Site Toolbox I: Text Effects

Go to Sandbox

I'd like to get some instructions together on the use of the site functions and how you can best milk it in terms of putting up text, visual and other media.

The thread makes a few assumptions - that you know how to highlight a piece of text, that you can cut and paste text using right-click mouse, menu or keys and that you have a vague idea of what a web address or URL is e.g. http://www.carbibles.com/. If you have any questions about these things just pm me or someone and it will be explained to you.

If you want to practise using the functions of the site or if you want to teach yourself how to do certain things then I suggest this: open a second tab or browser for Machine Nation so you can read the instructions on this thread while doing them on the second instance. You can do this by going to File>>New Tab or by opening another browser and entering the address there. Or you can simply RIGHT CLICK on this link HERE and choose 'open in new tab/window'.

We will also be using the Full Reply Button ('Post Reply') to see all the stuff we'll be talking about here.

And one last thing and don't bust my chops for shouting but
Please use the Preview button before you press Send

thanks.

For anyone who wants to contribute to this thread then I suggest we organise it so that it's simple at the beginning getting more complicated as the thread progresses. So first should be quoting but I went straight into the fancy links last night, sorry.

Machine wrote:

I'd like to get some instructions together on the use of the site functions and how you can best milk it in terms of putting up text, visual and other media.

First, using the quick reply box at the bottom of a thread doesn't show you half of the functions available to you so click on Full Reply ('Post Reply') to see all the stuff we'll be talking about here.

The thread makes a few assumptions - that you know how to highlight a piece of text, that you can cut and paste text using right-click mouse, menu or keys.

If you want to practise using the functions of the site or if you want to learn or teach yourself how to do certain things then I suggest this: open a second tab or browser for Machine Nation again and you can read the instructions here while doing them on the second instance. You can do this by going to File>>New Tab or by opening another browser and entering the address there.

Machine you have got me interested

I am having a go at flash and scrolling with little success and have just found the instructions button to the right of "Others" - but of course instructions are fairly cryptic.

cactus flower wrote:

Machine wrote:

I'd like to get some instructions together on the use of the site functions and how you can best milk it in terms of putting up text, visual and other media.

First, using the quick reply box at the bottom of a thread doesn't show you half of the functions available to you so click on Full Reply ('Post Reply') to see all the stuff we'll be talking about here.

The thread makes a few assumptions - that you know how to highlight a piece of text, that you can cut and paste text using right-click mouse, menu or keys.

If you want to practise using the functions of the site or if you want to learn or teach yourself how to do certain things then I suggest this: open a second tab or browser for Machine Nation again and you can read the instructions here while doing them on the second instance. You can do this by going to File>>New Tab or by opening another browser and entering the address there.

Machine you have got me interested

I am having a go at flash and scrolling with little success and have just found the instructions button to the right of "Others" - but of course instructions are fairly cryptic.

Lady, we're not going to fix the head gasket at this point just yet - today it's just change the bulbs, pump up the tyres, put some water in the windscreen washer bottle. Ok?

Machine wrote:

cactus flower wrote:

Machine wrote:

I'd like to get some instructions together on the use of the site functions and how you can best milk it in terms of putting up text, visual and other media.

First, using the quick reply box at the bottom of a thread doesn't show you half of the functions available to you so click on Full Reply ('Post Reply') to see all the stuff we'll be talking about here.

The thread makes a few assumptions - that you know how to highlight a piece of text, that you can cut and paste text using right-click mouse, menu or keys.

If you want to practise using the functions of the site or if you want to learn or teach yourself how to do certain things then I suggest this: open a second tab or browser for Machine Nation again and you can read the instructions here while doing them on the second instance. You can do this by going to File>>New Tab or by opening another browser and entering the address there.

Machine you have got me interested

I am having a go at flash and scrolling with little success and have just found the instructions button to the right of "Others" - but of course instructions are fairly cryptic.

Lady, we're not going to fix the head gasket at this point just yet - today it's just change the bulbs, pump up the tyres, put some water in the windscreen washer bottle. Ok?

You are right, the cart is trying to run off with the horse
Is it too soon to ask about cutting and pasting?

cactus flower wrote:

Is it too soon to ask about cutting and pasting?

It's too late - this shop assumes you know how to cut and paste already

Machine wrote:

cactus flower wrote:

Is it too soon to ask about cutting and pasting?

It's too late - this shop assumes you know how to cut and paste already

(crosses arms and stamps foot)

Now, if you don't know how to cut and paste then we may have to fire up some lessons on that too. All you have to do is ask.. If you want to try this lesson I suggest you open that second window, go into a thread and pretend to reply to someone using the 'Post Reply' button. Or you can simply RIGHT CLICK on this link HERE and choose 'open in new tab/window' where you can practise on the practise thread which is in the Sandbox area.


Our example address is

http://www.carbibles.com/

This is a nice and handy address but some of the buggers are so long you need a 42" screen to see it. Fortunately there is a way of making a mask for an address so that it looks better and tidier and to do this we use the button that looks like three links of a chain above. Can you see it. When you click on that chain link button a small input box comes up with two spaces for input - a chain link on top and a chain link on the bottom with the letter A in blue behind it. You need to PASTE your address into the TOP box and write your dummy text into the bottom . I am going to enter the following, paying attention to where my cursor is before I hit OK. If you don't know what a cursor is then don't be afraid to ask

http://www.carbibles.com/
The Best Car Website Ever
and hit Ok

The Best Car Website Ever

The last lesson for tonight is this: highlight that text now and click the third button from the left the U
button so that your address is underlined (not necessary but can add a nice touch)

The Best Car Website Ever

Goodnight all and now where did that lady go she forgot her handbag ..

If you want to try this lesson I suggest you open a second window, go into a thread and pretend to reply to someone using the 'Post Reply' button. Or you can simply RIGHT CLICK on this link HERE and choose 'open in new tab/window' where you can practise on the practise thread which is in the Sandbox area.

Press the button which says 'Quote' on the right hand side of someone's post. A box will appear with their stuff in it. At the start and at the end of the text you will see things like these quote boxes [quote="Machine'] a rake of text here [/quote]

You have to find the last [/quote] then write your message AFTER THAT then press PREVIEW then send. You might need to learn how to control your cursor first because your cursor should be below or just after that last [/quote]. Usually you drive your cursor to AFTER the last character. Pressing ENTER/RETURN will put some more space between your text and the the person's quote you are quoting.

Good luck.

See? You're back. Click here now to go to the Sandbox

Do you see how a lot of these posts here have different names? You can click once on the post name and you will see its address appear in the address bar of your browser. If you COPY that address and make it a link (see how to make a link above) then when someone clicks that link they will be taken exactly to that post.

The address of this post is:
https://machinenation.forumakers.com/welcome-f6/site-toolbox-t366.htm#8989

the address of the previous 'How to quote someone' post is
https://machinenation.forumakers.com/welcome-f6/site-toolbox-t366.htm#7994

and so on

The Insert table button looks like a calculator


and when you click on it you get the small input box shown above with the green arrows which represent rows and columns in a table. I'm going to do this now, inputting 3 and 4 to get this at first:

When you click into a cell you can put data into it so the above expands:

Heading	Heading 2	Heading 3	A longer Heading with spaces
data
data

You can use the arrow keys on your keyboard to get around the cells and table.

Link to Sandbox

Highlight some text by clicking and dragging across your text, press the button indicated and select your colour - simple as that. Please use colour tastefully and thoughtfully as this is not CBeebies.com and some are colourblind. Above all do not use colour in anger.

When posting links I tend to use red, because links don't stand out very well in their natural colour.

There was a link in my earlier post. Can anyone spot it?

* grudgingly *

Thanks for trying that out .

Just to remind you that you can always head down here to practise your bits and pieces . A subway back is provided at the OP.

Does anyone read anything anymore ever anywhere? Flippin Americans

Quote :

Highlight some text by clicking and dragging across your text, press the button indicated and select your colour - simple as that. Please use colour tastefully and thoughtfully as this is not CBeebies.com and some are colourblind. Above all do not use colour in anger.

On a related issue... My old laptop (very old) opens webpages in the bottom corner of the page and I can't drag them up to see the full page. Any hints? Might be worth pointing out that the last user was rather impatient and thought that clicking 18 times on the internet icon would make an ancient inspiron work faster... All advice appreciated.

Audi, Gerry,


Can one of you do a short masterclass here on editing - especially in nested quotes. Ie, if a poster wanted to change something she'd written in a quote.

Merci.