# Reply formatting problem **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [September 11, 2010, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reply-formatting-problem/553446 "2010-09-11T22:31:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![The\_Luggage](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba8739/32.png) [@The\_Luggage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Luggage)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2010, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reply-formatting-problem/553446/1 "2010-09-11T22:31:28Z")
New here, so apologies if I missed an obvious thing. Just tried to reply with a quote. The original message had 3 quotes, and 3 answers, 1 to each. What I get is a messed-up version of this - with quote notations plainly missing, and indeed quoted content missing. When I try to preview it, I get “message too short” or similar. Same in FF and IE. Is this a general issue? Should I raise it by PM-ing the mod for the forum? Not sure where to go with it. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2010, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reply-formatting-problem/553446/2 "2010-09-12T01:42:41Z")
You could start with a link to the post you were trying to quote. Also tell us if you clicked the “quote” button on that post. On the other hand, if you were you trying to multiquote, tell us which posts. You could also take the entire messed-up code generated and post it here within [\*\*\*\*code] ```auto which will show the uninterpreted code. ``` ---
**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:** [September 12, 2010, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reply-formatting-problem/553446/3 "2010-09-12T02:38:03Z")
No it won’t. The code tags interpret everything. It just uses a monospace font and does not ignore extra spaces. You would have to use [noparse] ```auto [noparse][/noparse][/noparse] ``` . ---
**Author:** ![dzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f9b8f/32.png) [@dzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dzero)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2010, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reply-formatting-problem/553446/4 "2010-09-12T05:45:13Z")
Luggage: I saw something like that today too but it didn’t occur to me to document it either. Just posting to validate your reality. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Luggage](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba8739/32.png) [@The\_Luggage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Luggage)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2010, 9:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reply-formatting-problem/553446/5 "2010-09-12T09:36:06Z")
[http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=12902823&postcount=317](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=12902823&postcount=317) That’s the culprit. It still does it. Click Quote and you get an improperly-quoted version. And then click preview and you get an error. And thanks, dzero, every little helps 😛 ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2010, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reply-formatting-problem/553446/6 "2010-09-12T11:24:50Z")
When I hit reply, it was fine, and when I hit preview it was also fine. Not sure what you’re doing. If you try to add text \*within \*the quoted material, you’ll get a “too-short” message because as far as the software is concerned you haven’t written anything. The nested quotes are confusing to a lot of people. What comes up is [new quote] [first nested quote] what the first person said [/ quote (for nested quote)] what the second person said about what the first person said [another nested quote] what a third person said [/ quote (for second nested quote)] what the first person said about the third person’s quote [/ quote (for whole shebang)] If you’re not paying attention to where the end quotes are, and the fact that each start quote has an end quote, it can get really confusing. Not sure if this helps – if not, could you re-ask your question? ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2010, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reply-formatting-problem/553446/7 "2010-09-12T12:49:41Z")
I blame **giraffe**. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Luggage](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba8739/32.png) [@The\_Luggage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Luggage)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2010, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reply-formatting-problem/553446/8 "2010-09-12T14:22:45Z")
```auto [noparse] [quote="MeanOldLady, post:317, topic:553132"] [quote="The Luggage, post:306, topic:553132"] Don't we all pay for the policemen, through our taxes (those of us who pay tax, anyway)? [/quote] Yes, those of us who pay taxes pay for policemen through taxes, and those of us who do not, do not. Curious: What experience do you have with Legal Aid? [quote] But no-one expects plumber/car mechanic work for free. That's my point. I don't mind doing pro bono work - but why are the lawyers singled out? [/quote] We've gone over this, and it has nothing to do with how much they earn. [/quote] [/noparse] ``` The above is what I get - and it omits the second quote (“I think Legal Aid is the best way to make lawyers’ services available to all.”) That now make sense? ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2010, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reply-formatting-problem/553446/9 "2010-09-12T14:31:05Z")
Ah, yes, I see now. Don’t know what the answer to your question is, though. Sorry. ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2010, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reply-formatting-problem/553446/10 "2010-09-12T16:15:01Z")
I have no clue what caused this. I’ll see if I can find out more.