| Author |
Message |
David Anderson (168.215.176.202)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, June 03, 2004 - 2:09 pm: | |
When this bulletin board appears on my screen, my browser shows the Discussion, Documentation, and Utilities sections of the board in a window on the left margin of the screen.
Several times I've seen people answer threads sending the viewer to use the Keyword Search in the Utilities section of I@n's board, just to save rewriting a lengthy post that has already been in the Archives.
Some folks write back and don't understand what I'm referring to when I do this. Therefore, they do not see the Utilities section on their computer screen. If that is the case, how do we tell them to navigate to the Utilities screen? For those people, it obviously takes more mouse clicks to find that section of the board.
I don't want folks to get lost when they need info because I@N has the best bus info archives on the web, and I use it like a library.
David Anderson |
ChuckMC9 (Chucks) (66.167.165.153)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, June 03, 2004 - 3:51 pm: | |
IF you come to the BBS section of BNO thru the home page and don't use a shortcut method to get to the meat, you will see the frame on the left. If you use a shortcut method, you will not see the sections to which you are referring.
IT is unusual for there not to be a link to the 'home' page on a BBS, but the solution is go to the URL field in the browser window and wipe out everything after 'http://www.busnut.com/", then hit the 'enter' key. This will take you to BNO's top page where you can re-enter the BBS and get frames back where you will find the aforementioned links.
Hope that made sense.
PS: And I AGREE that "I@N has the best bus info archives on the web, and I use it like a library."!
Thanks again, I@N! |
Jim Ashworth (Jimnh) (172.159.147.103)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, June 03, 2004 - 4:23 pm: | |
I access the board directly by
http://www.busnut.com/bbs/
and I have the left hand frame showing.
Jim |
Scott Whitney (66.82.9.79)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, June 03, 2004 - 9:47 pm: | |
But if you want to refer someone to a previous discussion, the truly easiest way is to post the exact link to the thread. Since this BB runs in frames, it takes a bit of know-how to post the actual page, but can be far more accurate when you want to refer someone to something exactly without describing umpteen mouse clicks. The trick is to Right Click the link and select Open in New Browser Window. Then cut and paste that URL. Or you can just hover over the link, right click and select Copy Shortcut.
For example, here is a direct link to a post by Phil Dumpster, found in the middle of a thread, from last week about WVO:
http://www.busnut.com/bbs/messages/11/6206.html?1086301428#POST38620
Here is a direct link to a post from the archives I made back in August of 2001:
http://www.busnut.com/bbs/messages/233/946.html?#POST3386
Using this method, you can reference very specific information with no chance for confusion. Also, you have to do one other tweak and that is when the post is previewed, you will see that the board adds some code to your post when you paste it in. But it leaves off the anchor part of the URL (the part after the # sign), so you have to go move it back inside the brackets. . sort of a hassle, but works. . .
Scott |
ChuckMC9 (Chucks) (66.167.165.153)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, June 03, 2004 - 11:10 pm: | |
<tiptoeing carefully thru the bitstream here - must be careful not to get caught up in framewars about flames, aack - flamewars about frames.../>
1.) What Scott describes is absolutely recommended for posters, so the user doesn't get lost/frustrated trying to find the link, even if the user has frames/utilities visible as they browse.
2.) David's question was how to tell the user to navigate to the Utilities screen, if the user does not have them visible.
3.) Even if all posters who referred to archival material did post direct links, it behooves everyone who thirsts for knowledge to peruse the archives and explore how to search. There's a huge font of enlightment there, and for that storehouse I am very grateful. Without the archives I would be asking 20 questions every day about things that have been cussed and discussed exhaustively in the past.
4.) In this way, never again should the topic "Romex vs. Stranded" ever need to be rehashed. It's been done a million times already! ;) |
ChuckMC9 (Chucks) (66.167.165.153)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, June 03, 2004 - 11:19 pm: | |
And while I'm at it, yet another 'attaboy' to I@n for choosing this particular BBS software. It really is great - just what you need without the bloat of so many others. It fits the needs so perfectly compared with older web ways and especially compared to the newer monstrosoties like Infopop's 'Eve.' |
David Anderson (168.215.176.238)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, June 06, 2004 - 3:59 pm: | |
Yes, Chuck, that is exactly what I was trying to accomplish. I'm trying to get folks to search the archives for this old material to keep from rehashing it over and over again.
The keyword search in this board is soooo fine. If I can just think of one word for the topic I want to find, I can usually find a treasure trove of information about it. We all need to know how to use it. It is too valuable to overlook.
If, after I come up short in the topic info I want, I will post a question on the board to expand the information or update material that may have lost its currency.
Thanks, I@n for a great board.
David Anderson |
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