263 replies to this topic

[Magere Hein]

The DeathList HOWTO v. 1.10

This is a list of technical issues that newbie users often have trouble with. It is a work in progress, so feel free to add issues and comments, either by posting them, or by PM'ing (Private Messaging) the author.

• How do I search the forum?
  
  There's more than one answer to that question.
  
  • Quick search of a forum
    
    • Go to the forum you want to search
      
      
    • Click the button labelled "Search" at the top of the screen
      
      
    • In the popup box fill in the word or words you want to search for
      
      
    • Click the button labelled "Go"
    This search is useless. You either get either no, or too many results. To make matters worse, results are presented as a list of topics, some of which have the word(s) in it, others have the word in one or more posts in the topic. If the topic contains many posts you're up the creek.
    
    
  • Real search, with options
    
    • Click the link labelled "Search" at the top of the screen
      
      
    • In the popup window, click the link labelled "More Search Options"
      
      
    • A window opens that looks something like this:
      
      
      
    • Fill in a word to search for in the box labelled "Search by Keywords".
      
      
    • If so desired, enter the name of a member in the box labelled "Filter by Member Name (optional)". Make sure the name is spelt correctly, otherwise no posts are found.
      
      
    • Select a forum, or all fora, in the listbox labelled "Search Where"
      
      
    • Select "Any date" in the listbox labelled "Search posts from..."
      
      
    • Set other options in the boxes labelled "Refine Search".
      
      
    • Click the button labelled "Perform the search."
    Quite often you don't get the results you want, either too little or too much. Here are a few tips to expand or refine your searches:
    
    • The search engine is very picky in matching a search phrase. Particularly (and irritatingly), it considers interpunction marks as part of a word. E.g. if you search for "foo", it will return posts containing "foo", but not ones which contain "foo," so . Using wildcards, such as "foo*" helps.
      
      
    • Sometimes you get many results. Refine your search by using the '+' sign as a logical AND operator. A search phrase like "+foo* +bar*" should return all posts containing the words "foo" and "bar", as well as the one about a foolish barrister.
      
      
    • Selecting "Show results as posts" really is a useful one. If you're looking for words in a post, this is the one you want, as it lists all mathcing posts, so you can quickly find relevant ones.
  
  
• How do I post a link to a web site (URL)?
  
  • Copy the URL from your web browser's Location bar
    
    
  • Click button
    
    
  • Paste the URL in the popup box.
    
    
  • Click the button labelled "OK"
    
    
  • Type a description of the web site
    
    
  • Click the button labelled "OK"
  
  
• How do I post a link to a another post on this forum?
  
  • Find the post you want to link to
    
    
  • Click the link at the upper right corner of the the post, labelled "Post"
    
    
  • Copy the URL from the pop-up box
    
    
  • Return to the edit window of your new post
    
    
  • Click button
    
    
  • Paste the URL
    
    
  • Click the button labelled "OK"
    
    
  • Type a description of the post
    
    
  • Click the button labelled "OK"
  For the technically advanced user there is an alternative. When you know the post number of the post you want to link to, you can use the following BB Code:
  

  		[post=2184]this post[/post]

  Replace, of course "2184" with the post number of the post you want to link to. This has the side effect that the link so produced will, if clicked, move to that page, rather than open a new window or tab.
  
  
  
• How do I post a picture in a post?
  
  • Click the button
    
    
  • Copy and paste the URL where the picture is located in the box that pops up. eg. http://www.deathlist...ages/header.gif
    
    
  • Click OK.
  (Answer by football_fan)
  
  
  
• How do I get a picture from my computer on the Web?
  
  • Point your web browser to ImageShack
    
    
  • Click the button labelled "Browse..."
    
    
  • Locate the picture on your computer
    
    
  • Click the button labelled "Upload now"
    
    
  • Copy the URL from the box labelled "Forum Code"
    
    
  • Paste the URL in your post.
    
    
  • Remove the "URL=http://imageshack.us/photo/blahblah/]" and "Uploaded with URL=http://imageshack.us]ImageShack.us" cruft.
  There are similar free picture hosting sites on the Web, see this list.
  
  
  
• How do I set an avatar?
  
  • Find a nice avatar on the web. If you already have one on your computer skip to step 6
    
    
  • Right-click the picture with your mouse
    
    
  • Choose "Save Image As..." (or whatever that's called on your computer)
    
    
  • Save the picture on your computer
    
    
  • Remember the location and file name of the picture
    
    
  • Point your web browser to DeathList.net forum
    
    
  • Log in
    
    
  • Go to your Control Panel by clocking the link labeled: My Controls (No, not <== that one, stupid, it's ^== up there.
    
    
  • Edit your Avatar settings
    
    
  • Remove the URL
    
    
  • Click the button labelled "Browse"
    
    
  • Select the picture you saved in step 5
    
    
  • Click the button labelled "Update Avatar"
  
  
• How would I go about quoting several different people in a post while preserving the QUOTE information?
  There's a way to let your browser and the forum software do the entering of the poster and date/time of post. Here's how.
  
  • Click button labelled "Quote" of first post to be quoted.
    
    
  • In edit window, click button labelled "Preview Message".
    
    
  • In new edit window, copy all text.
    
    
  • If you're done, goto 9.
    
    
  • Hit back button twice.
    
    
  • Click button labelled "Quote" in next post to be quoted.
    
    
  • Paste all text in edit window.
    
    
  • Goto 2.
    
    
  • Sort out mess.
  
  
• Is there a feature on the site to allow us to look at an indivual's collective postings? (Question by Godot)
  
  • Go to members at the top and find their profile (either by search or just click on the profile on the left if they posted in a thread recently. (Answer by Octopus of Odstock)
    
    
  • If a member hasn't posted for a while, the method above will return no result. In this case use the extended search utility. Leave the "Search by Keywords" box empty and fill in the user name whose posts you're looking for in the box labelled "Filter by Member Name (optional)"
  
  
  
• I have just learned that placing the letter B with the ) mark after it gives me a happy face. This is bothersome if I want to do a listing with A B C D etc, since I like to place a ) afterwards. Is there anyway to disengage that feature? (Question by BrunoBrimley)
  
  Not as such. There is, however, the list tag, which you can use for that. It works like this:
  
  • Type ["list=A"] (without the quotes, I don't want to confuse the software)
    
    
  • Type ["*"] before each item on the list (again without the quotes)
    
    
  • Type ["/list"] (still no quotes)
  
  
• Can someone explain to me why I can't see the PM's that I have sent to other users? (Question by Banshees Scream)
  
  You have to tick the box that says 'add this item to my sent folder' at the bottom of the screen below the PM you have typed, before the upgrade they were saved automatically, now you have to manually save them. (Answer by Lady Grendel)
  
  
  
• I'm having trouble updating my avatar. I've done it before, so I know what I'm doing, but it only seems to accept either the Carpenters one or none at all. I'm not anything different, so what's going on? (Question by Handrejka)
  
  When you have updated your avatar to what you think is the right one, reload the Avatar Changing Page. I've noticed similar problems, apparently that page's code is a bit dodgy.
  
  
  
• How does one turn a UTL above into a short summary of what the article's about? (Question by Cowboy Ronnie)
  
  There are two methods:
  
  • 
    
    • Copy the URL to the clipboard of your computer.
      
      
    • Click button labelled
      
      
    • Remove the 'http://' bit
      
      
    • Paste URL from clipboard
      
      
    • Click Ok or press Enter
      
      
    • Type summary
      
      
    • Click Ok or press Enter
    
    
  • 
    
    • Write summary
      
      
    • Copy the URL to the clipboard of your computer.
      
      
    • Select text of summary
      
      
    • Click button labelled
      
      
    • Remove the 'http://' bit
      
      
    • Paste URL from clipboard
      
      
    • Click Ok or press Enter
  
  
  
• What ever happened to us being able to visit anonymously? I had that setting on "on" for the longest time, and now I'm visible again and can't seem to figure out how to turn it back on again. (Question by Canadian Paul)
  
  Log out. You''l get the invisible option when you log in again. (Answer by Vaagheid)
  
  
  
• How do you know what your first post was? (Question by Paul Bearer)
  
  • Click the link in the upper right corner labeled "Search"
    
    
  • Click the link in the drop-down box labeled "More Search Options"
    
    
  • Click button labeled "More options"
    
    
  • In the edit box labellel " Filter by Member Name (optional)", fill in your member name
    
    
  • In the panel labelled "Sort results by... " keep value in listbox to "Last Posting Date"
    
    
  • In the panel labelled "Sort results by... " select radio button labeled "ascending order"
    
    
  • In the panel labelled "Result Type" select radio button labeled "Show results as posts"
    
    
  • Click the button labeled "Perform the search"
  Which returns your maiden post as the one on top.
  
  
  
• Is there a way to block a user so that I don't have to read his posts? (Question by Dia de los Muertos)
  
  
  • In the left part of a post by the user you rather not see, click his or her name. You'll get a menu like:
    
    
    
    Click "View member profile"
    
    
    
  • You'll see his or her profile. In the left part of it, click options. You'll see another menu like this:
    
    
    
    Click "Ignore User"
    
    
    
  • After this you'll get to see a list of all users you're already ignoring:
    
    
    
    Click the button labelled "Update Ignored Users", and you've added the suspect to your ignore list.

regards,
Hein

Edited by Magere Hein, 29 October 2011 - 03:38 PM.
Adapted to current forum software. Added all Howto questions.

[Deadornot]

Magere Hein, on Oct 20 2005, 11:30 AM, said:

The DeathList HOWTO.

[Snipped for brevity -- MH]

I just realised its been ages since my last avatar change.
i know this is a repeat avatar but bear with me for a moment.
It was the best i could get.

Edited by Magere Hein, 20 October 2005 - 01:30 PM.

[Tuber Mirum]

Hey Mr. Hein, you would appear to be a twunt.

Just like Dan Quayle. (Historic first mention of the word "twunt" on Deathlist.)

How about some guidelines for successful operation of the various search features?

[How about V 1.01? -- MH]

Edited by Magere Hein, 20 October 2005 - 01:31 PM.

[Lady Die]

Thank you Mr Hein and congrats on your new-found Twuntdom

[Deadornot]

http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book...ary&va=twuntdom

[Tempus Fugit]

.

[Magere Hein]

Tempus Fugit, on Oct 20 2005, 04:33 PM, said:

The search facility does work for peoples names though.
I tried it with Shelley Winters and John Spencer searching for individual posts, and it was fine.

You're quite right. HOWTO so amended.

regards,
Hein

[Lady Grendel]

Thanks Hein lots of helpful info there and congratulations on your 1,000th post.

[Lady Die]

deadornot, on Oct 20 2005, 02:19 PM, said:

http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book...ary&va=twuntdom

Just because it's not in that dictionary doesn't necessarily mean there's no such word.

[Captain Oates]

Magere Hein, on Oct 20 2005, 12:30 PM, said:

7. How would I go about quoting several different people in a post while preserving the QUOTE information?

This can also be done quite efficiently by opening the postings that you wish to quote in multiple tabs, quoting and previewing each one and copying the results to your reply.
(Multiple windows also work - but less neatly.)

This may seem laborious, but I find that it avoids muddle.


Congratulations, Hein, on your accession to Twunthood and beyond......

[Paul Bearer]

Welcome to post twuntdom MH. You see, it wasn't that difficult!

[Boudicca]

Congratulations, Hein!

And thanks for this thread.

Great idea

[Windsor]

Congratulations on being elevated to the rank of Twunt and then post-twunt, Hein.
Happy 1000th post.

[Grim Reaper]

I think this thread deserves the honour of an official pinning.

[football_fan]

Grim Reaper, on Oct 20 2005, 05:30 PM, said:

I think this thread deserves the honour of an official pinning.

I agree. Thanks for taking the time to put all of that information together, Magere Hein. We appreciate it.

P.S. Congratulations once again on your 1000th post and achieving the status of Post-Twunt

Regards,

ff

[in eternum+]

A fabulously useful thread which I've already made use of. (The dead Pope also thanks you, BTW).

Happy Twunting!

[millwall32]

Indeed, thanks for all the useful info MH.

[BrunoBrimley]

How about getting better heat? Any ideas on that?

[Cerberus]

Er, change your gas/electricity supplier perhaps?

[Slave to the Grave]

Put another jumper on?