A Posting Tip

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

Hey, gang: If you want to share an interesting link with the group, it's helpful to include a short text description so that other users can quickly decide if they'd like to bother pursuing it. Especially for those who read many posts a day, it can be a real time-saver.

So instead of this:

Thought this was amazing:
blahblahblah.com

Consider this:

Interesting link by Kawasaki discussing why annuities are best for 99.9% of retirees: blahblahblah.com

Feel free to add other posting tips to this thread.

 

[ERD50]

Can you show us how to do that?

I know it has something to do with some [code ' text....' = url] , but I forget the exact syntax....

The software seems to hide all that stuff from us, even if I quote yo.

TIA - ERD50

 

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

Just select the text you wish to turn into a link, then click the little icon which resembles a globe-on-chain. Enter the desired URL in the resulting dialog box, and voila.

I did this to the word "link" above and aimed it at google.com, for example.

 

[donheff]

Good tip Rich. I just saw another "this was funny" link. A couple of words of explanation and we could decide whether to click or move on.

 

[FIRE'd@51]

Just select the text you wish to turn into a link, then click the little icon which resembles a globe-on-chain. Enter the desired URL in the resulting dialog box, and voila.

I did this to the word "link" above and aimed it at google.com, for example.

And after you do that it's a good idea to do a "preview post" to check if the link actually works, as it appears you have

"http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/google.com" instead of "http://google.com"

in the URL box, which directs you to the early-retirement forum home page instead of google.

 

[ERD50]

Combo tip: Google 'search this site', with the text for link tip from R_I_T

OK thanks - like this?

text for link to Google search of RE forum

instead of (just pasting the URL):

annuity site:www.early-retirement.org - Google Search

the forum software automatically substitutes the window title for the actual URL, which would be this (I sub'd (*** for www. to keep the software from automatically changing it back, even though I clicked the 'break links thingee?):

***google.com/search?ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=annuity%20site:***early-retirement.org


I used 'annuity' in this one, but you can sub anything you wish, and use all the power of google search constructs ( minus to exclude, -mortgage; OR to do either/or; quotes to search a phrase, like "pay off the mortgage"; etc ).

-ERD50

PS: [SIZE=-1]Results 1 - 10 of about 1,400 from www.early-retirement.org for annuity. (0.09 seconds)
[/SIZE]

 

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

And after you do that it's a good idea to do a "preview post" to check if the link actually works.

Oops. Fixed. But good point - if you don't select the type of link (http:, ftp:, htps: etc. the forum software defaults to an inappropriate type URL.

So preview before saving.

 

[Nords]

Hey, gang: If you want to share an interesting link with the group, it's helpful to include a short text description so that other users can quickly decide if they'd like to bother pursuing it. Especially for those who read many posts a day, it can be a real time-saver.

Posters who put up more than one or two threads of "OMG you won't believe this LOL just too much!!!!" quickly rise to the top ten of everyone's "Ignore Poster" lists...

 

[Goonie]

Posters who put up more than one or two threads of "OMG you won't believe this LOL just too much!!!!" quickly rise to the top ten of everyone's "Ignore Poster" lists...

amen!

 

[ERD50]

Posters who put up more than one or two threads of "OMG you won't believe this LOL just too much!!!!" quickly rise to the top ten of everyone's "Ignore Poster" lists...

amen!

JMO, but I prefer the approach R_I_T took. Let's give the poster the benefit of the doubt, provide a little feedback, offer a solution, and maybe they will learn from it.

Sometimes, people will surprise you if you give them half a chance. And if you don't, you'll never know (which you probably won't as I'm probably on your ignore list... )

Thanks Rich_In_Tampa.

-ERD50

 

[Goonie]

JMO, but I prefer the approach R_I_T took. Let's give the poster the benefit of the doubt, provide a little feedback, offer a solution, and maybe they will learn from it.

Sometimes, people will surprise you if you give them half a chance. And if you don't, you'll never know (which you probably won't as I'm probably on your ignore list... )

Thanks Rich_In_Tampa.

-ERD50

Or the Mods could add "OMG" to "The Soapbox and Headline News" section of the Forum.....i.e. "The Soapbox, Headline News, and OMG".

-- Just kidding! --

Actually, it takes quite a bit to get on my super-duper, official-type, E-R Forums "Ignore List"......it can be done, but not too easily. However, it's much easier for a few posters to be simply ignored or skipped over by me while reading posts........and usually if a thread title or the first post in a thread includes an "OMG" topic, I just skip it, and go on to other posts.

- - goon - -

 

[Nords]

Actually, it takes quite a bit to get on my super-duper, official-type, E-R Forums "Ignore List"......it can be done, but not too easily. However, it's much easier for a few posters to be simply ignored or skipped over by me while reading posts........and usually if a thread title or the first post in a thread includes an "OMG" topic, I just skip it, and go on to other posts.

Imagine life as a moderator-- where your job is to read every post!

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Whadda ya want, me to post the vida guerra "i love moderators" picture a second time today so you dont have to get caught clicking on the same thread twice?

 

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

Whadda ya want, me to post the vida guerra "i love moderators" picture a second time today so you dont have to get caught clicking on the same thread twice?

Sure, that'd work for me.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

I always try to please our moderator overlords...

 

[CuppaJoe]

Imagine life as a moderator-- where your job is to read every post!

I thought it was bad enough they have to sweep out the spam. Read every post! Can't they just PM each other and make deals, "help, I can't deal with another CJ post, could you cover for me?"

 

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

I thought it was bad enough they have to sweep out the spam. Read every post! Can't they just PM each other and make deals, "help, I can't deal with another CJ post, could you cover for me?"

We really do spell each other informally. Members are good about reporting stuff that sneaks through, so that helps a lot, too.

What many members may not realize is the extent to which we discuss almost any serious moderator "action" before we implement it. I can't remember a non-trivial action that wasn't discussed and agreed to by a consensus of the mods.

And, mods have no ignore button.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

To be fair, we cant ignore you either

 

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

To be fair, we cant ignore you either

Yep, life online's a b*&*%.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

What? Did someone say something?

 

[NW-Bound]

Imagine life as a moderator-- where your job is to read every post!

Really? Meaning I cannot insinuate anything about you and not getting noticed by you or another moderator?

 

[Nords]

Really? Meaning I cannot insinuate anything about you and not getting noticed by you or another moderator?

I can't tell that it's held back anyone else...