The TMP FAQ

Formatting

What is "formatting" all about?

This page provides some tips to keep in mind when posting messages to the TMP forums.

Such as?

Use smaller paragraphs, rather than lumping everything into one giant run-on paragraph. And avoid using ALL CAPITAL LETTERS - it's the internet equivalent of shouting.

Hot Links

How can I put a live link into my posts?

Just type the URL in your message, with nothing in front or behind it. The server will automatically convert the URL into a clickable link. So if you type (for instance): "http://www.shiftinglands.com/", you will get "shiftinglands.com"...

or, for longer URLs, it might end up shortened as just "link":

What if I want to put a URL in my message, but I don't want to make it "live"?

Enclose the URL in parentheses. (Or anything else except blanks.)

Quoting

How do I quote something a previous poster said?

Place the text within <q> and </q> tags. For instance:

...and when you press submit, it turns into:

Emoticons

How do I get those funny pictures when I post something?

By using one of the Emoticon Codes in the text of your message.

And the codes are...?

The code consists of the name of the emoticon, between two asterisks. The defined emoticons are:

• *baloney*
• *bed*
• *beer*
• *bleep*
• *brush*
• *clock*
• *cup*
• *donut*
• *dr pepper*
• *evil grin*
• *firetruck*
• *frown*
• *glue*
• *gold star*
• *grin*
• *guinness*
• *huh?*
• *idea*
• *knife*
• *laugh*
• *liberal* (Current Affairs board only!)
• *money*
• *napoleon*
• *neocon* (Current Affairs board only!)
• *noose*
• *no star*
• *old fart*
• *paint*
• *peace*
• *pie*
• *pizza*
• *popcorn*
• *pork rinds*
• *sock*
• *thumbs up*
• *troll*
• *unicorn*
• *vodka*
• *wink*

What if I screw the code up?

If you have javascript enabled in your browser, you can test your message using the Preview button to make sure you got the code right. (If you mess up, the text you typed just goes into your message.)

Can new emoticons be added?

Yes, but you'll need to come up with art (21 pixels square, GIF format), and then you'll need to convince me it's a good idea...

HTML

Can I use HTML code in my posts?

You can use the following tags, but they must be in lowercase:

• <h2>

  Big Headline

  </h2>
• <h3>

  Medium Headline

  </h3>
• <h4>

  Small Headline

  </h4>
• <b>bold</b>
• <strong>bold</strong>
• [b]bold[b]
• <i>italics</i>
• <em>italics</em>
• [i]italics[/i]
• <u>underline</u>
• [u]underline[/u]

What if I want text just the way I type it in, spaces and all?

Use the <t> and </t> tags for pre-formatted text (but don't go too wide, or the page go off screen). Example: Typing

<t>
1  0  0  1
1  1  0  1
0  1  0  1
</t>

will give you...

Alternately, you could use <pre> and <pre> tags, or [code] and [/code] tags.

What if I use some other tag, such as one that works in HTML?

It will show in your post, but have no effect.

Currencies

I typed "$3" but my post says "$3 USD"

Currencies are automatically converted to a special format, so that you can see the conversion rate to your preferred currency when you put your cursor over it. For more information, see the Currency section.

Sometimes it doesn't work...

Don't put commas in the amount, don't space between the dollar and the amount, and leave a space after the dollar amount.

What if I don't want U.S. dollars?

If you use a "$" sign, the currency defaults to U.S. dollars. If you use a "£" sign, the currency defaults to British pounds. And if you use the "€" sign, the default is euros.

So how do I get other currencies?

Add the 3-letter currency code immediately after the amount (no spaces). For instance, type "$3CAD" to get Canadian dollars: $3.00 CAD. You can view a list of available currencies here.