How to use the quote function

[mx_tifoso]

I see that a lot of people are having trouble quoting, so here are some basics:

To quote someone else click on the 'quote' button on the top right hand corner of that users post. Then don't do anything to the tags, and simply add your own text after the tags. If you mess with the tags chances are that the quote might not work out as planned.

[quote = "mx_tifosi"]asdf[/quote]

asdf

And if you want to quote something that is not a thread post, simply click on the 'quote' button found in the menu when writing your own post (in the message body area). Insert whatever text you want in between the tags, and include a link outside of the quote tags (if necessary).

asdf

asdf

Questions or comments are welcome, especially since this is pretty basic explanation for normal quotes.

[WhiteBlue]

Great idea to start a thread on the use of the quote function. I would love people to use it properly and respect the rules and best practices which have been established for a long time. They are quite simple.

1. You are doing ok to shorten a quote or delete paragraphs from a quotation to focus on those points that are relevant and that you want to answer to. It makes for a more compact discussion and focusses the debate. You may also want to cut out stacked previous quotes that are repetitive. If you cut in front of a sentence or behind you should insert ..... to indicate that the reader looks at a shortened quotation. If the source of the quotation is not immediately close to your post in the thread or even from the web you should provide the URL or a link to the original quote.


2. If you quote a public person you can use BBCode to identify him.

[quote] is the standard tag to open a quotation
[quote="public person"] is the tag to open a personalized quotation


3. Do not use the quote function for humor by making up personalized quotations attributed to other users or public figures. People quite often do not realize you are joking and take the humor serious. It may distort how someone is perceived by the board. Falsifying quotations - even for humor - is extremely unfair.

My 2 ct. YMMV

[tok-tokkie]

1. How do I quote someone, follow it with comments THEN give a second quote & respond to it.
I appreciate I can type it all in including the quotes with the [] quote stuff. How do I copy to clipboard & paste more than 1 quote in a single reply?

[WhiteBlue]

1. How do I quote someone, follow it with comments THEN give a second quote & respond to it.
I appreciate I can type it all in including the quotes with the [] quote stuff. How do I copy to clipboard & paste more than 1 quote in a single reply?

You should open up your editing window by pulling on the lower right corner with the triangle. It is easier that way. Then you can insert Quote tags and scroll down to the post you want to quote. Copy from the original and then past the text between the Quote tags. If you want to use personalized quotes you must add ="username" into the initializing quote tag.

If you want to split a quote into several personalized paragraphs you can also enlarge the edit window and make multiple copy pasts of the original quote. Then delete the respective paragraphs you don't want to use.

There are other levels of BB software that let you use easier multiple quote techniques but they are not implemented in this BB software.

[Pandamasque]

If you want to quote multiple different posts:

1. How do I quote someone, follow it with comments THEN give a second quote & respond to it.
I appreciate I can type it all in including the quotes with the [] quote stuff. How do I copy to clipboard & paste more than 1 quote in a single reply?

For example I just click on [reply] under your post(1), then type whatever I want. Remove the irrelevant part from the quote if necessary.
Then press Ctrl+A, Ctrl+X (select all, cut)
Press backspace (or <- in the browser) and then click on [reply] under WB's post(2)
Then paste whatever I have in my clipboard (Ctrl+V) before this WB's quote here ^^

You should open up your editing window by pulling on the lower right corner with the triangle. It is easier that way. Then you can insert Quote tags and scroll down to the post you want to quote. Copy from the original and then past the text between the Quote tags. If you want to use personalized quotes you must add ="username" into the initializing quote tag.something

...and then type some more. And so on and so forth.

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

If you want to divide 1 quote into multiple pieces (and respond to each) you just make sure each piece starts with

Code: Select all

[quote="oroginal poster name here"]

and ends with

Code: Select all

[/quote]

You don't even have to type the codes, just copy and paste.

PS: It'll save you a lot of time if you use these:
ctrl+a = select all
ctrl+x = cut
ctrl+c = copy
ctrl+v = paste
ctrl+z = undo
ctrl+y = re-do

[Steven]

Actually Pandamasque, there is a much simpler solution even to quote several posts.

First you start off by hitting the "quote" button on the post you wish to quote. Now you will end up on the posting page where you can fill the contents of your post.

Under that form however is a box with the posts so far in the thread, all with a quote button. If you click one of these buttons, a quote will be automatically added to the "message body" of the post you are creating.

Good luck

[Pandamasque]

Under that form however is a box with the posts so far in the thread, all with a quote button. If you click one of these buttons, a quote will be automatically added to the "message body" of the post you are creating.

Good luck

I never noticed those buttons. Works like a charm, thanks!

For example I just click on [reply] under your post(1), then type whatever I want. Remove the irrelevant part from the quote if necessary.test

[Mitsuhirato]

I would like to give a suggestion about quotations, if I may.

People should stop quoting the post right above theirs, unless they want to refer to a very particular sentence or phrase. The threads are frequently a mess of repetitions from, in my opinion, unnecessary quotes. If there are pictures it's even worse, with the same picture repeated over and over again.

[WhiteBlue]

People should stop quoting the post right above theirs, unless they want to refer to a very particular sentence or phrase.

An excellent suggestion! The main reasons for the sloppy use of the quotation function without editing is convenience or laziness. Sometimes people want to refer to something in the previous post and make that clear without the chance that another user breaks the reference by posting in between. So they answer by quoting the complete last post.

Some are not familiar with the use of the quotation syntax. They fear to quote out of context or are unaware how to extract the relevant parts without loosing the original sense.

The answer to those problems lies in the correct use of quoting brackets with the right syntax and the observation of a few simple rules.

• you can quote a word or sentence by highlighting it and pushing the "Quote" button
• you can delete unnecessary sentences and words by simply deleting them between the quote brackets
• you should ad ... dots when you remove words from a sentence to indicate that you have shortened an original quotation
• if it is unclear whom you quote make sure you add the user name to indicate the author
• the user name for a quotation can be added in the code by adding ="username" to the opening code
• you should never add text to a quotation, only shorting is allowed

This way we could improve the readability of the board by learning the right use of the BBCode and proper editing of quotable texts. It takes a bit of energy but it is worthwhile in my view.

[Pandamasque]

If there are pictures it's even worse, with the same picture repeated over and over again.

+1

[Giblet]

Another +1. Part of the art of discussing or debating is being able to succinctly answer a persons question, with the question as part of the phrasing within your answer.

Knowing when to use the function is as important as how.

[autogyro]

Another +1. Part of the art of discussing or debating is being able to succinctly answer a persons question, with the question as part of the phrasing within your answer.

Knowing when to use the function is as important as how.

I think I should apologise here Giblet.
I should treat the forum with more respect.
It is a technical forum and I do tend to act a bit like a loose cannon at times.
Many posting on here aspire to higher things in engineering and it is good to see such a high level of interchange without the rudeness that often develops on lesser sites.
I am semi retired and these days I aspire to very little and simply take delight in responding with what little experience and knowledge I have.
The moderators on here are without doubt the best I have encountered and I hope the site goes from strength to strength as I believe it deserves to so do.

[Giblet]

Well said

Since all my knowledge comes from merely being a superfan of the sport, I am often unable to contribute anything other than insight or collected knowledge. I do understand concepts deeply, but when actual maths come into play, I get lost very quickly, and am unable to contribute.

Like most engineers, I do have a fertile mind, and my engineering friends often enjoyed having me sit in on the problem solving portion of their projects until the actual quantifying came into play, which made me feel like I was batting a couple leagues higher than I should.

But since I often lack the pure technical, I know that if I am unable to contribute, at least if I am even keeled I can be valuable to the forum in many other ways, as I do feel this site is the best of the best on the web for discussion of Formula 1. I learned this early, as just because I know more about motor sport and autos in general than all of my friends, I am still a dull pencil in this forum.

But in about 1 week I am going back to school for the first time since high school to take a webmaster program. This contains a programming and logic course, three levels of Java to get my OOP fully started, XHTML and CSS, Internet security, Linux, and a few others. This will cement an already varied IT career that many graduates would be jealous of.

I digress off topic here now, but I guess once I am done my program, I better be good at using the quote function

[jon-mullen]

Are we all in agreement that

- you don't need to quote an entire pictorial just to say "thanks"?
- you don't need to quote the post immediately above yours?
- you don't need to quote the entirety of a four paragraph post if you're going to reply to one sentence of it?

It's getting a little excessive and making the threads (especially the race threads) unnecessarily long and visually disorienting.

[mx_tifoso]

Unfortunately it hasn't gotten across to everyone just yet.