your “Micro$oft sucks” siggy refers to Microsoft!

Originally Posted by Malvolio

Oh there is just type : and ) without spaces or anything else between it and you will get the normal smily. The : stands for the eyes and the ) for a smile. You can also use ; and ) or : and ( or : and o. If you type these symbols right behind each other, they will appear as graphical symbols.

Thanks, Malvolio. I am familiar with the basic : and ) smiley but I’m still learning about the other codes. So I’ll add your tips to my list.

It’s just that I had not realised that the server software would not convert a typed code to a graphical emoticon if that graphic was not stored by the server (as in the example of the devil smiley). I thought, wrongly, that if I typed :devil:, the server system would automatically convert this typed code to a devil emoticon graphic, because I was under the impression there was a standard and universal code in use by all online boards.

Thank you again everyone. Now, what to try next? Hmmmm.

Tethys

[Tethys]

Boo oo ooh!

The image link thing didn't work!

[image]http://www.trulyunusual.com/wards/images/smilies/Drogar-Devil(DBG).gif[/image]

I'm a loser!

Tethys

[3.14]

Originally Posted by Tethys

Boo oo ooh!

The image link thing didn't work!

[image]http://www.trulyunusual.com/wards/images/smilies/Drogar-Devil(DBG).gif[/image]

I'm a loser!

Tethys

Try replacing the [image] with [img].

[Tethys]

Originally Posted by Pi Jiu

Try replacing the [image] with [img].

Oh! Okay, here goes...



...touch wood!


Tethys

[3.14]

Ok, now you know how to do it.

[Tethys]

Yay! Thanks, Pi Jiu!

Tethys