# Test post **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [September 8, 2002, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/test-post/127558 "2002-09-08T17:00:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![newjerseype](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b9bd4f/32.png) [@newjerseype](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/newjerseype)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2002, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/test-post/127558/1 "2002-09-08T17:00:30Z")
This is my first post… [Text to be displayed](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mstreetsteam.html) > [@](#): > > text to be formatted [ul] [li]first item[/li][li]second item[/li][li]third item[/li][/ul] **Bold text** Large text Colored text ---
**Author:** ![newjerseype](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b9bd4f/32.png) [@newjerseype](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/newjerseype)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2002, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/test-post/127558/2 "2002-09-08T17:03:47Z")
This is my first reply… The link can be found below: [http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mstreetsteam.html](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mstreetsteam.html) This is huge text ---
**Author:** ![newjerseype](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b9bd4f/32.png) [@newjerseype](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/newjerseype)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2002, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/test-post/127558/3 "2002-09-08T17:06:30Z")
The following is a list of nothing: [list=1] [li]first item[/li][li]second item[/li][li]third item[/li][/list=1] This is size=5 text ---
**Author:** ![Spit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/76d3ee/32.png) [@Spit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spit)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2002, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/test-post/127558/4 "2002-09-09T16:13:06Z")
I must ask… Why didn’t you do all of this, then preview in an existing thread, rather than waste bandwidth? ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2002, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/test-post/127558/5 "2002-09-09T18:35:23Z")
Test post, checking settings. ---
**Author:** ![donkeyoatey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47c2d/32.png) [@donkeyoatey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/donkeyoatey)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2002, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/test-post/127558/6 "2002-09-09T18:37:10Z")
Why do you think this forum has so many practice posts, **Spit**?:rolleyes: > [@](#): > > For technical questions and concerns about the SDMB. This is also the place for practice posts. ---
**Author:** ![Spit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/76d3ee/32.png) [@Spit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spit)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2002, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/test-post/127558/7 "2002-09-10T03:23:40Z")
Heh heh. I too was testing a post **donkey** …and having a little fun too. Though it does come off as as pretty snarky. Sorry 'bout that. [sub]I’m really a nice guy **newjerseype** …Honest![/sub] ---
**Author:** ![White\_Lightning](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@White\_Lightning](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/White_Lightning)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2002, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/test-post/127558/8 "2002-09-10T12:15:09Z")
No, but **Spit** is right, I get tired of seeing these threads again and again and again, many with multiple posts by the OP one after another, when it all could be accomplished with much less strain to the server by using preview, or, at most, putting it all into one post. But, if I was really that concerned about the hamsters, then it probably wouldn’t be worth it for me to post recriminations. This is the conflict that I struggle with daily. ---
**Author:** ![newjerseype](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b9bd4f/32.png) [@newjerseype](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/newjerseype)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2002, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/test-post/127558/9 "2002-09-10T12:30:53Z")
Didn’t even know you could preview. Sorry about that. ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2002, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/test-post/127558/10 "2002-09-10T13:02:17Z")
No apology required - everybody that gets upset when reading a thread called “Test Post” just needs to get over their damn selves. What these people don’t realise, is that we’d rather see a newbie test all the code here, than screw up 28 times in other fora, so that we have to fix it, _wasting even more precious bandwidth_, I’m sure. ---
**Author:** ![White\_Lightning](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@White\_Lightning](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/White_Lightning)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2002, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/test-post/127558/11 "2002-09-11T03:01:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Coldfire \* > we’d rather see a newbie test all the code here, than screw up 28 times in other fora This is true too. ---
**Author:** ![femtosecond](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f08c70/32.png) [@femtosecond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/femtosecond)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2002, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/test-post/127558/12 "2002-09-11T11:32:41Z")
It’s true, but there’s a third choice. While there’s nothing wrong with test posts, we’d still much rather see (or not see) people knowing to avoid publicly posting their tests. > [@](#): > > _Originally posted by newjerseype_ > **Didn’t even know you could preview.** Exactly my point. How could you when there’s no place telling you. I smell an opportunity to advertise again this suggestion of mine: [A sticky thread for practice posts?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=120738) ---
**Author:** ![White\_Lightning](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@White\_Lightning](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/White_Lightning)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2002, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/test-post/127558/13 "2002-09-12T00:43:17Z")
I missed that the first time. **femtosecond** , I salute you. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2002, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/test-post/127558/14 "2002-09-12T17:09:44Z")
There’s another advantage to practice posts. If the person practicing screws up in some way (which is, of course, pretty often), a more experienced poster can usually figure out what’s wrong and lend a hand. Then, when the person helping gives the explanation, it benefits everyone on the board, not just the particular person who started the thread. ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2002, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/test-post/127558/15 "2002-09-12T19:30:13Z")
Also, it’s helpful to have the coding handy for later, if you think it’s something you’ll need again. Also, it’s impossible to test titles, E-mail notification, or signatures on preview. I also had to preview in order to test a relative URL, ie, one that linked to a previous post in the same thread. Also, since it’s more real to what you’ll be seeing on the screen (for instance, the cell is narrower) you can get a better feel of how it will really look. Also, if you want to see how something will look when quoted, you have to submit it first. ---
**Author:** ![femtosecond](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f08c70/32.png) [@femtosecond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/femtosecond)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2002, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/test-post/127558/16 "2002-09-12T21:12:15Z")
**Chronos** , then test posts should be encouraged in all forums for as many people as possible to see them. This can’t be a major determining factor. Many practice posts are necessary or interesting to more than one person, and I surely don’t want to completely get rid of them. But many are not, and there’s an easy way to help people decide if theirs are, without affecting them helping and welcoming each other or testing things that can’t be done with preview. We would be more likely to find, read, or give good advice if there was a dedicated place for practice posts instead of having to hunt them down in several test threads quickly dropping through the forum list like most of them do. And if you want, it would be easier to avoid them. **Achernar** , last time I tried, testing the signature was possible in preview, just make sure you keep the ‘show signature’ box checked. I know that you know that you can’t rely on what you see on your screen is the same what others see on their configurations. Except for the obvious things like titles or obscure coding quirks you can’t rely on anyway, the preview screen isn’t more or less real than the thread view. If it’s necessary to post for a test it’s possible, I don’t want to restrict that. (Speaking of welcoming people, welcome **newjerseype**. Don’t you ever apologize for getting your coding right on the first try!) ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2002, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/test-post/127558/17 "2002-09-13T03:22:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by femtosecond \* > **Achernar, last time I tried, testing the signature was possible in preview, just make sure you keep the ‘show signature’ box checked.** Fair enough. I haven’t tested my signature in a long time, so I guess I just misremembered. Or else it used to be like that. Anyway, I retract what I said earlier about that. ---
**Author:** ![newjerseype](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b9bd4f/32.png) [@newjerseype](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/newjerseype)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2002, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/test-post/127558/18 "2002-09-13T12:30:29Z")
**femtosecond,** Thanks for the welcome. I appreciate it. All these replies to my test post… I’m not sure what to make of it. It’s been interesting. ---
**Author:** ![sperfur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9adbd/32.png) [@sperfur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sperfur)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2002, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/test-post/127558/19 "2002-12-31T21:56:19Z")
I need to test my signature so I searched for a thread in which to do it. This looks like just the spot… ---
**Author:** ![sperfur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9adbd/32.png) [@sperfur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sperfur)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2002, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/test-post/127558/20 "2002-12-31T22:08:12Z")
Hey! It worked! I’m gonna do a dance. Now let’s see if I can shut it off. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/test-post/127558.md?page=2)