# BOARD POSTERS, PLEASE READ **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [July 29, 1999, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/board-posters-please-read/223 "1999-07-29T23:58:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 1999, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/board-posters-please-read/223/1 "1999-07-29T23:58:00Z")
If you are responding to a Straight Dope column, which you _should_ be if you are posting on this board, please add a link to the column on which you are commenting. The way you do that is to copy the url onto the page and add the following code (with changes I will describe afterwards): {url}[www.straightdope.com](http://www.straightdope.com){/url} But instead of { and }, use the straight brackets: [and]. Don’t put any spaces before or after the parts. If you’re still confused, hit the hyperlink to UBB on this page, or one of these pages, and there are simple instructions on how to use UBB code. Or email me, and I’ll explain it. Jill ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 1999, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/board-posters-please-read/223/2 "1999-08-02T21:50:00Z")
Dang, how do I quote? Anyway, I was going to say, I presume you mean “include a link to the column” if you’re starting a topic, not replying to a thread. If I’m mistaken on this, let me know. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 1999, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/board-posters-please-read/223/3 "1999-08-02T22:09:00Z")
Not sure what you’re asking, but yes, the first poster who is commenting on a column should add the link. If that person doesn’t, anybody replying to the thread is encouraged to do so. Like this: [http://www.straightdope.com/columns/990730.html](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/990730.html) As for quoting, I don’t mess with the fancy way (with the lines above and below and quote: written in tiny font), though it’s not hard to do. If you just want to copy text, highlight the part you want, hit control C (my edit function doesn’t work here). That will Cut it. Go to where you want to paste it and hit control V. For more info. regarding quoting, etc., go to the UBB page. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 1999, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/board-posters-please-read/223/4 "1999-08-03T01:56:00Z")
You add a link by: (1) highlighting the url (the stuff that starts [http://www.straightdope.etc](http://www.straightdope.etc)) and hitting CONTROL key and C key at same time. (2) At the place you want to add the link, type {url} then hit CONTROL key and V key at same time, then {/url} … except, where I used curley brackets { }, you’d use square brackets [] (3) It should look like: {url}[http://www.straightdope.stuff.morestuff](http://www.straightdope.stuff.morestuff){/url} (except again the curley brackets { } should be square brackets [] ) OK ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 1999, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/board-posters-please-read/223/5 "1999-09-07T16:35:00Z")
So if I’ve got this straight, I quote by typing in something like: Jillgat said: and then putting in the quote she said with the acronym url in brackets before a paste of the quote and /url in brackets after, like so: Jillgat said: > [@](#): > > Not sure what you’re asking ---
**Author:** ![According\_to\_Pliny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e7dd6/32.png) [@According\_to\_Pliny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/According_to_Pliny)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 1999, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/board-posters-please-read/223/6 "1999-09-08T05:18:00Z")
I’ve found that since the upgrade, you no longer need to bracket your links. The system automatically identifies a link somehow. ---
**Author:** ![AuraSeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c2a13f/32.png) [@AuraSeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuraSeer)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 1999, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/board-posters-please-read/223/7 "1999-09-07T19:58:00Z")
The system seems to assume that anything that begins with “www” is a link. So if I type the name of a nonexistent site like [www.blah](http://www.blah) , it should come up as a link. However, it doesn’t seem to like the format of [http://www.blah](http://www.blah) . Also note that if you want something to _not_ be linked, you can enclose it in parentheses like (www.blah). When in doubt, go fiddle around in a test thread in the **About This Message Board** area. ---
**Author:** ![JAB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3da27b/32.png) [@JAB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JAB)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 1999, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/board-posters-please-read/223/8 "1999-09-13T19:31:00Z")
Note that the control-c for copy and control-v for paste are Windows-isms. Posters using browsers on other platforms may have to use other methods for cut-and-paste. ---
**Author:** ![JillGat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9fc29f/32.png) [@JillGat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JillGat)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 1999, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/board-posters-please-read/223/9 "1999-09-13T23:01:00Z")
Here is the link to the UBB page, which will show you how to copy a link, how to quote, use italics, etc.: [http://www.chicagoreader.com/ubb/ubbcode.html](http://www.chicagoreader.com/ubb/ubbcode.html) ---
**Author:** ![Poto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ab992/32.png) [@Poto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poto)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 1999, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/board-posters-please-read/223/10 "1999-09-25T12:02:00Z")
Where’s PapaBear since 9-07?