Meta: Suggestions for a Pretty Post Sticky or FAQ Additions

Submitted by justingoblue on

Lately, I've been a seeing some suggestions to make a section for instructions on things like blockquoting or embedding, and other things that might be useful, in Seth's words, "tips for pretty posts". Right now there seem to be two options: an in-depth sticky thread (which would permit its own Q&A), or a smaller set of additions to the FAQ page. Which of these comes to fruition is up to you, MGoBoard, in the form of what suggestions you make on this thread.

There will definitely be a permanent addition to the site including instructions for the following:

  • Embedding YouTube
  • Embedding photos
  • Uploading photos to somewhere then embedding them
  • Creating tables (Seth'sTableizer trick)

New MGoMembers that don't know how to do something, what would you like to see instructions on? Longtime MGoMembers, what would you like to see a refresher on? Tech savvy MGoMembers, what kind of cool stuff can you instruct the rest of the board to do in the interest of "pretty posts"?

farside286

January 23rd, 2013 at 8:30 PM ^

Embedding tweets.

The maximum width for sizing pictures so it doesn't overlap with the mgosidebar.  I always just guess a few times until it seems ok.

 

Raoul

January 23rd, 2013 at 8:58 PM ^

How to embed tweets:

1. Switch to plain text editor

2. On the tweet you want to embed, click where it says "More"

3. On the drop-down, select "Embed Tweet"

4. Copy the code that appears

5. Paste the code into the post

6. Switch back to rich text editor and hit "Save"

7. Result:

You probably don't really need to switch back to the rich text editor, but I always do so just to make sure the spacing of the post looks OK.

Also, at least with the browser I'm using, the tweet won't look right immediately after I post it. I have to go to a different page and return to the one where I posted the embedded tweet.

One other thing, the above works only for replies. I've never been able to figure out how to get tweets to embed properly in an OP.

farside286

January 24th, 2013 at 11:10 AM ^

I guess I should of been more specific... I was looking for how to embed tweets as the OP.  I was trying to create a post the other day and embed the tweet and was having trouble.  Also i'm using a PC so the copy and paste doesn't format correctly.

mzdmv

January 23rd, 2013 at 8:48 PM ^

Embedding tweets would be really nice to figure out.

Tip for those with a Mac and the Twitter app (which you should since it's awesome): You can copy and paste the tweet into the text box and it shows up perfectly. 

Like this-

 

NickJ_Lepore

If duke loses, Michigan basketball, gymnastics, and swimming will all be #1 in the country #funfact #Goblue

1/23/13 8:16 PM

 

Seth

January 23rd, 2013 at 9:39 PM ^

[cringes at superfluous apostrophe--it's not you it's me this is a thing wrong with me AUGGH IT'S STILL THERE happy place happy place]

The reason, from a conversation over a year ago, is due to a Drupal mod that was a friggin hog and not worth it for the amount of video people were posting. I'm a big video posting dude but even so I don't post enough of them to justify making replying take longer all the time.

vbnautilus

January 24th, 2013 at 7:42 PM ^

The option is called "New Window (_blank)" because setting target="_blank" in an html anchor tags sends the link to a new window/tab.  Unfortunately HTML cannot specifiy whether that new window is a tab or a window; that simply depends upon your browser setting.  

Raoul

January 23rd, 2013 at 9:45 PM ^

The easiest way I know to explain this is to just go through how I post links:

1. Highlight the text that you want to serve as the link, such as Ultra-MGoBoard.

2. Click the Link button on the toolbar (the third one from the right).

3. Copy the URL and paste it into the box below "URL."

4. Click "Target" on the Link window.

5. From the drop-down menu, select "New Window (_blank)"

6. Click OK.

7. Result:

Ultra-MGoBoard

JHendo

January 23rd, 2013 at 10:32 PM ^

Or you can just do all of your posting in plain text mode and use html (which I've started resorting to on here so I can actually have reasonable control over formatting).  To do a link in a new tab, you just use this format for the link in plain text: <a href="http://theurlyouwantustogoto.com" target="_blank">Super cool site in a new window!</a>

If it works right, it looks like this: Super cool site in a new window!

Raoul

January 23rd, 2013 at 9:30 PM ^

Here's a tip on something that might seem minor but I think is useful: underlining links to make them easier to spot. This is easy enough to do in an OP—all you have to do is highlight the link or the text that's serving as a link and hit the underline key.

Unfortunately, there's no underline button in the reply toolbar, so you have to use the plain text editor and the underline code:

1. Switch to plain text editor

2. Find the coding for the link, which will look something like this:

<a href="https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/ultra-mgoboard/plgbhpppodkjce…" target="_blank">Ultra-MGoBoard</a>

3. Place beginning and end (<u> and </u>) underline codes around the link:

<u><a href="https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/ultra-mgoboard/plgbhpppodkjce…" target="_blank">Ultra-MGoBoard</a></u>

4. Switch back to rich text editor and hit "Save"

5. The result will be this—Ultra-MGoBoard—instead of this: Ultra-MGoBoard

Raoul

January 23rd, 2013 at 11:51 PM ^

For some reason, I didn't think that would work—probably because cutting-and-pasting is so screwy in rich text mode, at least on my computer. Anyway, thanks for pointing that out! That'll save me some time.

I still think it would be useful for people to underline their links—however they do it.

justingoblue

January 30th, 2013 at 12:46 AM ^

400m H      
20000m W Colorado College    
High Jump EMU Kansas State Arizona
Pole Vault Washington Arkansas South Dakota
Long Jump Texas Florida Texas
Triple Jump Florida Florida  
Shotput Georgia ASU Missouri
Discus Milliken Boise State Texas Tech
Hammer Ashland Morningside  
Javelin Brown Dartmouth Oregon
Decathlon Oregon Texas  


 

MGoBender

January 23rd, 2013 at 9:50 PM ^

There's too many stickies as is.  I feel there should be two, at most:

Mod Edit Thread

FAQ

All the others can be thrown into the FAQ if it is edited to be a little nicer to the eye.

vbnautilus

January 23rd, 2013 at 10:33 PM ^

If one more person asks how to embed a video, I'm gonna.... ...  .. I'm gonna .... ... well, I'm not going to do anything, but seriously does this not appear in every other thread? 

MGoShoe

January 23rd, 2013 at 11:19 PM ^

...blockquote in their posts and in the comments. Oh, and add the freaking blockquote button in the comments toolbar so I don't have to use the super secret blockquote in the comments trick anymore.

E. Gordon Gee

January 23rd, 2013 at 11:57 PM ^

Is it possible to add an ABC check to the button list next  to the insert  picture button? Another idea would be to enable the box to work with your internet browser to allow it to detect misspelled words. 

XM - Mt 1822

January 24th, 2013 at 6:05 AM ^

i assume i am a severe minority on this board, but candidly it would be nice to have what amounts to a direct 'help line' for boneheads like me, maybe an email addy that someone could send to for help.   a number of you can do tech stuff in your sleep that would take me a 13 week course to accomplish step one. 

as an example, i've thought about doing a short write-up on another tough time for michigan hockey (1980-1984), the immediate pre-red berenson era.   that's when i played and the hockey fans on the site might be interested in some of the inside-baseball stuff that went on.  however, being as how i am fred flintstone, this email is about as technical as i can get without help and i haven't posted a thread because i'm just not tech-savvy enough to do it. 

just an idea and in any case it's good of you to reach out for suggestions. 

q

justingoblue

January 24th, 2013 at 10:26 AM ^

before you posted this, huh? It's actually hilarious that you posted this right now, because I'd already said to myself that when I got done reading the comments I had missed while sleeping (sorry board, I do still need to do that) I was going to email quiverfull and volunteer LSAClassOf2000 for anything I didn't know how to do.

I guess now it stands that you volunteered me and I volunteered him.

quiverfull: I'll shoot you an email at the address you registered with when I get a minute.

LSAClassOf2000

January 24th, 2013 at 7:56 AM ^

I rather like the idea of the FAQ having its own "TechBites" section, if you will, focused on answering the most common questions that people ask with regards to sprucing up posts. The great thing about it actually, as folks can see from this thread, is that the content can definitely be user-created since this blog definitely has the knowledge base to create a rather extensive collection of hints and tips.

I thought there had been a link to a guide on the board some time ago, but we could definitely include some tips on HTML tagging (photos, text, etc...) since the modules support it. I've found it useful in diaries as well as in board posts. Further, editing tables pasted directly from Excel is something which I actually could stand to know more about and might be a good idea to cover for the data-driven set.

thisisme08

January 24th, 2013 at 9:01 AM ^

 

 

I thought there had been a link to a guide on the board some time ago, but we could definitely include some tips on HTML tagging (photos, text, etc...) since the modules support it. I've found it useful in diaries as well as in board posts. Further, editing tables pasted directly from Excel is something which I actually could stand to know more about and might be a good idea to cover for the data-driven set

 

 

Why is it that I can never type below my blockquote without it showing up with its own box?

Alright fixed that, but I sitll got multiple block quote tags showing up in plain text editor, under what I actually wanted to quote.

profitgoblue

January 24th, 2013 at 10:22 AM ^

I've been posting on this damn Board for almost 3 years and I still don't know how to block quote, insert links without having the whole web address show up, and everything else that everyone seems to know how to do.  I endorse this new sticky.

Asgardian

January 24th, 2013 at 10:43 AM ^

I don't know if this is possible, but I recommend putting a hyperlink to the Sticky thread on these pages at the top and/or next to the submit button/text box:

http://mgoblog.com/node/add/forum

http://mgoblog.com/node/add/blog

And perhaps what pops up when you go to compose a comment in a thread.

I've found this via "Useful Stuff" but I think its a bit confusing and needs to be dumbed down/put in a better context:

http://mgoblog.com/content/how-post-mgoblog

MikeCohodes

January 24th, 2013 at 12:29 PM ^

I've seen people comment in threads that they don't know how to embed GIFs, so perhaps when updating the FAQs explain clearly that the method to embed GIFs is the exact same as the one to embed pictures, to clear up some confusion for some people.

 

E. Gordon Gee

January 24th, 2013 at 9:09 PM ^

Here is another idea.

Given the threshold for creating a topic is 100 MgoBlog points it might be a good idea to add to the FAQ section a visitor thread. You could simply add a visitor thread for opposing fans who are coming to visit the Michigan since they won't have access to start their own thread so they can ask questions. This allows one to ask questions at their own will. However, the problem with this is that you could have an influx of fans each week asking the same questions as they prepare for a visit. What is an even better is idea is to add more details to the started topic instead of leaving it as something that is open ended like the previous idea. If you take a look at what Brian has done this is a good example of where to start. As for gathering questions can start another topic on Mgoblog asking people, "What are the most common questions you get asked by visitors", have people reply to those topics and then aggregate the answers in the forum to questions being asked. Seeing how I've never been to Ann Arbor some questions I would ask are: 

  • Where is the best place to park?
  • Freeway Directions if your coming from the North, South, East, West
  • What are the best places on campus to get food? 
  • What are the main/common streets that run through campus?
  • Do you have a map (via PDF) of campus?
  • What are the average cost of tickets to make sure I'm paying a decent amount? 
  • What are the best bars to go to? Age will be a problem here...
  • What are some of the highlighting features to see on campus? 
  • What do you recommend I see, try or taste on campus that I won't be able to try elsewhere (i.e. @ Penn State they have the Penn State Creamery)?
  • Campus Bookstores (Some Michigan fans making there first trip to AA may want to get memorabilia)
  • Lodging

These would be some common questions I would asked along with other newcomers and seeing the answers posted would eliminate a lot of clutter and prevent people from rushing to get 100 Mgopoints before they can ask the same questions all over again. However the forum  topic should be open-ended like this one so others can ask questions. An example of questions I would ask not related to this would be: 

  • Will I get stabbed for wearing Ohio State gear on campus? (Joking)
  • If I have Ohio licence plates will my car get broken into? (Joking)
  • I hear Michigan has the best honeycrisp apples in America, where is the best place to get some of those apples or apple juice? (If someone cares to answer this now that would be helpful for my trip this fall)
  • How hostile is Ann Arbor? Is it on the Wisconsin/Ohio State/ Penn State level of hostility or more tamed?
  • Other questions varies by person and fanbase. 

Hope this helps...