# Help Button **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [August 3, 2010, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-button/549044 "2010-08-03T19:51:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2010, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-button/549044/1 "2010-08-03T19:51:01Z")
What do you guys think about installing a “Help” button for newbies and sometimes oldbies! The reason why I’m asking this is- I’ve been trying for half an hour to find out how to use the spoiler function. Couldn’t find a thing. I’m sure that new members would find this helpful also. A lot of things could be combined in one place, such as xash’s “Rules” , etc I know I could email Jenny or another, but I think all in one place would be much easier on us and the Moderators-Administrators. Just a thought. Jake ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2010, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-button/549044/2 "2010-08-03T19:57:32Z")
{spoiler} this is the spoiler{/spoiler} With instead of {} ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2010, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-button/549044/3 "2010-08-03T20:15:37Z")
Two handy tips: to see how someone coded something, just quote their post. (You don’t have to actually post the reply, of course.) And to tell someone how to code something, use the noparse tags, e.g. [noparse][noparse]Here’s how to post a spoiler[/noparse][/noparse], which will display as: [noparse]Here’s how to post a spoiler[/noparse] ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2010, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-button/549044/4 "2010-08-03T20:46:11Z")
Cool. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2010, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-button/549044/5 "2010-08-03T21:51:33Z")
There is a sort of HELP button. [FAQ - Technical Issues for Posting](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=384827) includes a table of contents, item #6 being [vB coding and tips (bold, italics, spoilers, etc)](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=7698936#post7698936) ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2010, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-button/549044/6 "2010-08-04T01:22:50Z")
Y’all don’t even want to know how many years (yes _year_, and yes plural) I was on this board before I figured out how to use spoilers. One day it just came to me that I should make the tag read “spoiler,” and when it worked, I was one happy little duck. And then years after that, I learned how to do the strikethrough only because I noticed a coding error. It was something like [del]this/del. It was as though the sun had come out. “Oh snap! Is that the secret tag? _del_??” So fast forward to months after I had finally learned how to do the only two things here I wanted to, but didn’t know how, someone came in and offered Giraffe’s suggestion to quote a post whose coding you desire, and learn how do to it that way. Bastards! Where were you from 2003-2009? So much suffering for so long! Now you may wonder why I never, oh I dunno, never bothered to ask. I dunno… too much trouble. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2010, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-button/549044/7 "2010-08-04T01:24:22Z")
[del]Damn![/del] [del]I’m pretty sure you shouldn’t refer to the Mods as “bastards”, Mean.[/del] ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2010, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-button/549044/8 "2010-08-04T01:31:48Z")
Oh, I don’t mean all of the mods. Just the ones who did not personally message me to provide information on the tags I needed help with, even though I never asked. The rest are cool. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2010, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-button/549044/9 "2010-08-04T01:35:22Z")
[del]Yes, M’am.[/del] ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2010, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-button/549044/10 "2010-08-04T05:41:49Z")
You know, at the bottom of each page where it says “[BB code](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/misc.php?do=bbcode) is On”? That link will take you to the tag guide. Just note that the [symbol] tag doesn’t work on standards-compliant browsers. The standards say no non-alphanumeric fonts. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2010, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-button/549044/11 "2010-08-04T14:33:12Z")
Anyone having problems creating new threads? ---
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2010, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-button/549044/12 "2010-08-04T14:41:03Z")
Just checking. [symbol]Just note that the symbol tag doesn’t work on standards-compliant browsers. The standards say no non-alphanumeric fonts.[/symbol] Just note that the symbol tag doesn’t work on standards-compliant browsers. The standards say no non-alphanumeric fonts. ---
**Author:** ![Jake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2010, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-button/549044/13 "2010-08-04T16:35:39Z")
Thanks, all. Lot’s of good information here! Helps a lot.