# I'm Sorry to Even Have to Ask **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [June 29, 2003, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-sorry-to-even-have-to-ask/185176 "2003-06-29T16:49:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Earl\_of\_Sandwhich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/91b2a8/32.png) [@Earl\_of\_Sandwhich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_of_Sandwhich)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2003, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-sorry-to-even-have-to-ask/185176/1 "2003-06-29T16:49:10Z")
Since I have been involved with this message board, I have been seeing people respond to other peoples’ posts by first quoting what the person said. The first person’s statement will appear in bold type on the responder’s post. I have never figured out how to do this. Those of you who have seen my responses to others’ posts know this; I am always annoyed that I have to manually type out the original statement, which then does not appear in bold type, and is thus difficult to distinguish from my response. I would like to know how one quotes someone else in the “bold type” manner. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2003, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-sorry-to-even-have-to-ask/185176/2 "2003-06-29T17:10:17Z")
Just click the Quote button on the botton right corner of the post you wish to quote. The reply box will be automatically filled in with the quoted post, which you may then edit to quote only that bit which is relevant to your reply. Of course, you don’t want to alter the quote in any way so as to misrepresent what the poster was saying. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Tiger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Mama\_Tiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Tiger)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2003, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-sorry-to-even-have-to-ask/185176/3 "2003-06-29T17:43:15Z")
Another way, if the hamsters are particularly slow and you don’t want to have to go through the extra quote screen, is to simply cut and paste use the vB tag (substituting { for [and } for]) {quote} to open, {/quote} to close, and the standard bolding tags for the text within the quote tags. But again, you want to be very careful to not > [@](#): > > **alter the quote in any way so as to misrepresent what the poster was saying** . If you click on the vB link at the bottom of this screen, it’ll pull up a page with most of the commonly used vB tags that are used here. I’ve printed it out for ease of reference, being a complete klutz when it comes to accurate vBing. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2003, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-sorry-to-even-have-to-ask/185176/4 "2003-06-29T18:41:43Z")
Or, you could just copy, paste, and use these thingies: **\<\\>** Esp if it’s just a small snippet from a large post. we all know what is meant by it. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2003, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-sorry-to-even-have-to-ask/185176/5 "2003-06-29T21:00:37Z")
## While we’re on the subject of quoting, always put the attribution (if any) INSIDE the quote tags; here’s why (It will become clear with my second post in this thread): **AnonymousDoper** said: > [@](#): > > **Mangetout** , you are a horse’s ass ## I’d just like to point out that interspecies mating in equines usually results in infertile offspring. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2003, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-sorry-to-even-have-to-ask/185176/6 "2003-06-29T21:02:57Z")
> [@](#): > > ## \*Originally posted by Mangetout \* \*\*While we’re on the subject of quoting, always put the attribution (if any) INSIDE the quote tags; here’s why (It will become clear with my second post in this thread): > > **AnonymousDoper** said: > > I’d just like to point out that interspecies mating in equines usually results in infertile offspring. > ----------------------------------------- \*\* The above is what you get when you quote a quote where the attribution is outside of the tags - because nested quoting is not supported here (I think it is an option that is turned off), the deep quote is discarded, but the attribution remains, making it now look like **AnonymousDoper** wrote the bit about interspecies breeding. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_of\_Sandwhich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/91b2a8/32.png) [@Earl\_of\_Sandwhich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_of_Sandwhich)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2003, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-sorry-to-even-have-to-ask/185176/7 "2003-06-30T01:06:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Q.E.D. \* > \*\*Just click the Quote button on the botton right corner of the post you wish to quote. The reply box will be automatically filled in with the quoted post, which you may then edit to quote only that bit which is relevant to your reply. Of course, you don’t want to alter the quote in any way so as to misrepresent what the poster was saying. \*\* ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2003, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-sorry-to-even-have-to-ask/185176/8 "2003-06-30T01:15:31Z")
There ya go. ---
**Author:** ![skyzoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e480ec/32.png) [@skyzoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/skyzoo)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2003, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-sorry-to-even-have-to-ask/185176/9 "2003-06-30T02:55:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Q.E.D. \* > \*\*There ya go. \*\* Wow! Thank you - **Earl of Sandwhich** for this post, I needed help and practice too! And thank you, also, **Q.E.D.** , **Mama Tiger** , **NoClueBoy** , and **Mangetout** for the explanations! ---
**Author:** ![Chicago\_Faucet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chicago_faucet/32/13910_2.png) [@Chicago\_Faucet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chicago_Faucet)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2003, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-sorry-to-even-have-to-ask/185176/10 "2003-06-30T16:35:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by skyzoo \* > \*\*Wow! Thank you - **Earl of Sandwhich** for this post, I needed help and practice too! > And thank you, also, **Q.E.D.** , **Mama Tiger** , **NoClueBoy** , > and **Mangetout** for the explanations! \*\* Here’s my test. ---
**Author:** ![Chicago\_Faucet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chicago_faucet/32/13910_2.png) [@Chicago\_Faucet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chicago_Faucet)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2003, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-sorry-to-even-have-to-ask/185176/11 "2003-06-30T16:39:46Z")
{quote}Another way, if the hamsters are particularly slow and you don’t want to have to go through the extra quote screen, is to simply cut and paste use the vB tag{/quote} Another test. ---
**Author:** ![Chicago\_Faucet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chicago_faucet/32/13910_2.png) [@Chicago\_Faucet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chicago_Faucet)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2003, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-sorry-to-even-have-to-ask/185176/12 "2003-06-30T16:41:40Z")
Failed. Let’s try again. {quote} Another test. {/quote} ---
**Author:** ![Chicago\_Faucet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chicago_faucet/32/13910_2.png) [@Chicago\_Faucet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chicago_Faucet)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2003, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-sorry-to-even-have-to-ask/185176/13 "2003-06-30T16:45:19Z")
Dammit! The VB isn’t working for me. Oh well, I’ll just stick with the quote button. I seem to have that down pat. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Chicago Faucet \* > \*\*Failed. Let’s try again. > > {quote} Another test. {/quote} \*\* ---
**Author:** ![Chicago\_Faucet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chicago_faucet/32/13910_2.png) [@Chicago\_Faucet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chicago_Faucet)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2003, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-sorry-to-even-have-to-ask/185176/14 "2003-06-30T16:48:09Z")
Ah, looking back, I know what my mistake was. I see the difference between the { and the [. I’ll still stick with the button. It’s easiest that way. Thank you everyone. ---
**Author:** ![roadrunner70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e19b73/32.png) [@roadrunner70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/roadrunner70)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2003, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-sorry-to-even-have-to-ask/185176/15 "2003-06-30T16:50:39Z")
Use [/] instead of the brackets and it’ll work… ---
**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:** [June 30, 2003, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-sorry-to-even-have-to-ask/185176/16 "2003-06-30T17:00:52Z")
Yeah, just use these: [qu**ote] and [/quo**te] ---
**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:** [June 30, 2003, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-sorry-to-even-have-to-ask/185176/17 "2003-06-30T23:35:05Z")
\<\< It’s easiest that way. \>\> Well, I dunno, I think my cut-and-paste is pretty easy… ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2003, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-sorry-to-even-have-to-ask/185176/18 "2003-07-01T14:51:43Z")
\<\\> 'Cept we can’t tell who said it in the first place from your post. ---
**Author:** ![HerMajestyLorna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/7cd45c/32.png) [@HerMajestyLorna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HerMajestyLorna)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2003, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-sorry-to-even-have-to-ask/185176/19 "2003-07-01T18:04:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by dantheman \* > \*\*\<\\> > > 'Cept we can’t tell who said it in the first place from your post. \*\* This is only a test… ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2003, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-sorry-to-even-have-to-ask/185176/20 "2003-07-01T19:17:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by C K Dexter Haven \* > \*\*\<\< It’s easiest that way. \>\> > > Well, I dunno, I think my cut-and-paste is pretty easy… \*\* Just my very humble opinion – I’d say that cut-and-paste was harder than simply clicking on the “quote” button, deleting sentences that aren’t relevant to the rest of your responding post, then making the post beneath. As **dantheman** said – it makes it harder to tell who you’re quoting when you just c&p between a set of \<\< …\>\>, as well. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-sorry-to-even-have-to-ask/185176.md?page=2)