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warning - geek alert

Can anyone tell me what happens to posts while they're being edited? Are they still visible in their previous form, or are they temporarily off-line while being revised?


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I think they're still visible in their original form, wofa. I've had posts answered while I was editing them, and I've answered posts while they were being edited.


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Can anyone tell me what happens to posts while they're being edited? Are they still visible in their previous form, or are they temporarily off-line while being revised?

Being basically html web documents the unedited posts will remain visible until they have been updated and published. When you submit your edited post there is a time lapse after which you will see the standard 'submitted' message. This lapse is the period during which your post is uploaded to the AWAD server.
Any member currently viewing your post will still see the unedited version until they reload/refresh their browser. This also applies to new posts, of course.

The only thing I don't like about the editing option on this site is that it does not update the time and date (or position on the thread) accordingly. Some form of time stamp for editing would be very useful.


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Speaking of useful things, is there an "underline" function I've not located? [u] doesn't do it.


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I have a question, too, please. Quite often I'll have more than one screen; I'll be in, say, showflat, and in another maybe I'll be sending a PM. Which one of them will Who's Online show?


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The Who's Online Page records the Last Activity..

So, if you open 2 windows of AWAD, and are view posts.. that's what it shows.. but you click in to reply to one.. now your are at a reply, until you do something to change your status again.. ( any click of the mouse, that take you to any link.. will cause an update.. and if you open AWAD, at thread, and then go off to make coffee, and get distracted when you drop the can of coffee, and start to sweep up the mess, and realize you should give the floor a mop, and 20 minutes goes by... even though you are still logged in, you activity will show you are not on line. (after 10 minutes.. it goes blank!)


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Speaking of useful things, is there an "underline" function I've not located? [u] doesn't do it.

No, you can't do it in markup. All of the available markup features are listed in the FAQ link at the top of the page.


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Since everyone is asking questions, here's mine: is there a way to go directly to the last post on a thread (rather than hitting Show All, waiting for stuff to load, and then scrolling down)? Hmmm - pretty lazy of me, huh?


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boronia, if you set your Profile preferences to show 99 posts per page, it will minimize the need to hit "show all" and wait for it. (which, I agree, can be an incredible frustration)

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merci, Keiva


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is there a way to go directly to the last post on a thread (rather than hitting Show All, waiting for stuff to load, and then scrolling down)?

Something you might want to try is using the "End" key (in the little group of keys above the arrow keys, at least on my keyboard) to go to the bottom of the page. I find this helpful when there's a really long thread. If there are a lot of new posts, however, you'll end up scrolling upwards to find the first new post. So either way you might have to do some scrolling.


PS: Today my End key won't work, and neither will my Page Up or Page Down keys, but the rest of the keyboard works fine. Could anyone tell me why they suddenly conked out? Calling all computer geeks!


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Today my End key won't work, and neither will my Page Up or Page Down keys, but the rest of the keyboard works fine. Could anyone tell me why they suddenly conked out?

Well, Rapunzel, it's highly technical. Ya see, usually this sort of thing happens on the Ides of March, but if ya check yer computer's clock, I think you'll find that you've got it set a little bit ahead. Just wait around until about this same time tomorrow, and it should clear itself right up! Provided the correct offerings and sacrifices at the Oracle, of course.


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Ya see, usually this sort of thing happens on the Ides of March

Oooooh, brutal FB, positively brutal. You too, eh? [laugh}



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>it's highly technical.

well, if you're going technical on us, today is actually the 2nd day of the Ides of March -- these things were reckoned backwards, you know.

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Kiwi, was that incident was sub rosa, or infra structure?


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Well, Rapunzel, it's highly technical.

Thanks for all of the help but the problem seems to have corrected itself. The keys are suddenly functional again.


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Thanks, Helen, for all that info.--esp. that part about it showing you not there after ten minutes. 'Cause sometimes I do walk away from the computer without closing AWAD--once I went out to dinner, leaving it open--and I was really wondering if people might be thinking I was actually here for 4 or 5 hours straight!
============================================================

The keys are suddenly functional again.
Ain't it the truth, Rapunzel? These machines do seem to take fits, of whether they're going to work or not. I almost never do special characters (é is an exception) any more, because suddenly, some of the numbers on my keypad simply send me back a screen (or two), as though I've hit the Back arrow. I can't figure it. By the way, for other computer neophytes, if ever you have gone back to the middle of some previous typing to do a correction, and whenever you do your retyping, and subsequent letters disappear, that means you have hit the Insert key as well as, or in place of, Backspace. Press it again, and you can correct normally. That had me literally screaming, until I called the computer store nearly in tears, and the guy told me!






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Jackie and Rapunzel,

I suspect your scrolling problems have do do with the "scroll lock" and or "num lock" functions of your keyboard. On my 'board the number pad to the right of the regular keyboard can function as a number-entering device or as a scrolling device -- I expect yours do too (do the 2,4,6 & 8 keys have arrows on 'em?). If you want to use that pad as numbers, you have to have the "num lock" active (there is a light next to a #1 near the "caps lock" light on my 'board). I use the number pad for numbers, but the default when you turn the computer on is scroll lock on, so I have to remember to switch it everyday. Hope this helps!


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What is the purpose of showing us the number of "views" a thread has? Is there a significance there that I am not aware of?



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the number of "views" a thread has

Can't compute the stales index© without knowing the number of views.


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Can't compute the stales index© without knowing the number of views.

Okies! Really glad I asked that question! Maybe someday he'll explain THAT one to me!


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an in-reference, angel.

Stales pointed out that the ratio of views-to-posts is a rough-and-ready index of how interesting a thread has been. A relatively high ratio indicates that a high proportion of those who viewed the thread found they did not have anything to say in response -- suggesting low interest-value.


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re:What is the purpose of showing us the number of "views" a thread has?

i don't know-- except the soft ware keeps track of the views. which is how it knows you've looked at something, and to delete the new and to update the number on the theme page.

you can also save time by using the back key-- but then the number and new don't get update.. so, weave back and forth, --open a thread, read, hit back, open a new thread, back, back again to main index, open another theme, read a thread, back, and after a about three Main themes (I & A, Misc., WordPlay and Fun), hit refresh.

the advantage of "back" is you machine will have cache'dthe pages it, and they will load faster! but since you are loading the 'cached' view, it will not have been updated, and it will not accurately reflect the correct number of new post to read!

so, you get increased performence speed -- but it does make it a bit confusing.. since it is not immediately evident which thread you have read (if you chance to read them out of order!) and Posting plays havic too, since back brings you back to to the "post has been sent, you will be automatically returne to forum in a few minutes" page!


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Re: scrolling

depending on your browsers, there are some scrolling short cuts..

you use the right button! (not a side, but right in the manner of correct!)the right button on the mouse.

which is the right button? Well, place your hand on your mouse --naturally, you index finger fall on one button, and your middle finger falls on an other button.-- isolate your middle finger.. hold up your hand.. this is a special finger.. it has special purposes.. and its not used just any old time.. its always a special occasion when we use it.. if you need to do something special, especially in computer software, you must remember this special finger! i teach it just this way, and at first, people are slightly aghast, but in the end, every one end up laughing,-- and they remember!

So place your mouse pointer in the scroll bar area, and right click-- Use that special finger to do it right! (even you southpaws!)

if you have Netscape 6.2, or MS Explorer, or if you use AOL, you'll get a menu! (i don't know all the browsers!) but some Notes supports it too,


SCROLL HERE
----------------------------
TOP
BOTTOM
----------------------------
PAGE UP
PAGE DOWN
--------------------------------
SCROLL UP
SCROLL DOWN


bottom brings you to the last post!

fast and easy!



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Wow, thank you, Flatlander! That was it, sure enough! (Not that I doubted you, but it was news to me.) I've never had a clue what any of the buttons on my keyboard do, other than the letters and the numbers (oh, and the four arrow keys). I did finally learn Print Screen (sometimes I can get it to work), and that with Control I can highlight more than one thing at a time. Um--since Caps Lock will give you caps only, then...Num. lock will give you numbers only? It never occurred to me what the arrows on the numbers might be for. I have no idea of how to use the Insert function--but at least I've learned when I need to undo it, the darned sneaky thing!

Helen--I did pick up right away that when you hit the Back arrow, that page comes up a whole lot faster. That's caching, then? Caching is, um, storing? [still groping in the dark e] Also, I did the right-click thing--my menu has nothing about scrolling. Max--I want you to come here and give me lessons! May I cache in on your knowledge?


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yes, jackie, not all browsers use the right button option..The very newest version of Netscape (6.2) does.

as for print screen.. it works best in DOS(an ancient computer language, only known to scholars) but!
try this.. (it won't work in awad, but it will work in email, and other places)
open a "window" (ie, Character map) hold the alt key, and now press print screen. (nothing visably happens!) but now, open up Word, (word perfect, what ever) and press the "paste" icon. (it often looks like a clipboard) and Voila! you have captured an image, and pasted it into your document. (see Max's hints, he has lots of "screen captured images"). this is how we trainers "picture" steps for you . (actually, i have moved on to making moving image files, so users can see the mouse move, with a scripted dialog, explaining what they are seeing..I'll teach you how to do that next year)

and yes, caching is something your computer does.. automaticaly.. it is a way of saving information, so that it can get to it faster. bigger new computers, with more memory have bigger cache files. but even old slow, 64K ram computers like mine have a fair about of cache. (at work i have 256K.. very fast!)


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Dear Helen ... understood it all except So place your mouse pointer in the scroll bar area
Where is that dang scroll bar? I am guessing you do not mean a highlighted are.
Help!?! Please?


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wow, the scroll bar is the part of the screen you use to make what's on the screen go up or down. It's likely on the very edge of one side (the right, on mine), with a square that has a triangle in it at either end, and a moveable rectangle that you can slide up and down it. If what's on your screen is w-i-d-e, you'll have one across the bottom, too, to move things right or left. Now, if someone would tell me what that bottom bar where Start, etc., is called, I'd appreciate it.


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...what that bottom bar where Start, etc., is called

Task bar. Although maybe it's the tool bar; I can't keep them straight. All these bars are enough to drive you to drink

And if you move the mouse pointer (A.K.A. the "cursor" - lots of room for expressiveness there) precisely onto the boundary between the bar and the rest of the screen, you get a little double-ended arrow, and then you can click-and-hold on it and, while holding it, drag it to make the bar bigger or smaller or even move it to the top or the right side or the left side. If you've a mind to.

And if you think you've lost it, you probably didn't, but it's been reduced _so_ small that it's only a little line at the edge of the screen. You can get it back again by moving the cursor all the way out to the edge - very precisely, remember - and get that double-arrow back, on which you can then click-and-hold again and drag the taskbar back to visible size...

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or better yet if you have a small monitor, go to
Start--> Setting--> Control Panal--> Task bar and Start menu

there are four "check boxes"

always on top
auto Hide
Show small icons in Start menu
show clock

Always on top most likely checked

add a check to Auto hide.

it will cause you task bar to "fall" just below the viewing area of the monitor.. but if you bring your mouse/cursor near, it pops up..with a small monitor, this is a nice chunk of real estate.

and WOW, any where in the scroll bar. on the "slider" or in the "track" -- but it doesn't work with every browser! still, try it out!

you can also use the "right finger to do a right click" and a thread. top choice is back..

PS-- there are two common kinds of check boxes.. square ones, (proper check boxes) allow for mulitple choices.
round ones, (radio buttons) only one can be selected. (think of the preprogramed radio station buttons in your car)


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Of course, to obviate all these complications, y'all could get a Mac


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wow, the scroll bar is the part of the screen you use to make what's on the screen go up or down.
Of course it is!
Thank you.
I'll have to get the mechanic to increase the synapse function in the old brain pan!



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OK....Why does the bottom of the page say: "All times are EST"? I sent an e-mail to Anu after I first realized this error, and have never had an answer to my question. For those who don't know, times are posted in CST (Central Standard Time), not EST (Eastern Standard Time).


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And can anybody explain the "Check spelling" function? I laugh each time I accidentally hit the button when aiming for "Continue".


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many will try to tell you that our spell-checker is an entertainment feature of the site, but the truth is that the so-called ænigma is as primitive as they come, being nothing more than a lookup in a minimal word list -- if the word isn't found it merely substitutes the next one in the alphabetical list. thus dysuria comes out each.

http://home.mn.rr.com/wwftd/

#61092 03/19/02 02:59 PM
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I have no idea of how to use the Insert function-

Dear Jackie,

Coming late to this thead...Insert is a frustrating key. By default it's on. That is, if I write a sentence and forget a word, and I go and put my cursor where I forgot the word, and type the word, the other words move over - I "inserted" the word. If you press Insert, it turns this function off. They used to call it "TYPEOVER" in old WordPerfect. So, if you've pressed Insert, you're in Typeover mode, meaning that each letter you type REPLACES the letters "underneath" it rather than them all marching over to the right like you're used to. In Word, three little letters "OVR" appear on the bottom status bar when you've got it switched to Typeover. In other programs you have no way to know if you've switched it on or off!

In other words, the Insert key toggles the Typeover concept on and off. You don't really "use" it like you do, say, the space bar.


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Well, I've never had WordPerfect, but I understood what you said, anyway. Thanks, Bean!

EDIT--Hey, I just made a new discovery--my arrow keys will let me scroll the page! Ho-lee cow, MUCH easier on my hand! (Yes, I know--I'm pitiful.)

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Did anybody else get circe twice? I got it at 12:01 a.m. and at 11:59 a.m. today, the 19th.


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Well, I just got today's word--mogul--for the second time:
12:01 a.m. and 12:54 p.m.

Also, I have made a discovery. I just made a 2-line post, and noticed that the window took up about 4 inches of screen space. Then I remembered I'd accidentally scrolled way down, when I hit Ctrl and v to paste (it does that a lot, and I don't know why). So I deleted the post (having for once remembered to use the Back arrow and copy my original post with the markup, uh, cues?), responded anew, pasted in with no error this time, and voila, a shallow post box! I take up too much space all the time anyway, so there's no use taking even more, if I don't have to.


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I read in some recent posts that there are Web designers on board. I have done some amateur designing and have a question. I am sorry if this inappropriate for this forum, but since this thread was current I thought I would take a chance..

Question: When you design a page (with 100% table width) for a PC console, on a lap top it comes out all bunched up in the left hand top corner corner. This happens just for the home page. The only way I have found to get over this is to design it off center for the PC screen - that brings it more to the center for the Lap top screen. Is there a way to have it in the center for both the lap top and PC?
--
Thanks in advance to Helen of troy or Rubrick or any one else who might answer this question.
--
The only word twist I could give to this post is three different words for the thing you are looking at - console, monitor, screen - any others?
I just checked - MW doesn't give the definition of console as a monitor or screen??? It is the thing that the radio or television sits on? Okay!



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I was googling the other day for the Indonesian word provisi, only to get hundreds, if not thousands, of pages for the English word provision. Admittedly, provision does contain provisi, but it's still totally useless for my purposes. How do I get round this?

Bingley


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While all you computer wunderkin are at it
has anyone ever figured out what makes the
posts widen the screen. If so, how does one
avoid doing that? And perhaps it could go
in the helpful hints..since posts continue
to go wide I presume there is no note now.
Thank you.



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Is there a way to have it in the center for both the lap top and PC?

There really shouldn't be any difference between the two, except that most lap top screens are smaller than desktop monitors. It's generally better to confine your text to a width of about 400-500 rather than stretching across the whole screen. There are two reasons for this. One, the smaller width will look the same on all browsers and two, it's easier to read. The page of a book is much thinner than a computer screen.

To center something in HTML you generally just have to put align="center" into a tag, such as <P align="center"> or <TD align="center">. In tables you can also set the vertical alignment with valign. For that center is the default, but you can change it to valign="top".

Wow, the reason posts go wide is that a link is a continuous string or characters without any spaces. PCs won't break that string and make the rest go on the
next line, so the page just stretches to fit the text. Macs will split the line for you.



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>Macs will split the line for you.

and Max will shorten it for you, with his "make a shorter link" link -- you do cover that in your FAQ, right Max?

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While all you computer wunderkin are at it has anyone ever figured out what makes the posts widen the screen. If so, how does one avoid doing that? And perhaps it could go in the helpful hints..since posts continue to go wide I presume there is no note now.

Dear Wow,

I have noticed the same problem on various threads and I am at a loss to explain how it happens. I can only presume that it is a bug related to the application on which AWAD runs. The problem seems to generate arbitrarily and is a result of the primary post on that thread. If it is too wide for the screen and requires scrolling to view it correctly then subsequent posts will likewise be too wide. There doesn't seem to be any way to remedy this on the AWAD site.


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John, I guess I had thought this was covered in the FAQs, either Jo's or Max', but I'm not finding it. it certainly should be, as it is a multiple yart and has confused nearly everyone. it is not a random bug and the cause is well known. as Jazzo indicates just above, the cause is ALWAYS (well, unless you purposely preformat) a wide link (or url, as dr. bill would have it). the remedy is to shorten internal links (cut 'em after the first post number) or use Max' "make a shorter link" link (where is it Max?!) for external links.

since the width of any thread is determined by the width of the widest post in it, it's not always obvious where the problem lies....

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I read in some recent posts that there are Web designers on board. I have done some amateur designing and have a question. I am sorry if this inappropriate for this forum, but since this thread was current I thought I would take a chance..

Dear Drow,

If you feel uneasy about posting such a notice then feel free to PM (private message) anyone with the query.

Question: When you design a page (with 100% table width) for a PC console, on a lap top it comes out all bunched up in the left hand top corner corner. This happens just for the home page. The only way I have found to get over this is to design it off center for the PC screen - that brings it more to the center for the Lap top screen. Is there a way to have it in the center for both the lap top and PC?
--
Thanks in advance to Helen of troy or Rubrick or any one else who might answer this question.
--


This is pretty confusing. Why does it only happent for the home page? All web pages should behave the same way if they are coded the same way. A few quick tips.

1. Always use tables with plenty of rows and cells to contain your info - especially if you want to align stuff.
2. Only ever use one nested table for each page. More will result in confusion and definite loading time overhead and probable application crash.
3. Check you design on both IE and Netscape. Microsloth like to be different so the two browsers will often display stuff quite differently. It is often irritating but you can easily find an acceptable common ground between the two.
4. Decide on a basic screen size design for your web pages and stick with it. 640 x 480, 800 x 600. Whatever. If you deceide that you can spare the resources to build more than one size (and therefore offer your readers a selection of sizes) then go for it. I never provide that luxury. Better to tell your readers to resize their screens to optimise viewing than to go to all that unneccesary trouble.

Back to your problem. Don't set the table size to 100% - set it to 99%. It works better - believe me!
If you want to centre your work on the page then don't select center and expect the text to be centred on the page. Build a table with at least two rows and three cells wide (use five or seven if that makes the tsk easier). Place all of your stuff in the middle (2nd/3rd/4th) cell. The outer cells need to be the same width but this width can be any figure. The purpose is just to allow centring of text and images. For that cell you can either align it left/right or center. The text will appear in the centre of the page (actually the centre of that cell but it will give the appearance of being centre of the page).

Any more info required then PM me and I'll blabber on ad nauseum.

The only word twist I could give to this post is three different words for the thing you are looking at - console, monitor, screen - any others?
I just checked - MW doesn't give the definition of console as a monitor or screen??? It is the thing that the radio or television sits on? Okay!


In the days when computers took up a medium sized room and required the powerage of a small town to add six numbers together, someone had the bright idea to link a few terminals onto the mainframe to allow many users to access this abundance of informatic power. These terminals consisted of a monitor and a keyboard (the mouse didn't exist just yet) and were known collectively as a console. The montor has been explained - it's the big TV-like thingy that takes up all of your desk space, ruins your eyesight and is bedecked with post-its and various holiday snaps, pet pictures and out-of-focus baby photos of your now seven-year-old.

The screen is just the glass bit at the front which projects the image from your computer and, despite its incredible definition and superior projection qualities is used for little more than emailing, word processing, spreadsheets and the occasioanl web-surfing. The most striking images that you will ever see on a screen these days are the background images (commonly called wallpaper for some reason - even though they don't resemble any wallpaper that I can think of) of such luminaries as George Clooney and Brad Pitt (popular on our secretaries' machines), various sportstars (for the harder types amongst us) and the occasional unidentified skimpily dressed blonde in a position that you never see a wife or girlfriend - well, not in public anyway.


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John, I guess I had thought this was covered in the FAQs, either Jo's or Max', but I'm not finding it. it certainly should be, as it is a multiple yart and has confused nearly everyone. it is not a random bug and the cause is well known. as Jazzo indicates just above, the cause is ALWAYS (well, unless you purposely preformat) a wide link (or url, as dr. bill would have it). the remedy is to shorten internal links (cut 'em after the first post number) or use Max' "make a shorter link" link (where is it Max?!) for external links.

since the width of any thread is determined by the width of the widest post in it, it's not always obvious where the problem lies....


Tsuwm. Thanks for that. I misread JazzO's post but now I see what he was saying and it makes sense why certain threads are wider than others. Yep, I agree. The posts will be wider if the URL is wide becaus the wraparound won't work for a continuous text line like a long URL. Apologies to both you and JazzO for the misunderstanding.

I can't remember the url for the short link site but adding it to the FAQs would be great. Hey, how about adding Carpal Tunnel whilst we're at it?? Is it 3200 or what?

Cheers,

Rubrick


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I never did get an answer to my time question above:

OK....Why does the bottom of the page say: "All times are EST"? I sent an e-mail to Anu after I first realized this error, and have never had an answer to my question. For those who don't know, times are posted in CST (Central Standard Time), not EST (Eastern Standard Time).

This one really bugs me and I wondered if it just got overlooked, or if no one really knows.




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This one really bugs me and I wondered if it just got overlooked, or if no one really knows.

or possibly it doesn't bother anyone else..

http://home.mn.rr.com/wwftd/

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Thanks tsuwm!

I knew someone would have a pleasant answer for me!


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Can someone with experience explain to a mere stranger why sometimes when I open a Post all that appears is a string of numbers, percent signs and a few letters? No matter how many times I try I can't open the Post. Am I committing a sin of omission or commission to be thus punished?

Help (frustrated).


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I can't remember the url for the short link site

It's http://www.makeashorterlink.com


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If you are working on a PC which is connected to a network, the proxy server which is connecting you to the Internet may not be set to handle large quantities of text data (i.e. html) correctly. It renders what it can and texts the rest. I'm not a network geek, so I can't give you the technical details.



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I just went to the shorter link site, and managed to shorten the link I had in the Greek/Latin thread in Q & A, but the screen is still wide.


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>but the screen is still wide.

and that would seem to be due to ASp's preformatted text.

http://home.mn.rr.com/wwftd/

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#61115 03/23/02 07:38 PM
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>Both of these data have been on my page for several months, fwiw.

all of this being a reminder, to young and old alike, READ THE FREAKING MANUAL! (thanks Max :)

http://home.mn.rr.com/wwftd/

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>Both of these data have been on my page for several months, fwiw.

all of this being a reminder, to young and old alike, READ THE FREAKING MANUAL! (thanks Max :)


Well, excuse me for bringing up the bleeding obvious, Ron, but I do read the freaking manual. I just don't get to Max's site often enough. I usually just have time to read the helpful hints published on the I&A pages every few weeks and take what's there as verbatim. Here's the HH printed just a few short days ago. No reference to 'Carpal Tunnel' anywhere.


How do you graduate from ?Stranger??
There are different titles given, based on the number of posts.
Here are the titles:
Stranger (0), Newbie (25),
Journeyman (50), Member (100)
Enthusiast (200), Addict (400),
Old Hand (700), Veteran (1200), Pooh Bah (1600)
At the time of writing, we don't know if there are any more.
Search on ?Graduation? for threads that discuss this subject

Signature Lines:
The system allows you to add a signature. In the past, some of us have used our favourite quotes but we've found that this becomes distracting after seeing the same line several times so we prefer not to use them.



However, I will start reading Max's website now that I know it is more consistent and up-to-date.

Regards,

Rubrick.


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Rubrick--dinnae fash, Sweetie.


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Rubrick, sorry if you took offense above and beyond, as the comment was aimed also inward, my having missed seeing the 'shorter link' link therein.

-ron o.

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No offense taken, tsuwm. Sorry that my post sounded a bit harsh (on hindsight). I was attempting a play of words on your post and pseudo-pseudonym but it didn't come out right.

A big problem with posting to AWAD is that, if you only have five minutes to post and three of those are required for reference or for checking-up correct etiquette, you are only left with two minutes to post a foreshortened post (as is the sad case now). So a lot of us (I don't speak for others but notice their posts) including me sound ridiculously stupid as we constantly ask the same questions over and over about where to find shorter links, how to type mark-up etc.

The FAQs provided every few weeks are excellent tips for newcomers and great reminders for people such as me but I tend to take them as gospel and don't rely on other websites, such as Max's (which I really don't have the time to visit - or to remember to visit) which the more experienced members would check for more up-to-date and advanced information.


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Thanks tsuwm!

I knew someone would have a pleasant answer for me!


Lighten up!




#61123 03/25/02 08:41 PM
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angel: Why does the bottom of the page say: "All times are EST"? For those who don't know, times are posted in CST (Central Standard Time)
tsuwm: or possibly it doesn't bother anyone else

Angel, the reason is simply that all posts are marked in tsuwm time; it's one of our tsuwmocentricities.


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[Lightening up for W O'N -e]

Angel, the reason is simply that all posts are marked in tsuwm time; it's one of our tsuwmocentricities.

What dictionary will I find "tsuwmocentricities" in?



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What dictionary

tsuwm, were you to publish a dictionary of swearing [a maladictionary?], might it be entitled
The Contsuwmmate Contsuwmeliator?


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Rubrick, do you think your ISP might be cacheing that page? I am genuinely puzzled that you could have visited it at any time in the last six weeks and not seen the Carpal Tunnel change. After all, even I've been one that long! I changed the page at least eight weeks ago, and so am wondering why the changes did not show up for you. I shall drop a line to my providers to see if they are leaving backup copies of old pages online, as others have also reported difficulty getting to updated versions of my pages. Sorry.

Okay, this is getting a tad confusing so I will clarify what I can and cannot see.

I've gone to http://maxqnz.com/Hints.html and I can see the up-to-date hints including the Carpal Tunnel 2500 line. Going to the I&A threads and the Helpful hints Take 2 post I can only see what has been posted (and reposted) on that post for the past few months.

If you are referring to changes to your page, Max, then I shoudl reiterate that I haven't visited your page for some time until this morning. I was referring to the AWAD page and not your page so don't go bothering your ISP about something that's nothing to do with them!!

It's not really worth pursuing this trivial matter anymore. Safe to say that I will look at Max's page more often and not just refer to the HH on AWAD.

Cheers Max!!!

BTW, no way it could be my ISP cacheing my pages. Mon ISP c'est moi!


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even my poor overworked was able

??? what are we discussing here ??? You need a working over, Max? Can/may/might I help?


#61130 03/31/02 04:48 PM
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Milum, about pre formated text.
Browsers, (unlike word processors) have no fixed margins.

if you make you browser window smaller, it re-formates the text to fit inside the space available.

there are two exceptions.. Links (and we have all seen a thread go wide because of a link)
by go(ing) wide, i mean, a new scroll bar is added at the bottom of the page, and you must scroll right and left to see all the text.

the pre command also stops the browser from reformaing text. Pre is an HTML code, and mark up uses it exactly the same.

if you type some thing in MS WORD (and this works in all word processors, but i am not going to give directions for all) and then got to the View menu, and scroll down to Show/Hide, you can see the formating commands.

A·line·of·text·will·look·like·this.¶

each · represents a space, and the ¶ represents a "a hard return" --pressing enter. other codes include arrows for tabs, and so on.

normally, a browser ignores most of the formating codes. especially extra spaces and tabs!

the pre command forces the browser to leave the formating codes in, and lets you the typist, to set up the spacing of the text!

you need to use it with care, since you can't be sure how much space (how big the window is) on others computers.


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The actual form of the pre-format command is

leftbracket-pee-are-ee-rightbracket.

I couldn't make it print as text at first because the board interprets it as a formatting command, which doesn't print, and so I typed instead

leftbracket-space-pee-are-ee-space-rightbracket, which is [ pre ]

and which shows up fine but doesn't do anything if you type it in faithfully as it appears, being no longer in the right format because of the spaces. Thus the green instruction to omit the spaces.

The "end-pre-formatted-text" instruction is, analogously,

leftbracket-slash-pee-are-ee-rightbracket.

Now if only I could figure out how to underline...


PS. Most of the fonts we use are no longer "fixed-spacing", which means so-and-so many characters per inch (remember those typewriters with Elite (12 cpi) or Pica (10 cpi) type?) Nowadays we see more "proportional-spacing" -- an i is narrower than a W, and a space narrower still. This can distort your painstakingly-constructed pre-formatted texts, depending on what font the viewer is using.

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