Sun Dec 16, 2007 11:06 am
How-To Crib Sheet For NitrateVille Users
This will be an occasionally-updated quick reference to some of the tools and features of our software. Please note one important stylistic item: since the program will take any text containing codes literally, all references to the brackets [ and ] are made using the upper-case brackets (the ones with the point in the middle-- { and }-- on the same keys). However, you must use the lower-case brackets in actual practice.
There is a longer and more detailed FAQ here.
Posting
This is a basic explanation of the main functions.
1. How to make bold text, italics, etc.
The B (bold), i (italics) and u (underlining) buttons all work the same way.
1. Click a button.
2. Type your text after {b}, {i} or {u}.
3. Click again to end the feature with {/b}, {/i} or {/u}:
{b}This would be bolded.{/b}
If you've already typed your text, you can highlight the part you want bolded and then click the B or I or U button at the top of this form and the correct codes will appear at the beginning and end of the highlighted text. You can also just type them in yourself. Whatever works for you.
You must have both a beginning and closing code for the feature to work. Use the Preview button to see if you did it right.
2. How to link to an image
NitrateVille does not host images. You need to find your own server space (often provided as part of your internet connection; there are also free services like Flickr). Then upload your image to that space. The image will have a URL something like this, depending on your provider:
http://www.internetprovider.com/~joeuser/Garbo.jpg
1. Click the Img button.
2. Type or paste in your image's url
3. Click Img again (an asterisk will be visible in the button at this time) to close the link:
{img}http://www.internetprovider.com/~joeuser/Garbo.jpg{/img}
Use Preview to see if your image is appearing.
Please size your images no wider than 600 pixels. Otherwise, they will force the entire thread and all text to their width, making it very hard to read for some users. If you don't know how to resize your photos, see if you have a photo program like iPhoto, Photoshop Elements, etc. which lets you manipulate images. They often come with scanners, digital cameras, etc.
NOTE: Please do not embed an image located on someone else's server. That's a violation of netiquette and some servers will retaliate by replacing the outgoing image with pornography or the like. If you see an image elsewhere that you want to use, either link to the page with an ordinary link so people can go there to look at it, or copy the image, with proper credit and respecting copyright, and upload it to your own server or photo hosting service.
3. How to make images that change (like a slide show)
To make images that change, you need a program that can make animated GIFs. Then upload and link to the GIF image file in the same way that you would a .jpg image file.
4. How to embed video
You can't, unfortunately. (PhpBB 3.0 will reportedly include this feature.) The best thing to do is to upload it to a service like YouTube and link to the page.
5. How to quote someone
To have it simply say "Quote":
1. Click the Quote button.
2. Paste the quote.
3. Click Quote again. Your text will look like this in the form:
{quote}This is the quote.{/quote}
Click Preview and it should look like this:
Or, again, highlight the quote, then click the Quote button at the top of this form.
To replace "Quote" with the quotee's name:
1. Click the Quote button.
2. Type an equal sign and the quotee's name inside quotation marks (see below), all inside the Quote code brackets.
3. Paste the quote.
4. Click Quote again. Your text will look like this in the form:
{quote="Iris Barry"}This is the quote.{/quote}
Click Preview and it should look like this:
Note that there's also an automated way to do this. While you're looking at the message you want to respond to, click the Quote button on the message you want to quote. This will automatically open up a new reply window with the entire text of the message you're replying to inside quotes which specify the quotee's name. Then you can edit down the quoted part of the message (please edit down to only what's necessary!) and add your response below.
5. How to link to another web page
The easiest way to make a link is to type, or cut and paste, a full url including the http:// prefix. The software will automatically make it a link showing the page name.
To make a link which shows your text instead of the page name (preferred, especially if the link is long):
1. Click URL.
2. Inside the URL brackets, type an equal sign and the page's URL.
3. Type your text outside the brackets.
4. Click URL again. This will look like this in the form:
{url=http://www.moma.com}Borzage retrospective at MOMA!{/url}
Click Preview and it should look like this:
Borzage retrospective at MOMA!
Please check your links to make sure they work before you leave your post for others to read; use the Edit button to correct any that don't.
Remember, I used the curly brackets here for illustrative purposes. You MUST use the straight brackets to make your coding work.
This will be an occasionally-updated quick reference to some of the tools and features of our software. Please note one important stylistic item: since the program will take any text containing codes literally, all references to the brackets [ and ] are made using the upper-case brackets (the ones with the point in the middle-- { and }-- on the same keys). However, you must use the lower-case brackets in actual practice.
There is a longer and more detailed FAQ here.
Posting
This is a basic explanation of the main functions.
1. How to make bold text, italics, etc.
The B (bold), i (italics) and u (underlining) buttons all work the same way.
1. Click a button.
2. Type your text after {b}, {i} or {u}.
3. Click again to end the feature with {/b}, {/i} or {/u}:
{b}This would be bolded.{/b}
If you've already typed your text, you can highlight the part you want bolded and then click the B or I or U button at the top of this form and the correct codes will appear at the beginning and end of the highlighted text. You can also just type them in yourself. Whatever works for you.
You must have both a beginning and closing code for the feature to work. Use the Preview button to see if you did it right.
2. How to link to an image
NitrateVille does not host images. You need to find your own server space (often provided as part of your internet connection; there are also free services like Flickr). Then upload your image to that space. The image will have a URL something like this, depending on your provider:
http://www.internetprovider.com/~joeuser/Garbo.jpg
1. Click the Img button.
2. Type or paste in your image's url
3. Click Img again (an asterisk will be visible in the button at this time) to close the link:
{img}http://www.internetprovider.com/~joeuser/Garbo.jpg{/img}
Use Preview to see if your image is appearing.
Please size your images no wider than 600 pixels. Otherwise, they will force the entire thread and all text to their width, making it very hard to read for some users. If you don't know how to resize your photos, see if you have a photo program like iPhoto, Photoshop Elements, etc. which lets you manipulate images. They often come with scanners, digital cameras, etc.
NOTE: Please do not embed an image located on someone else's server. That's a violation of netiquette and some servers will retaliate by replacing the outgoing image with pornography or the like. If you see an image elsewhere that you want to use, either link to the page with an ordinary link so people can go there to look at it, or copy the image, with proper credit and respecting copyright, and upload it to your own server or photo hosting service.
3. How to make images that change (like a slide show)
To make images that change, you need a program that can make animated GIFs. Then upload and link to the GIF image file in the same way that you would a .jpg image file.
4. How to embed video
You can't, unfortunately. (PhpBB 3.0 will reportedly include this feature.) The best thing to do is to upload it to a service like YouTube and link to the page.
5. How to quote someone
To have it simply say "Quote":
1. Click the Quote button.
2. Paste the quote.
3. Click Quote again. Your text will look like this in the form:
{quote}This is the quote.{/quote}
Click Preview and it should look like this:
This is the quote.
Or, again, highlight the quote, then click the Quote button at the top of this form.
To replace "Quote" with the quotee's name:
1. Click the Quote button.
2. Type an equal sign and the quotee's name inside quotation marks (see below), all inside the Quote code brackets.
3. Paste the quote.
4. Click Quote again. Your text will look like this in the form:
{quote="Iris Barry"}This is the quote.{/quote}
Click Preview and it should look like this:
Iris Barry wrote:This is the quote.
Note that there's also an automated way to do this. While you're looking at the message you want to respond to, click the Quote button on the message you want to quote. This will automatically open up a new reply window with the entire text of the message you're replying to inside quotes which specify the quotee's name. Then you can edit down the quoted part of the message (please edit down to only what's necessary!) and add your response below.
5. How to link to another web page
The easiest way to make a link is to type, or cut and paste, a full url including the http:// prefix. The software will automatically make it a link showing the page name.
To make a link which shows your text instead of the page name (preferred, especially if the link is long):
1. Click URL.
2. Inside the URL brackets, type an equal sign and the page's URL.
3. Type your text outside the brackets.
4. Click URL again. This will look like this in the form:
{url=http://www.moma.com}Borzage retrospective at MOMA!{/url}
Click Preview and it should look like this:
Borzage retrospective at MOMA!
Please check your links to make sure they work before you leave your post for others to read; use the Edit button to correct any that don't.
Remember, I used the curly brackets here for illustrative purposes. You MUST use the straight brackets to make your coding work.