# testers: why you no use "preview" **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [May 17, 2000, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/testers-why-you-no-use-preview/19763 "2000-05-17T16:44:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![hawthorne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@hawthorne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawthorne)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2000, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/testers-why-you-no-use-preview/19763/1 "2000-05-17T16:44:47Z")
Is there something I’m missing here? What do you see by posting a test rather than clicking “preview”? picmr ---
**Author:** ![Myndephuquer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f0a364/32.png) [@Myndephuquer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myndephuquer)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2000, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/testers-why-you-no-use-preview/19763/2 "2000-05-17T17:03:14Z")
You can’t see your sig in a preview, and you get a feel for how the post looks in relation to other actual posts, vs. just seeing it in the preview pane. It’s a Gestalt thing. ---
**Author:** ![hawthorne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@hawthorne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawthorne)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2000, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/testers-why-you-no-use-preview/19763/3 "2000-05-17T17:33:13Z")
Question answered then **Myndephuquer**. I’ve been thinking of using “Say something once, why say it again” (Byrne) as a sig, but it got old real quick. picmr ---
**Author:** ![X-files](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/76d3ee/32.png) [@X-files](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/X-files)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2000, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/testers-why-you-no-use-preview/19763/4 "2000-05-17T18:14:32Z")
Another way to test sigs is to modify it and look at an old post. Don’t need a new one to see changes. I’ve doe it for two days, and it’s very quick if you keep two windows open. ---
**Author:** ![NickyLarson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b2d939/32.png) [@NickyLarson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NickyLarson)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2000, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/testers-why-you-no-use-preview/19763/5 "2000-05-18T00:11:57Z")
…It gives you the chance to check for mispelings. ---
**Author:** ![evilbeth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/evilbeth/32/2268_2.png) [@evilbeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/evilbeth)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2000, 8:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/testers-why-you-no-use-preview/19763/6 "2000-05-18T08:11:42Z")
You people are forgetting about the all-important post-padding! We have to have enough posts to get our set of steak knives! What? No knives? Never mind. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2000, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/testers-why-you-no-use-preview/19763/7 "2000-05-18T19:11:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*\* > …It gives you the chance to check for mispelings. > \*\* Preview does that too. ---
**Author:** ![Breckinshire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/71c47a/32.png) [@Breckinshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Breckinshire)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2000, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/testers-why-you-no-use-preview/19763/8 "2000-05-19T03:34:43Z")
If there were no test posts, there would be no SDMB Master of the Test Post. And would we actually want to live in a world like that? ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2000, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/testers-why-you-no-use-preview/19763/9 "2000-05-19T13:07:30Z")
I don’t test (or post, for that matter) often, but there are two instances in addition to the reasons listed above in which test posts are useful. First, there has been at least one instance of wishing to learn an aspect of the code, but there was no thread for which I had anything useful to add. Rather than injecting a forced response into a thread, or going so far as to begin a reply and cancel it, I stop in here and reply to one of the test threads. Secondly, as an atrocious speller, I typically write my posts in MS Word (is that cheating?) and copy them to the reply window. (It also serves to make it look like I’m working, typing in Word rather than a browser window!) As such there are sometimes when there are several hours that pass between the time when I begin to reply and when I am finished and can post (I do get some work done after all). During that time, Rather than post - preview - cancel, it is easier to pop over to ATMB and see if I am properly remembering how to list, include a link, etc… Doing it this way is a bit quicker (from my perception) and neater (small chance of accidentally hitting reply quicker than I wanted to). Tangential to the OP, I am curious to know why there are so many separate test threads? I understand if one wishes to see how the topic line is going to look, but there are so many test, test, ignore, etc. out there that actual _questions_ about this message board (such as the OP) get somewhat lost. Is it impolite to add my own tests on to someone else’s? My apologies if it is. Thanks for listening, Rhythmdvl ---
**Author:** ![TheShortForm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@TheShortForm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheShortForm)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2000, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/testers-why-you-no-use-preview/19763/10 "2000-05-19T16:43:59Z")
[quote] You people are forgetting about the all-important post-padding! [quote] Whatever do you mean? ---
**Author:** ![TheShortForm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@TheShortForm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheShortForm)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2000, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/testers-why-you-no-use-preview/19763/11 "2000-05-19T16:46:18Z")
[quote] You people are forgetting about the all-important post-padding! [quote] Whatever do you mean? ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2000, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/testers-why-you-no-use-preview/19763/12 "2000-05-19T19:12:14Z")
I just wanna, that’s why. Actually, I’m used to Web Crossing message boards and this is quite different. And it seems there’s been an upgrade since last I visited. There was no ‘preview’ option then. ---
**Author:** ![Soupy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@Soupy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soupy)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2000, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/testers-why-you-no-use-preview/19763/13 "2000-05-21T15:06:50Z")
Previews don’t show sigs. ---
**Author:** ![Diagonal\_Twin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a9adbd/32.png) [@Diagonal\_Twin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diagonal_Twin)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2000, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/testers-why-you-no-use-preview/19763/14 "2000-05-21T16:36:51Z")
I don’t think preview shows http:// right, at least I’ve had problems where the link is “dead” on the real post. ---
**Author:** ![hawthorne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@hawthorne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawthorne)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2000, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/testers-why-you-no-use-preview/19763/15 "2000-05-23T13:07:57Z")
I surrender…Sig test. ---
**Author:** ![TheShortForm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@TheShortForm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheShortForm)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2000, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/testers-why-you-no-use-preview/19763/16 "2000-05-24T18:37:37Z")
\*\* I DON’T USE PREVIEW BECAUSE THE TIME DELAY SUcKS.