Forum hints and tips

[robert@fm]

(Request to mods:  Could this thread please be made sticky? )

This is a repository for anything which may enhance one's EMD experience. Feel free to add to it...

OK, to start off:

1) Disrupting unwanted smilies

We've all known that annoying problem where we type something which we want to come out like "(example)" and instead it comes out like "(example)".  To prevent this happening, use an empty italic (or bold, or whatever, if you so prefer) container, thus:

"(example:eek:[i][/i])".

(Thanks to whoever came up with that one; unfortunately I haven't got time to do a search just now, so maybe you could identify yourself.  )

2) Stopping punctuation being absorbed into URLs

One way is to uncheck "Automatically parse URLs", but most of the time one wants URLs to be parsed; there are two ways to stop them being parsed incorrectly, such as in "This example uses www.emaildiscussions.com, to demonstrate bad auto-parsing":

1. Manually insert a URL container, e.g. "This example uses [url]www.emaildiscussions.com[/url], to demonstrate manual parsing which cures the problem".
   
2. Insert a <> container, e.g. "This example uses <www.emaildiscussions.com>, to demonstrate good auto-parsing which also cures the problem".

(Note that one proposed "solution", of using a service such as tinyurl.com, will not work; it just replaces a broken direct link with a broken TinyURL one.&nbsp;&nbsp;)

================

I may post some more tips tomorrow, when I have more time.

[anj]

Thanks, Robert. Great thread!
A simple tip (took me awhile to see this feature):
Click on "subscribe to this thread" (especially this one! ) to receive notifications of new posts (instead of just the ones you participate in).

[SusanUKF]

This was a good idea Robert! I think that it would make a good sticky also! Thanks for posting it!

Susan.

4) Fixing random spaces/linebreaks
vBulletin may add random spaces and linebreaks when posting long words or [code] strings.
A workaround is to add (one or more) empty containers ("[i][/i]").

Example: Inserting the string (no spaces, no linebreaks) "Averylonglinewithmanywordsandnospacesmayhaverandomspacesandorlinebreaksinsertedbyvbulletin" to a [code] tag, results in:

Averylonglinewithmanywordsandnospacesmayhaverandomspacesandorlinebreaksinsertedbyvbulletin

A space and a linebreak were added.

After adding two empty italic containers:

Averylonglinewithmanywordsandnospacesmayhaverandomspacesandorlinebreaksinsertedbyvbulletin

Sometimes, more than one container is necessary. I use the containers to divide the long string to more or less equal parts.

Posting the same word, outside a [code] block, without empty
containers, also causes spaces and linebreaks to be added: "Averylonglinewithmanywordsandnospacesmayhaverandomspacesandorlinebreaksinsertedbyvbulletin".

[Edwin]

I've stuck this thread. To maximize its usefulness, please only use it to post new tips, not to ask questions or comment about earlier tips (unless they're "wrong" and need correcting). Thanks!

[robert@fm]

Originally posted by robert@fm
(ref. stopping punction being absorbed into URLs)
(Note that one proposed "solution", of using a service such as tinyurl.com, will not work; it just replaces a broken direct link with a broken TinyURL one.&nbsp;&nbsp;)

The above wasn't a dig at tinyurl.com, makeashorterlink.com or any of the other similar services out there; I was just pointing out that these services do not cure the vBulletin parsing problem.

Where these services do shine (indeed, this is the reason for their existence) is to make a long URL short (i.e. these are URL redirection services):

For example, you might have a URL such as http://www.thebrilliantbanjoplayingmidgetpoliceinspector.com/mail/free/UK/signup/page1/signup.html; using a URL-shortening service would turn it into something like miniurl.com/ab234.html.&nbsp; (Note that both these example URLs are fictitious.&nbsp;&nbsp;)

[ROBERT.BAK]

Note that if you have a problem which you wish other forum members to try to solve (else why are you posting it?), you're more likely to get a good response (or at any rate a fast one) if you help others to help you by using a specific subject (e.g. "Cannot log in to spammers.com") rather than a generic, meaningless subject such as "help" or "urgent"...

[robert@fm]

Ever wondered this about any service?&nbsp; Or, if you know that they were banned, why they were?

Well, contrary to what you might expect, searches for banned services usually still work despite the ban, so just go to the EMD Search Page and enlighten yourself. That's what I just did in reply to a query via PM...

(Daniel T is my other userid)

Originally posted by Daniel T
Fixing random spaces/linebreaks

There's another way to do this - which (unlike the empty [i] container) does work in links: replacing one of the characters with an HTML entity.

example

[Sherry]

Most regulars know this but for the new members:
To post a link to a specific post, instead of the whole thread, right/click on the "time" it was posted and click on Copy Shortcut. (this works with IE, not sure of other browsers)

Sherry

[war17]

Someone may complain that he or she tried to PM you, but gets an error message from vBulletin that your PM box is full. You delete all the messages in the Inbox, and sender still gets an indication that your PM box is full.

Go to your PM box and click on Jump to Sent Items folder and delete the messages there. Also, jump to Message Tracking folder and delete the messages there. Now you can receive private messages.

Originally posted by Sherry
Most regulars know this but for the new members:
To post a link to a specific post, instead of the whole thread, right/click on the "time" it was posted and click on Copy Shortcut. (this works with IE, not sure of other browsers)

This should work in all browsers. It's a plain HTML link.

Originally posted by war17
Go to your PM box and click on Jump to Sent Items folder and delete the messages there. Also, jump to Message Tracking folder and delete the messages there. Now you can receive private messages.

Also, if you have people on your Ignore List, temporarily remove them from the list and delete any new messages that appear; messages sent by people on your Ignore List do count towards the 70-PM quota, but are not shown in the list of incoming messages.

To archive PMs, a download manager can be used. In User CP (link at the top of every page), Options, set "Browse board with cookies?" to "No", then point your download manager to the PM Inbox page and download all the pages linked to from that page.

[robert@fm]

Originally posted by war17
Someone may complain that he or she tried to PM you, but gets an error message from vBulletin that your PM box is full. You delete all the messages in the Inbox, and sender still gets an indication that your PM box is full.

Go to your PM box and click on Jump to Sent Items folder and delete the messages there. Also, jump to Message Tracking folder and delete the messages there. Now you can receive private messages.

Also, change the view from the default (for me it's usually "the last year") to "the beginning"; that way you'll be sure to see all messages in the folder you're looking at.

One time I did this, I found a shed-load of messages from 2002 which I'd forgotten about, and because of the default cut-off didn't know I still had...

[Sherry]

To save individual PM's to a folder on my Hard Drive, in IE, I click on File, Save As. In the window that comes up I remove the "EmailDiscussions_com - Forum" part and put in the name of the person who sent the PM (leaving the subject part). I then change the dropdown for "Save As Type:" to "Web Archive (*.mht)" (this will also save any smilies in the message) and save to a PM folder on my pc.

Sherry

[Chipper]

To mark all forums read at once:

1) Click on "Forum Home" on the bar at the top.
2) Scroll down to the bottom.
3) In the lower right hand corner are 3 items (Log Out, Mark All Forums Read, Forum Leaders).
4) Click on the "Mark All Forums Read" link, and...
Voila! No need to mark forums read one by one.


Logging out:
If you normally use the same computer and have selected to always stay logged on (under User C.P.): You need to be aware that if you occasionally login on another PC, there will be a cookie on that PC. Then... any anyone using that PC would be logged in as you so you need to remember to Logout when you are done.