Susan's Place Transgender Resources

General Discussions => General discussions => ARGHHH! => Topic started by: Padma on November 01, 2012, 05:12:54 PM

Title: Quotes and line breaks
Post by: Padma on November 01, 2012, 05:12:54 PM
Okay, I give up. There doesn't seem to be any logic at all as to whether you get a line space between someone's quote (when you "quote" someone else's post in a topic) and what you write under it. It doesn't seem to matter whether the /quote code is on a separate line from the quoted text or not - if you type on the next line after that, sometimes you get a blank line in your resulting post, and sometimes not.

I am just sufficiently OCD to have to go back and edit it if there's no line space. Aragh!! I'm going to eat a snickers bar now, that'll calm me down ::).
Title: Re: Quotes and line breaks
Post by: Padma on November 01, 2012, 05:14:05 PM
Quote from: Padma on November 01, 2012, 05:12:54 PM
Okay, I give up. There doesn't seem to be any logic at all as to whether you get a line space between someone's quote (when you "quote" someone else's post in a topic) and what you write under it. It doesn't seem to matter whether the /quote code is on a separate line from the quoted text or not - if you type on the next line after that, sometimes you get a blank line in your resulting post, and sometimes not.
See what I mean?

And then if you put the extra line space in yourself, sometimes you end up with two lines of space.

[...who cares?... I do!! ...eat your snickers... Okay.]
Title: Re: Quotes and line breaks
Post by: Devlyn on November 01, 2012, 05:26:11 PM
Quote from: Padma on November 01, 2012, 05:14:05 PM
See what I mean?

And then if you put the extra line space in yourself, sometimes you end up with two lines of space.

[...who cares?... I do!! ...eat your snickers... Okay.]
You're just looking for excuses to eat Snickers bars. And I didn't add a line.
Title: Re: Quotes and line breaks
Post by: Jamie D on November 01, 2012, 05:33:56 PM
Quote from: Padma on November 01, 2012, 05:14:05 PM
See what I mean?

And then if you put the extra line space in yourself, sometimes you end up with two lines of space.

[...who cares?... I do!! ...eat your snickers... Okay.]

<Jamie avoids eye contact.  Crosses to other side of street>
Title: Re: Quotes and line breaks
Post by: Padma on November 01, 2012, 05:47:39 PM
Quote from: Jamie D on November 01, 2012, 05:33:56 PM
<Jamie avoids eye contact.  Crosses to other side of street>

...and now I can't get it to do it. Humph. And now I'm in sugar shock *crosses to the other side of the street from herself*
Title: Re: Quotes and line breaks
Post by: Beth Andrea on November 01, 2012, 06:18:44 PM
Quote from: Padma on November 01, 2012, 05:12:54 PM
Okay, I give up. There doesn't seem to be any logic at all as to whether you get a line space between someone's quote (when you "quote" someone else's post in a topic) and what you write under it. It doesn't seem to matter whether the /quote code is on a separate line from the quoted text or not - if you type on the next line after that, sometimes you get a blank line in your resulting post, and sometimes not.

I am just sufficiently OCD to have to go back and edit it if there's no line space. Aragh!! I'm going to eat a snickers bar now, that'll calm me down ::).
[ /quote]

I added a space between the quoted text to show it's there...
Title: Re: Quotes and line breaks
Post by: Beth Andrea on November 01, 2012, 06:21:11 PM
Quote from: Padma on November 01, 2012, 05:12:54 PM
Okay, I give up. There doesn't seem to be any logic at all as to whether you get a line space between someone's quote (when you "quote" someone else's post in a topic) and what you write under it. It doesn't seem to matter whether the /quote code is on a separate line from the quoted text or not - if you type on the next line after that, sometimes you get a blank line in your resulting post, and sometimes not.

I am just sufficiently OCD to have to go back and edit it if there's no line space. Aragh!! I'm going to eat a snickers bar now, that'll calm me down ::).

This time I didn't...but kept the double return entry to show the gap in a professionally done quote.

And I ***LOVE*** Snickers :D!!!!!!
Title: Re: Quotes and line breaks
Post by: Beth Andrea on November 01, 2012, 06:23:20 PM
...So the entire entry is shown as a Quote if...I give up. I'm in the mood for lasagna NOW.
Title: Re: Quotes and line breaks
Post by: Devlyn on November 01, 2012, 06:29:57 PM
I'm not sure how we went from text to lasagna, but I'm happy about it!
Title: Re: Quotes and line breaks
Post by: Padma on November 01, 2012, 06:55:57 PM
Quote from: Beth Andrea on November 01, 2012, 06:23:20 PM
...So the entire entry is shown as a Quote if...I give up. I'm in the mood for lasagna NOW.

Yes, if you mess with the [ /quote] code (by, for example, sticking a space in there), there's no proper end of quote, so the whole thing becomes a quote.

I could kill for gluten-free lasagna right now (or maim, anyway). I'll have to make do with toast.
Title: Re: Quotes and line breaks
Post by: Ms. OBrien CVT on November 01, 2012, 07:13:41 PM
Quote from: Devlyn Marie on November 01, 2012, 06:29:57 PM
I'm not sure how we went from text to lasagna, but I'm happy about it!
Better than going from text to sexting.
Title: Re: Quotes and line breaks
Post by: Padma on November 01, 2012, 07:15:29 PM
Quote from: Ms. OBrien on November 01, 2012, 07:13:41 PM
Better than going from text to sexting.
...the void...
I tried that once - do you have any idea how difficult it is to type on an iPhone, one-handed?
Title: Re: Quotes and line breaks
Post by: Ms. OBrien CVT on November 01, 2012, 07:29:05 PM
Quote from: Padma on November 01, 2012, 07:15:29 PM
...the void...
I tried that once - do you have any idea how difficult it is to type on an iPhone, one-handed?
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fcdn.head-fi.org%2Fb%2Fb3%2Fb3e98465_DoubleFacepalm.jpeg&hash=11412cda2b6a834d99db157d121c062c6487b3e1)
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fyvonne-walton.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2012%2F02%2Ffacepalm-cat.jpg&hash=e55660e9652e155cbae0164ae1d0421ad4ab1955)
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F4.bp.blogspot.com%2F-0HliE5U-pNQ%2FTcpkjxQw_dI%2FAAAAAAAAAU8%2FF_pezXYUz50%2Fs1600%2Fit1vntjmob.gif&hash=064a56175157b9e90964f4ed9b95f9c753fc1c9b)
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.facepalm.com%2Fimg3%2Fgodzilla-facepalm-13600_w.jpg&hash=9b6ec76e4a50b75749ab4f435da4f47200b359c2)
Title: Re: Quotes and line breaks
Post by: Padma on November 01, 2012, 07:32:03 PM
I'm quite serious, you know. It wasn't a planned event, it did literally morph from texting (the other person was drunk and post-karaoke, which sort of explains it) to sexting - I feel I now know what it's like to be a fighter pilot.

Only in the "having to concentrate on so many activities at once" sense, obviously. Any landing you walk away from is a good one... ;D

...


See, this is why snickers after midnight is a bloody stupid idea...
Title: Re: Quotes and line breaks
Post by: Beth Andrea on November 01, 2012, 07:46:29 PM
Quote from: Devlyn Marie on November 01, 2012, 06:29:57 PM
I'm not sure how we went from text to lasagna, but I'm happy about it!

Anytime is appropriate for lasagna!! And setting, while not as much fun as the real thing, at least allows ONE hand free to type with (I suspect most of you use the "hunt-and-peck"method of typing...;) )

Err...wait, what was this thread about? :S
Title: Re: Quotes and line breaks
Post by: Devlyn on November 01, 2012, 07:57:04 PM
The Godzilla facepalm just made me pee on myself. Fortunately, I've been informed that this would be an appropriate time for lasagna. What were we talking about?
Title: Re: Quotes and line breaks
Post by: Padma on November 01, 2012, 07:59:58 PM
Well, I tend to use both hands for texting, and both hands for sex, so it was an exercise in compromise ;D. Or a steep learning curve. Or something. I wouldn't want to make a habit of it, but it was fun.

Ooh, lasagna!
Title: Re: Quotes and line breaks
Post by: spacial on November 01, 2012, 09:57:50 PM
I do sympathise Padma. When we remember that computers are, by their nature, logical machines, we naturally assume they would indeed be logical and unthinking.

I'm currently trying to discover more about video codecs. I'm sure there is something logical there, but they seems to be designed to act randomly.

Reminds me of a cartoon I saw in the 80s, written along the lines of early Freak Brothers which claimed that, inside computers, are actually microscopic, super intelegent beings and the learning curve is actually a discovery of how these creatures think.
Title: Re: Quotes and line breaks
Post by: twit on November 01, 2012, 10:32:04 PM
QuoteThis
Quoteis
just
Quotesilly 
Quote
Quote
pfft
Quote
Quote
Quote
sigh

Playing with quotes to do designs isn't quite as fun here as it was on the old myspace forums.  Theirs was fully boxed.
Title: Re: Quotes and line breaks
Post by: tekla on November 02, 2012, 12:29:12 AM
Yes, if you mess with the [ /quote] code (by, for example, sticking a space in there), there's no proper end of quote, so the whole thing becomes a quote.

I hate it, so I don't use it, returning to a slightly more elegant typology from the golden age of text.
Title: Quotes and line breaks
Post by: Padma on November 02, 2012, 03:09:52 AM
I prefer a quote that says who you're quoting, but otherwise I do like the italics too.
Title: Re: Quotes and line breaks
Post by: tekla on November 02, 2012, 04:15:21 AM
Well, a) people can do their own research if they are that interested, all the kids know how to do it, just ask one (and if I think it's important or noteworthy I'll note it), but, b) to me it's the idea contained in the words, not the person, or personality writing it, that I'm replying to.  I'm not all that into debating about persons or personalities, but ideas do interest me.
Title: Re: Quotes and line breaks
Post by: Padma on November 02, 2012, 04:25:41 AM
Tastes differ. I have a short concentration span, due to PTSD, so the less scouting about I need to do through different posts, the more I can actually read and respond to. In a fast-moving topic, it can be hard to follow who's replying to what, without attribution. Plus I just like attribution, on the whole - credit/debit where credit/debit is due.
Title: Re: Quotes and line breaks
Post by: tekla on November 02, 2012, 11:06:57 AM
1.  I like people with intellectual curiosity (because they are like me, and what's better than people like yourself?), so I know that if it source is all that important (and it's not), then they will find out what it is.  And hey, that's how you get smart - not by being told (that's how we make idiots) - by doing the research yourself, and the best part of that is: the Joy is in the Journey.  Meaning that I know I've found out more stuff about more things looking for something else then I ever did by being told.  Of course, chance favors the prepared mind.

2.  The other reason is that I'm aware that a lot of internet readers suffer from a short attention span, and I don't want to sidetrack them by throwing out unnecessary information, or sidebar the thread with a discussion about the person quoted.  (Which happens a lot.)

3. Where formal and professional writing needs to use sources, this is neither formal nor professional.  It's conversational.  And I know that most people think that you have to include all that, but - again - that's for formal writing.  Now the reason they think it should be everywhere is that for most people the only form of writing they are ever taught is formal writing in an academic setting.  Doing so miserably at that, the schools pretty much step out because the other forms of writing are very, very, very hard to learn - and even harder to teach. 

4. I eschew writing in the thick, turgid sludge that is the academic style.  And believe me, I can.  I can write paragraphs that would take an average person an entire afternoon to parse, only to have to quit in abject and utter failure.  And as long as I'm not using the fun parts of the style to damn with faint praise and to confuse, muddle and obfuscate with wildly ambiguous structure, then I'm sure not going to bother with the busywork like doing The Chicago Manual of Style notes on my quotes.  My dissertation has 432 footnotes, some longer than a page single spaced.  I've been Kate Turabian's bitch over and over again, so I've done my time in that mine.  To paraphrase someone famous to many people: I've suffered for my education, now it's your turn.

5. I'm aware that that these posts are being read by people with a widely differing educational and cultural backgrounds.  Many are not native English speakers/readers. (others who do speak English as their primary language, but don't speak American English...)  To that end I'm more worried about using clear unambiguous language that strongly makes the point to any and all who are reading.  I know some people don't like what I write.  Tough.  I know some do, and that don't move me much either.  But love it or hate it I'm pretty confident that NOBODY confuses it or misunderstands it.  Nobody walks away saying: I'm not sure what Kat meant.  People can only get pissed-off so long as they understand what you wrote.  People can only get something out of it, if there is something in it to get.  One way or another, this darkness got to end.

And, rest assured, that I do talk like that in everyday life.  I can  - and do - quote stuff all day long.  I know I can have extended conversations with people using nothing but rock lyrics.  Hell I can do that with Dylan or Dead lyrics.  Or Greek and Roman philosophers, or Willie the Bard, or...  And if your familiar with the quote I'm using you'll know it, if not... (then I'm f-ing brilliant aren't I?)  I mean, I knew who I was quoting (citation and all) if the other person does not know, how is that my fault?



Oh yeah, no hunt and peck - I used to be able to do 90+ with zero errors, but I'm old and don't care as much about winning races without prizes, so I average 65-75 depending on the time of day I'm writing, and what I've done leading up to writing.  It seems like leisure and luxury not to be pressed to get those 15-20wpm up again.  And my kids were brutally subjected to a constant Mavis Becon thing when they were young.  They both do well in excess of 65.  And I've always found that high speed typing (I'm not exactly there, but close) helps you write better as your text is keeping up with your brain.
Title: Quotes and line breaks
Post by: Padma on November 02, 2012, 11:22:46 AM
Heh, tl;dr - my personal preferences and reasons for them are different from yours, and that's not an issue, for me at least.
Title: Re: Quotes and line breaks
Post by: tekla on November 02, 2012, 11:25:13 AM
But I do like my line: to paraphrase someone famous to many people.  I'm keeping that.  All my references will be 'someone famous to many people' from now on.  That pretty much covers the waterfront.
Title: Quotes and line breaks
Post by: Padma on November 02, 2012, 11:27:19 AM
Jolly good. I'm trying to read this on a small phone on a big train, hence my increased lack of stamina.
Title: Re: Quotes and line breaks
Post by: tekla on November 02, 2012, 11:38:02 AM
Yeah, I save Susan's for the monitor at home.  I know they told me I'd go blind if I kept on doing it, but lucky for me I stopped at the point where I only needed glasses.
Title: Re: Quotes and line breaks
Post by: Padma on November 02, 2012, 12:19:30 PM
Ladies, gentlemen, etc., raise your glasses!