Quoting in posts

[boputnam]

A number of us have taken to quoting ENTIRE posts in our replies. This is bad practice for a number of reasons:

It's lame
It's unnecessary
It consumes excess page space on viewing / reading.
I'm sure it consumes excess server / storage space.Quotes are very useful to ensure your reply is read in-context to it's instigation - however, please EDIT DOWN those quotes to only the relevant bits (bytes :p ).

Coolio...?

[Storm]

10-4...over and out!

;)

-Storm.

[kingjames]

I'm Guilty but, now that you brought it up, could you please explain how I can take a sentence out of a paragraph and post it as a quote? Everything I have tried does not work,I'm sure it's easy but beyond my skills at this point.

[boputnam]

Sure...

Before you reply, find the post you wish to quote, and hit the "quote" button, lower-right corner. That will take you to something like this:

[qu te=kingjames;149123]I'm Guilty but, now that you brought it up, could you please explain how I can take a sentence out of a paragraph and post it as a quote? Everything I have tried does not work,I'm sure it's easy but beyond my skills at this point.[/qu te]

(I purposefully misspelled "quote" to show the pre-post look. It looks like the following when posted...)


I'm Guilty but, now that you brought it up, could you please explain how I can take a sentence out of a paragraph and post it as a quote? Everything I have tried does not work,I'm sure it's easy but beyond my skills at this point.
Now, go remove the irrelevant text, leaving:


...it's easy but beyond my skills at this point.Make sure you leave BOTH those all-important bits in the brackest AND both brackets, both times "[ ]" - that's the HTML formatting instructions. They need to head and tail the quote. Many, when editing the quote lose a bracket or two - most common error of quoting...

[johnaec]

Could someone explain how the "multi-quote" button works?

John

[boputnam]

There is also a new functionality of this version of vBulletin, which allows incorporating multiple quotes from the same thread in a post.

To do this, use the strange little icon with the " ' ' " (to the right of the Quote button).

Go through the thread, and tag this little icon IN THE ORDER YOU WANT THE QUOTES TO APPEAR - it will shuffle things into that sequence - I will show next post .

Nothing will happen when you hit that icon - it will merely light-up.

When done, hit the "Post Reply" button and all the multi-quotes will appear, ready for editing within, and for you to place your comments, between.

[boputnam]

Nothing will happen when you hit that icon - it will merely light-up.Kind of an orange glow...


A number of us have taken to quoting ENTIRE posts in our replies. This is bad practice for a number of reasons:

It's lameHarsh, but true.

I'm Guilty...Not so much...


Could someone explain how the "multi-quote" button works?See...? :rotfl:

[johnaec]

See...?Yep - 'figured it out myself, (while you were quoting... :p )

Edit:

I thought I just did that... :rotfl:

And then there are those that go back and change their message after it's already been quoted... :o:

John

[boputnam]

I thought I just did that... :rotfl:Where...?

[johnaec]

Where...?Irelpied with my first quote, and by the time I'd posted it, you'd apparently gone back and edited your message, so what I'd quoted had been changed. :)

John

[Titanium Dome]

(snip)

Go through the thread, and tag this little icon IN THE ORDER YOU WANT THE QUOTES TO APPEAR - it will shuffle things into that sequence - I will show next post .

(snip)

Some folks get anxious when their posts are edited and it appears you've taken them out of context. In that case a parenthetical (snip) lets everyone know that you're only showing part of the original post.

[Rolf]

A number of us have taken to quoting ENTIRE posts in our replies. This is bad practice for a number of reasons:


I agree, but sometimes removing some lines will not be understood by the poster, or by the others that have commented in the thread.

[boputnam]

Where...?I thought I just did that...


...by the time I'd posted it ... you'd gone ... and edited your messageYea, I was just funnin' with you. :)


Some folks get anxious when their posts are edited... :shock:


... it appears you've taken them out of context. :scold:


... a parenthetical (snip) lets everyone know that you're only showing part of the original post.I don't understand the distinction - either way, you are only referring to a portion of the post. That "(snip)" stuff seems redundant to me.


... sometimes removing ... lines will not be understood by the poster, or by the others that have commented in the thread.:no: You are not giving your readers enough credit...

Less is more.

[Rolf]

I You are not giving your readers enough credit...




OK? My experience in a little different

[boputnam]

My experience is a little different:rotfl:

[Titanium Dome]

I don't understand that "(snip)" stuff.

:no: You are not giving your readers more.

Got it. I like it.

[boputnam]

Dammit, bo!! :bash:

[Titanium Dome]

:rotfl:

Peace.

[jim3860]

thanks bo for the lesson. theres been lots of times i only wanted to quote a paragraph or two but had no idea how you done it. is there a section where we can trial post? to add, change things, pictures etc? REGARDS JIM

[Mr. Widget]

I agree, but sometimes removing some lines will not be understood by the poster, or by the others that have commented in the thread.In some cases... if I am primarily focused on a portion of the post, but the entire post is relevant, I'll make the portion that is most important to the point I am trying to make bold. Sometimes I'll make it a different color as well.

If you ever want to see the entire post where the quote came from, just click on the blue arrow after the poster's name... bingo there is the original. (As long as it hasn't been edited.:D)


Widget

[boputnam]

... is there a section where we can trial post? to add, change things, pictures etc?No...

And, don't make the mistake I and others have made, by starting a thread thinking you can delete it and everything. The mods can always clean up after you.

What you can do, is go to the OT area, pick an idle (older) thread and post with a header of "I AM TESTING HOW TO QUOTE AND USE PICTURES, etc - please ignore me. I will delete this post soon...". Best to select a neutral thread without personal notices, etc, where there are some posts to quote. Try your quoting skills, and adding graphics (you'll learn all about the limits of sizing, etc). I'll watch and if anything goes awry, I'll mop up after you (thus my avatar... ;) )

I know Don has great instructions and helpful hints, but there is nothing like trying things for oneself, and not taking anyone's eyes out in the process...

[Zilch]

The "Preview" function may be a good place to try stuff.

[I should use it more myself.... :yes: ]

[jim3860]

Thanks BO AND ZILCH for the helpful hints. REGARDS JIM