How-to Forum use

[Steen Jakobsen]

How-to's in this topic;
Publishing a url in a post
Publishing YouTube in posts
Publishing Google Maps in posts
Posting Pictures, Web sites and Formatting Posts
What do all those little icons mean?
Searching - Topic not in FAQ?
Special thanks to Michael Crane for having compiled the FAQ from the forum over the years
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Publishing a url in a post
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Often, when posting a url in a post it can be very big and look rather cumbersome. Take, for example this url posted by gary/gaynor about where they live:
http://picasaweb.google.com/gaynoringra ... directlink

You can get to the same url without having to see the whole http bits and pieces, and instead you can have any text you like in its place:
The link without showing the url

This is done very easily and takes just a short time to learn. See here for the code:

Code: Select all

[url=http://picasaweb.google.com/gaynoringram/VoorburgInSpring?authkey=Gv1sRgCLyqt6CFuK2ZQw&feat=directlink]The link without showing the url[/url]

First you add just before the http ( [url=http://..... ). Then, at the end of your link you add a ] ( ....at=directlink] ). Next you input your text The link without showing the url, and then you finish off with ( .... showing the url[/url] ).

This all might seem a bit daunting at first, but it really is quite simple and once you get used to doing it, it becomes second nature to add urls in this manner. It will add a bit of elegance to your posts and make them easier to read.
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Publishing YouTube in posts
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It is very easy to add a YouTube to your post.
Find your vidoe on YouTube.
Copy the url to your post. It will look likie this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhxrNvfeUL0
Delete everything from http to v=, leaving just the ID string, leaving this:
dhxrNvfeUL0
Select and then click on 'youtube' on the menu bar above the message box.

Preview, and hopefully your have been successful.
Submit to the forum.
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Publishing Google Maps in posts
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You can now post Google Maps directly into a post. Here's how:

1] Goto Google Maps and set up your map.

2] Click 'Link to this page' on the top right of the map and copy the upper link to your post. It will look like this:

http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=37.2 ... &z=13&om=0

3] Make a note of the zoom level. In this case it's 13 ( /?ie=UTF8&ll=37.249188,-115.809288&spn=0.109725,0.209084&t=h&z=13&om=0)

4] Then remove everything from the link except the co-ordinates. ( /?ie=UTF8&ll=37.249188,-115.809288&spn=0.109725,0.209084&t=h&z=13&om=0 ) and you are left with this:

37.249188,-115.809288

5] Select the co-ordinates and click on the gmap button on the bar above the message box (between Font Colour and YouTube). This is what you should have now:

[gmap=]37.249188,-115.809288[/gmap]

6] Add zoom level at the beginning thus to finish with this:

[gmap=13]37.249188,-115.809288[/gmap]

Preview your message and hopefully it should publish your map!


View Larger Map

Finally, Submit your map to the forum.
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Posting Pictures, Web sites and Formatting Posts
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Using bold or italics in you posts adds emphasis when needed. Likewise pictures and 'live' web site links give your post that extra ooomph!

Here's how to place a picture in your post:

From the Options tab below the message box, select 'Upload attachment. You select it, choose a file from your PC or laptop, then click on Add the file. Place your mouse where you want to place it in your post, then click on Place inline.

It should look like this:

Code: Select all

[attachment=1]daisy.jpg[/attachment]

Which, when Previewed will be . . .

Daisy.jpg

And here it is.

If you have pictures that are housed on the web instead of on your PC or laptop, then you can embed them thus. Firstly the picture you want to embed must have a web location. Once you've located your picture, right click it to see its 'Properties' and copy the location - it's url. To place this url in your post or PM see below with reference to PASTE in red below.

One method of the many ways of storing pictures online is this:
Set up an account with a free hosting site like http://www.photobucket.com. In Photbucket select the full photo, not the thumbnail. Click on SHARE and copy the appropriate ulr for forums/blogs.

Go to a topic or PM and PASTE this url. It will look like this . . .

<img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d194/ ... Robbie.jpg">

Delete from each end this <img src=" and this "> and you'll be left with this:

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d194/ ... Robbie.jpg

Select this and then click on Img in the selections above the photo and it will now look like this:

Code: Select all

[img]http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d194/MichaelCrane/Misc/Robbie.jpg[/img]

Your picture should now be embedded. PREVIEW to see it:



If you find this too daunting, email me the photo or url and I'll do it for you.

Finally, have a go with the various buttons and experiment. Soon it'll all become second nature. If you see any of Jeremy's posts with pictures in then you'll know it's easy to do.
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What do all those little icons mean?
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Three general points:
a) Red icons are unread items
b) Blue/grey are read
c) A star on any topic means you have posted in it

- Announcement
- Sticky topic
- Read topic
- Unread topic
- Read topic that you have posted in
- Unread topic that you have posted in
- Hot topic
- Locked topic
- Moved topic
- Forum with subforums (which have been read)
- Forum with subforums (which are unread)
- Link forum

- Attachment
- Go to last post in the topic
- Go to last unread post in the topic
- Subforum read
- Subforum unread

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Searching - Topic not in FAQ?
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This forum has a very powerful search facility and an exstensive database covering most topics. If what you are looking for isn't in the FAQ then do a search of your keyword.

Simple, one-word searches:
Type your word in the 'search' box (top, rh corner) and then click on Search.

More complicated, two(or more)-word searches:
Click on 'Advanced search'. To search using two or more words, enter thus: chicken +cross +road , inserting + before the extra words to find all posts containing the words, chicken, cross and road. If you want to exclude a word from your search, enter thus chicken +cross -road, with a - sign for the word you want to exclude.

To find out if your subject is mentioned in FAQ (for example), pick FAQ as the forum to search - or leave it set to the default to search the entire web site; the only problem with this is you will get all references to your keyword and that could be hundreds!

There are other search options and they are better explained on the Search page.

If all this searching fails to offer any answers please ask your question on the General Forum.

Please note: Currently 'guests' have to register a username to make any posts. There isn't anything to worry about, this forum will not send you spam or sell your email address on to a third party - registration is simply to avoid spam on the forum.
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