Synamon's Tips for Navigating the Forum

**Synamon** · 12-26-2008, 02:19 PM

I was a forum neophyte when I came here and over the past 8 months I've discovered a lot of the tricks of the trade. Took me months to figure out multiquote
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and I just this week found the "Go to first new post" shortcut. What? Yeah it took 8 months to find that, I'm an N, get over it. I suffered in silence and don't want others to have to.

Navigating the forum:

User CP in the tool bar will bring up the list of reputation comments you've received and sent. (I send lots of these, it's crucial you know how to read them
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)

To send reputation comments click on 'Comment on post' for the post you want to comment on (it's bottom left below their avatar) and type in your comment in the pop up window.

Quick Links has cool stuff in it. I like Today's Posts instead of the Unread Posts (top right corner under your name) for my searches of the active threads, but either works.

You can subscribe to threads that you want to follow. Really handy, I use this all the time. In the thread just click on Thread Tools at the top right of the first post and click Subscribe to this Thread. Oh when I just did that I noticed that's where you can get a printable version, I wondered how to do that, huh you can email it too, cool. (shut up)

Once you've subscribed to a thread then when you click User CP you get a list of any with new posts. Or you can get to them via Quick Links if you select Subscribed Threads from the list.

A + sign will appear in the little pages icon (to the left of the thread title) if you've made a post in the thread.

The triangle arrow right beside the thread title is the "Go to first new post" shortcut. I wish I'd known that for the past 8 months. *sigh* You can also get to the first new post if you click on the title to go to the thread and then use View First Unread which appears above the first post (top left).

Below Last Post it displays the time and who last posted and right beside the name is an arrow and a page, clicking that will take you right to their post which is the last one in the thread. (great for stalking)

If you click on the number of replies for a thread (literally click on the number) you will get a pop up window with a list of who's posted in the thread.

Clicking on the number for the responses in a poll will show you who voted in each category if it's a public poll. (most aren't though)

Making posts:

Multiquote flummoxed me for months, ok here goes: At the bottom of each post are the boxes Report, Quote (with one bubble), Quote (with two bubbles), and Reply. For the first post you want to quote click on the second Quote thingie (the one with two bubbles), then do the same thing for each post you want to include until the last one. For the last one use the single Quote (one bubble). Ta da.

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are some other shortcuts for the forum, I've not attempted a list yet, maybe next year.
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To link a website use the icon of the world with a paper clip and cut and paste the http address in the pop up, then type in a description for it (if you don't the address itself will be the description which is inelegant).

If you click on the number of any post (top right corner of a post) you get a window with just that post, useful if you want the http code for that post to link it specifically.

Ok that's enough to get started, I'll add to this thread as I think of stuff. Anyone who knows other tricks I haven't found yet please feel free to post them here. If you have specific questions about how to do something, post them too and hopefully someone who actually knows something will help answer them.

Disclaimer: I am not responsible for any actions or addictions that result from the above advice.

**Moriarty** · 12-26-2008, 02:44 PM

Excellent post. I hope it gets a sticky.

**Anton** · 12-26-2008, 02:46 PM

Very nice, learned a few things here
To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

One way I use to get the URL link to a specific post of my own is to edit it, do nothing, and then hit save. The URL at the top of the page will take you directly to your post in that thread.

**Synamon** · 12-26-2008, 02:56 PM

	Originally Posted by Moriarty To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	Excellent post. I hope it gets a sticky.

Oooooh a sticky, I want a sticky.

Jezebel · 12-26-2008, 02:57 PM

Thanks Synamon. Here are a few more for the list:

	Originally Posted by Synamon To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	If you click on the number of replies for a thread you will get a pop up window with a list of who's posted in the thread.

In the pop-up window, there is a column with the number of times that member has posted. Clicking on that number will return a list of all the posts that member made in the thread on a single page.

	Originally Posted by Synamon To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	Multiquote flummoxed me for months, ok here goes: At the bottom of each post are the boxes Report, Quote (with one bubble), Quote (with two bubbles), and Reply. For the first post you want to quote click on the second Quote thingie (the one with two bubbles), then do the same thing for each post you want to include until the last one. For the last one use the single Quote (one bubble). Ta da.

Multiquote doesn't clear when you change threads and you can use it to quote posts from multiple threads. When you click multiquote in one thread and then reply in another, there will be a sentence under the edit box that says "You have selected x posts that are not part of this thread. Quote these posts as well, or deselect these posts.". If you click "Quote these posts as well" quotes you selected from all other threads will appear in the edit box.

If there are some subforums you never check and you don't want to see the threads on your Unread Posts or Today's Posts lists, you can use the
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located in your User CP / Edit Options page to hide them.
On the forum index, clicking on the minus graphics (
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) on the right bar of the subforum categories will cause the section to collapse and clicking the plus (
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) will cause it to expand.
If you use vBulletin search, use asterisks in your searches for partial matches. For example, searching for 'computer' will only return results for 'computer', 'computers' will only return results for 'computers', but searching for 'computer*' will return results for both and any other word starting with 'computer'.

**TheLastMohican** · 12-26-2008, 03:51 PM

	Originally Posted by Synamon To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	Oooooh a sticky, I want a sticky.

I petition for the same!

**Josephine1012** · 12-26-2008, 04:52 PM

haha, I'm loving this thread. I've been clicking on triangle thingies and watch the magic happen, all night long (That's what she said!)

Jezebel · 12-26-2008, 09:56 PM

	Originally Posted by Synamon To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	Oooooh a sticky, I want a sticky.

Done.

**Synamon** · 12-27-2008, 07:34 AM

The other day I discovered that if you miss the shift key and hold down Ctrl and the letter i, you get the framework for italics. Works with b for bold and u for underline and saves switching to the mouse to click on the B, I, or U in the toolbar at the top of your reply. (or typing those square brackets all the time)

(I'm sure everyone already knows this, but I didn't
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)

That first tip of Jezebel's is awesome, for stalkers.
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**TheLastMohican** · 12-27-2008, 09:18 AM

	Originally Posted by Jezebel To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	Done.

Thanks!

	Originally Posted by Synamon To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	The other day I discovered that if you miss the shift key and hold down Ctrl and the letter i, you get the framework for italics. Works with b for bold and u for underline and saves switching to the mouse to click on the B, I, or U in the toolbar at the top of your reply. (or typing those square brackets all the time)

I learned this early on, but only because I'm that lousy of a typist.

**SimplyOtter** · 12-28-2008, 10:33 AM

Originally Posted by Synamon
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Quick Links has cool stuff in it. You can Mark Forums read if you don't want those 4315 Unread Posts at the top right corner mocking you. I like Today's Posts instead of the Unread Posts (top right corner under your name) for my searches of the active threads, but either works.

The triangle arrow right beside the thread title is the "Go to first new post" shortcut. I wish I'd known that for the past 8 months. *sigh* You can also get to the first new post if you click on the title to go to the thread and then use View First Unread which appears above the first post (top left).

If you click on the number of replies for a thread (literally click on the number) you will get a pop up window with a list of who's posted in the thread.

	Originally Posted by Jezebel To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	[*] In the pop-up window, there is a column with the number of times that member has posted. Clicking on that number will return a list of all the posts that member made in the thread on a single page.

oooooh! VERY interesting. I new nothing about these ones!
Thank you so much for sharing, they are really useful little tricks to know!!
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**thegnat** · 12-31-2008, 11:52 AM

I love the reputation comment feature. I think it's great.

**Motor Jax** · 01-01-2009, 11:05 AM

i always type in my BBC codes... always have...

**LionsPride** · 01-01-2009, 04:03 PM

When using the reply window (not the post quick reply at the bottom of the page) you have two options; submit and preview post. When you click the preview post button, not only does it do the obvious of letting you see your post, but it updates the previous posts which are located below. This means that if someone posted while you were typing, it will show up and you will know before you submit. This is extremely handy in fast moving threads like the game threads or when it took a long time to write your reply. It's saved me some deletions in the game threads and a lot of editing/deleting when a person beat me to the punch in regular threads.

**SimplyOtter** · 01-02-2009, 01:58 PM

Originally Posted by LionsPride
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When using the reply window (not the post quick reply at the bottom of the page) you have two options; submit and preview post. When you click the preview post button, not only does it do the obvious of letting you see your post, but it updates the previous posts which are located below. This means that if someone posted while you were typing, it will show up and you will know before you submit. This is extremely handy in fast moving threads like the game threads or when it took a long time to write your reply. It's saved me some deletions in the game threads and a lot of editing/deleting when a person beat me to the punch in regular threads.

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I see. Now I know why you guys were always so quick!!
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I have been missing the basic knowledge, this is it!

**Synamon** · 01-02-2009, 03:27 PM

To get more advanced formatting options (ie. a list of smilies, the spoiler cheat, etc.) in the toolbar for the reply box where you create your posts you need to set your Message Editor Interface to something other than Basic Editor (mine is set for Standard Editor).
To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

Here are
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on how to change that option.

**Synamon** · 01-04-2009, 09:03 PM

Some of the navigation links you may have been using have been eliminated in the new template.

To bring up the main forum page with all the sub forums click on the nifty new logo, this works from anywhere (especially handy from your own profile page).

You can also get around using the Forum Jump option at the bottom right of your screen (thanks Nihilum, I'd forgotten about that). It will take you to any sub forum directly or your subscriptions, user CP, private messages, etc.

The "View First Unread" post option from the header of the thread is gone now. To do the same thing you need to click on the "Go to first new post" symbol (triangle) in front of the title of the thread from the appropriate sub forum or your own list of subscribed threads.

There are some formatting issues with Internet Explorer 6, if that's your browser it might be time to join the revolution and get yourself Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome.
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Synamon added to this post, 66 minutes and 43 seconds later...
Bonus Tip
If you want to view the post someone has quoted, click the symbol of a page that you see after "Originally Posted by zzzzzz" at the top of the quote. This saves you scrolling back through the thread to find the original post and is especially handy if the quote is from another thread.

**TheLastMohican** · 01-04-2009, 09:07 PM

	Originally Posted by Synamon To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	If you want to view the post someone has quoted, click the symbol of a page that you see after "Originally Posted by zzzzzz" at the top of the quote.

And this, like many features, has its own code.

*chaos ensues*

**Synamon** · 01-04-2009, 09:09 PM

	Originally Posted by TheLastMohican To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	And this, like many features, has its own code. chaos ensues

I created chaos? Yay me, my work is done.

What do you mean exactly TLM?

**TheLastMohican** · 01-04-2009, 09:11 PM

	Originally Posted by Synamon To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	I created chaos? Yay me, my work is done. What do you mean exactly TLM?

I'm pointing out that it would be possible to link to a different post, kind of like a Rick Roll. But don't tell anyone else that.

Jezebel · 01-05-2009, 05:37 AM

	Originally Posted by Synamon To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	The "View First Unread" post option from the header of the thread is gone now. To do the same thing you need to click on the "Go to first new post" symbol (triangle) in front of the title of the thread from the appropriate sub forum or your own list of subscribed threads.

The text link was removed, but the image link is still there. If you see a blue triangle to the left of a thread title, clicking on that will take you to the first unread post.

**Synamon** · 01-05-2009, 09:25 AM

	Originally Posted by Jezebel To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	The text link was removed, but the image link is still there. If you see a blue triangle to the left of a thread title, clicking on that will take you to the first unread post.

Thanks.

(I never noticed the symbol before.
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)

**LionsPride** · 01-05-2009, 10:45 AM

*New*

In the user CP, under Edit Options, there's a feature to exclude forums from view. Forums that are selected for exclusion will no longer show up in the "Unread Posts" search or the "Today's Posts" search, but it won't prevent you from manually navigating to those forums.

Threads that are subscribed to will still show up as updated in the User CP even if their forum has been "excluded from view".

This feature is handy for tailoring your Unread or Today's post searches to show only the sub forums you want up to date coverage on, without preventing you from taking advantage of the full forum whenever you would like to.

**Synapse** · 01-06-2009, 06:37 PM

Thanks a lot for this post! It helped me, I finally learned what the dreaded Multi-quote does!
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**Synamon** · 01-06-2009, 07:18 PM

To do a search for a specific word (or someone's username) in a thread hit Ctrl-F and a Find box pops up at the very bottom of the screen. There is a next or previous arrow you can use to scroll through the thread.

12-26-2008, 02:19 PM	#1
Synamon Core Member [465%] MBTI: INTJ Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 18,616	I was a forum neophyte when I came here and over the past 8 months I've discovered a lot of the tricks of the trade. Took me months to figure out multiquote To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. and I just this week found the "Go to first new post" shortcut. What? Yeah it took 8 months to find that, I'm an N, get over it. I suffered in silence and don't want others to have to. Navigating the forum: User CP in the tool bar will bring up the list of reputation comments you've received and sent. (I send lots of these, it's crucial you know how to read them To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. ) To send reputation comments click on 'Comment on post' for the post you want to comment on (it's bottom left below their avatar) and type in your comment in the pop up window. Quick Links has cool stuff in it. I like Today's Posts instead of the Unread Posts (top right corner under your name) for my searches of the active threads, but either works. You can subscribe to threads that you want to follow. Really handy, I use this all the time. In the thread just click on Thread Tools at the top right of the first post and click Subscribe to this Thread. Oh when I just did that I noticed that's where you can get a printable version, I wondered how to do that, huh you can email it too, cool. (shut up) Once you've subscribed to a thread then when you click User CP you get a list of any with new posts. Or you can get to them via Quick Links if you select Subscribed Threads from the list. A + sign will appear in the little pages icon (to the left of the thread title) if you've made a post in the thread. The triangle arrow right beside the thread title is the "Go to first new post" shortcut. I wish I'd known that for the past 8 months. sigh You can also get to the first new post if you click on the title to go to the thread and then use View First Unread which appears above the first post (top left). Below Last Post it displays the time and who last posted and right beside the name is an arrow and a page, clicking that will take you right to their post which is the last one in the thread. (great for stalking) If you click on the number of replies for a thread (literally click on the number) you will get a pop up window with a list of who's posted in the thread. Clicking on the number for the responses in a poll will show you who voted in each category if it's a public poll. (most aren't though) Making posts: Multiquote flummoxed me for months, ok here goes: At the bottom of each post are the boxes Report, Quote (with one bubble), Quote (with two bubbles), and Reply. For the first post you want to quote click on the second Quote thingie (the one with two bubbles), then do the same thing for each post you want to include until the last one. For the last one use the single Quote (one bubble). Ta da. To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. are some other shortcuts for the forum, I've not attempted a list yet, maybe next year. To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To link a website use the icon of the world with a paper clip and cut and paste the http address in the pop up, then type in a description for it (if you don't the address itself will be the description which is inelegant). If you click on the number of any post (top right corner of a post) you get a window with just that post, useful if you want the http code for that post to link it specifically. Ok that's enough to get started, I'll add to this thread as I think of stuff. Anyone who knows other tricks I haven't found yet please feel free to post them here. If you have specific questions about how to do something, post them too and hopefully someone who actually knows something will help answer them. Disclaimer: I am not responsible for any actions or addictions that result from the above advice.
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12-26-2008, 02:44 PM	#2
Moriarty Veteran Member [56%] MBTI: INTP Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 2,271	Excellent post. I hope it gets a sticky.
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12-26-2008, 02:46 PM	#3
Anton Member [05%] MBTI: INTJ Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 232	Very nice, learned a few things here To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. One way I use to get the URL link to a specific post of my own is to edit it, do nothing, and then hit save. The URL at the top of the page will take you directly to your post in that thread.
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12-26-2008, 04:52 PM	#7
Josephine1012 Veteran Member [78%] MBTI: ENFP Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 3,144	haha, I'm loving this thread. I've been clicking on triangle thingies and watch the magic happen, all night long (That's what she said!)
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12-27-2008, 07:34 AM	#9
Synamon Core Member [465%] MBTI: INTJ Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 18,616	The other day I discovered that if you miss the shift key and hold down Ctrl and the letter i, you get the framework for italics. Works with b for bold and u for underline and saves switching to the mouse to click on the B, I, or U in the toolbar at the top of your reply. (or typing those square brackets all the time) (I'm sure everyone already knows this, but I didn't To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. ) That first tip of Jezebel's is awesome, for stalkers. To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
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12-31-2008, 11:52 AM	#12
thegnat Member [25%] MBTI: INTJ Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 1,024	I love the reputation comment feature. I think it's great.
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01-01-2009, 11:05 AM	#13
Motor Jax Veteran Member [52%] MBTI: INFJ Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 2,105	i always type in my BBC codes... always have...
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01-01-2009, 04:03 PM	#14
LionsPride Core Member [225%] MBTI: INTJ Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 9,029	When using the reply window (not the post quick reply at the bottom of the page) you have two options; submit and preview post. When you click the preview post button, not only does it do the obvious of letting you see your post, but it updates the previous posts which are located below. This means that if someone posted while you were typing, it will show up and you will know before you submit. This is extremely handy in fast moving threads like the game threads or when it took a long time to write your reply. It's saved me some deletions in the game threads and a lot of editing/deleting when a person beat me to the punch in regular threads.
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01-02-2009, 03:27 PM	#16
Synamon Core Member [465%] MBTI: INTJ Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 18,616	To get more advanced formatting options (ie. a list of smilies, the spoiler cheat, etc.) in the toolbar for the reply box where you create your posts you need to set your Message Editor Interface to something other than Basic Editor (mine is set for Standard Editor). To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Here are To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. on how to change that option.
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01-04-2009, 09:03 PM	#17
Synamon Core Member [465%] MBTI: INTJ Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 18,616	Some of the navigation links you may have been using have been eliminated in the new template. To bring up the main forum page with all the sub forums click on the nifty new logo, this works from anywhere (especially handy from your own profile page). You can also get around using the Forum Jump option at the bottom right of your screen (thanks Nihilum, I'd forgotten about that). It will take you to any sub forum directly or your subscriptions, user CP, private messages, etc. The "View First Unread" post option from the header of the thread is gone now. To do the same thing you need to click on the "Go to first new post" symbol (triangle) in front of the title of the thread from the appropriate sub forum or your own list of subscribed threads. There are some formatting issues with Internet Explorer 6, if that's your browser it might be time to join the revolution and get yourself Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome. To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Synamon added to this post, 66 minutes and 43 seconds later... Bonus Tip If you want to view the post someone has quoted, click the symbol of a page that you see after "Originally Posted by zzzzzz" at the top of the quote. This saves you scrolling back through the thread to find the original post and is especially handy if the quote is from another thread.
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01-05-2009, 10:45 AM	#23
LionsPride Core Member [225%] MBTI: INTJ Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 9,029	New In the user CP, under Edit Options, there's a feature to exclude forums from view. Forums that are selected for exclusion will no longer show up in the "Unread Posts" search or the "Today's Posts" search, but it won't prevent you from manually navigating to those forums. Threads that are subscribed to will still show up as updated in the User CP even if their forum has been "excluded from view". This feature is handy for tailoring your Unread or Today's post searches to show only the sub forums you want up to date coverage on, without preventing you from taking advantage of the full forum whenever you would like to.
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01-06-2009, 06:37 PM	#24
Synapse Core Member [116%] MBTI: ENTJ Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 4,660	Thanks a lot for this post! It helped me, I finally learned what the dreaded Multi-quote does! To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
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01-06-2009, 07:18 PM	#25
Synamon Core Member [465%] MBTI: INTJ Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 18,616	To do a search for a specific word (or someone's username) in a thread hit Ctrl-F and a Find box pops up at the very bottom of the screen. There is a next or previous arrow you can use to scroll through the thread.
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