# This place needs a "sandbox"...
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-place-needs-a-sandbox/513320
**Category:** About This Message Board
**Created:** [October 10, 2009, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-place-needs-a-sandbox/513320 "2009-10-10T17:14:26Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@janeslogin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janeslogin)
#### Post date: [October 10, 2009, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-place-needs-a-sandbox/513320/1 "2009-10-10T17:14:26Z")
… test threads that will just stay around for an hour or so.
ﬞ ײַ ﬠ ﬡ
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### Author:  [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)
#### Post date: [October 10, 2009, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-place-needs-a-sandbox/513320/2 "2009-10-10T20:04:14Z")
You mean like, The sub-forum you posted this in?
ETA: or are you setting a limit to how long they’ll be there for?
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### Author:  [@janeslogin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janeslogin)
#### Post date: [October 10, 2009, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-place-needs-a-sandbox/513320/3 "2009-10-10T20:22:28Z")
Example: I want to know can I use strike or strikethrough? [strike]strike[/strike] [strikethrough] strikethrough [/strikethrough] \ strike \ \ s \ s
edit: Apparently not. So this entry should just disappear now that I am through playing, shouldn’t it?
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### Author:  [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)
#### Post date: [October 10, 2009, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-place-needs-a-sandbox/513320/4 "2009-10-10T20:25:56Z")
tHERE IS a strikethru ooption but I vcen never remvber what it is…
[strike]sdfviuhbsdf9vuhsfvuh[/strike]
sdfviuhbsdf9vuhsfvuh
[linethrough]sdfviuhbsdf9vuhsfvuh[/linethrough]
ARGHHH IS IT LIKE THE MOST OBSCURE WORD THEY COULD FIND WHAT THE HELL IS IT!
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### Author:  [@Ann\_Onimous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Onimous)
#### Post date: [October 10, 2009, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-place-needs-a-sandbox/513320/5 "2009-10-10T20:43:45Z")
I [del] don’t [/del] want to post this.
Here ya go. It’s [del].
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### Author:  [@SiXSwordS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SiXSwordS)
#### Post date: [October 10, 2009, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-place-needs-a-sandbox/513320/6 "2009-10-10T20:46:11Z")
[del]a:rolleyes:a[/del]
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### Author:  [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)
#### Post date: [October 10, 2009, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-place-needs-a-sandbox/513320/7 "2009-10-10T20:49:07Z")
I’ve long thought the boards could use a testing sub-forum. ATMB has real topics to read, and test threads just clutter up the works.
A “sandbox” of sorts would be just that – a place to test board functionality or whatnot without mucking up any other pages. It would need minimal moderation, as no one would head there to read threads or to engage in conversation. Well, I assume a few helpful Dopers would take a look there from time to time to answer “how do you do X” posts, but shutting down a test thread that strays beyond testing or functionality discussions should be an easy standard to keep.
ETA: I favour a forum over self-deleting threads (if that can be done) because in addition to topics like “TEST” and whatnot, a “how do I do strikethroughs?” topic would be searchable.
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### Author:  [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)
#### Post date: [October 10, 2009, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-place-needs-a-sandbox/513320/8 "2009-10-10T21:27:32Z")
> [@Juliana](#):
>
> I [del] don’t [/del] want to post this.
>
> Here ya go. It’s [del].
Thanks. Though guaranteed I’ll have forgotten that by tomorrow. And in about a months time when this comes up again I’ll be trying every combination of the words ‘strike’ ‘thru’ ‘out’ ‘line’ and so on. And I’ll have died a little bit more inside.
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### Author:  [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)
#### Post date: [October 10, 2009, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-place-needs-a-sandbox/513320/9 "2009-10-10T21:38:55Z")
> [@Lobsang](#):
>
> Thanks. Though guaranteed I’ll have forgotten that by tomorrow.
At the bottom of every thread, on the left side, you’ll see a box called “Posting Rules.” In it is a line that says, “BB code is On.” The words “BB code” are a link that will bring up a mini-tutorial explaining all of the different codes.
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### Author:  [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)
#### Post date: [October 10, 2009, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-place-needs-a-sandbox/513320/10 "2009-10-10T21:40:43Z")
I guess we could think about it. Usually, people label their test threads as “test” and they don’t really clutter up ATMB. However, having a forum for “test only” could be a useful idea.
The mods’ll discuss.
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### Author:  [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)
#### Post date: [October 10, 2009, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-place-needs-a-sandbox/513320/11 "2009-10-10T21:41:46Z")
I don’t see the need for a sandbox. So there’s a few Test threads (five in the past two weeks), which are easy to spot, because they say “test” in the title\*. It doesn’t seem to be that much of a burden.
(\*) Unless people are giving them real-sounding names to fool everybody…
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### Author:  [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)
#### Post date: [October 11, 2009, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-place-needs-a-sandbox/513320/12 "2009-10-11T13:54:09Z")
I agree with **ZenBeam** – they’re few in number and well labeled, and by having them here there are people around to answer questions, when questions are asked. No need to quarantine them.
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### Author:  [@janeslogin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janeslogin)
#### Post date: [October 11, 2009, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-place-needs-a-sandbox/513320/13 "2009-10-11T15:43:22Z")
> [@InvisibleWombat](#):
>
> At the bottom of every thread, on the left side, you’ll see a box called “Posting Rules.” In it is a line that says, “BB code is On.” The words “BB code” are a link that will bring up a mini-tutorial explaining all of the different codes.
… mini-tutorial explaining [del]all of the[/del] different codes …
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### Author:  [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)
#### Post date: [October 11, 2009, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-place-needs-a-sandbox/513320/14 "2009-10-11T16:17:51Z")
> [@InvisibleWombat](#):
>
> At the bottom of every thread, on the left side, you’ll see a box called “Posting Rules.” In it is a line that says, “BB code is On.” The words “BB code” are a link that will bring up a mini-tutorial explaining all of the different codes.
I’ll forget that as well. There’s no hope for the forgetful.
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### Author:  [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)
#### Post date: [October 11, 2009, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-place-needs-a-sandbox/513320/15 "2009-10-11T20:27:11Z")
> [@janeslogin](#):
>
> … mini-tutorial explaining [del]all of the[/del] different codes …
Which BB codes are allowed in the SDMB that aren’t listed on that page? I took a quick look and nothing jumped out at me.
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### Author:  [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)
#### Post date: [October 12, 2009, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-place-needs-a-sandbox/513320/16 "2009-10-12T14:56:29Z")
> [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](#):
>
> I guess we could think about it. Usually, people label their test threads as “test” and they don’t really clutter up ATMB. However, having a forum for “test only” could be a useful idea.
>
> The mods’ll discuss.
If you’re going to do that, I recommend taking it a step further — i.e., a Welcome sub-forum for newcomers. Many boards have them. Newcomers can test how to post, how to use vbCode, etc., while at the same time introducing themselves. An assigned member or mod can “welcome them”. Old timers can test there as well, but such tests are rare, and the welcomer would recognize them.
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### Author:  [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)
#### Post date: [October 12, 2009, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-place-needs-a-sandbox/513320/17 "2009-10-12T15:08:20Z")
There’s stickies and a FAQ that we’re in the midst of updating, new folks are highly encouraged to read those things.
I don’t want to segregate new people, I want them to hang out and learn how this place works and jump in and participate, don’t you?
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### Author:  [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)
#### Post date: [October 12, 2009, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-place-needs-a-sandbox/513320/18 "2009-10-12T15:43:25Z")
One thing that I do when trying to see how something will look or when trying to remember obscure BB codes is to use the Advanced editing feature which has a Preview Post button.
Set up your post in the edit box and then hit the magic Preview button. You’ll see what everyone else will and then you can clean it up and try again or hang it out there for all the world to see and admire.
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### Author:  [@janeslogin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janeslogin)
#### Post date: [October 12, 2009, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-place-needs-a-sandbox/513320/19 "2009-10-12T18:14:39Z")
Advanced editing feature which has a Preview Post button might be all I will ever need or ever want. I will check that.
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### Author:  [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)
#### Post date: [October 13, 2009, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-place-needs-a-sandbox/513320/20 "2009-10-13T02:24:33Z")
> [@janeslogin](#):
>
> Advanced editing feature which has a Preview Post button might be all I will ever need or ever want. I will check that.
The actual editor is still missing a few tags that work, though. The one I find the hardest to remember is [noparse][del][/noparse], which produces strike out text:
[noparse][del]Deleted![/del][/noparse] produces
[del]Deleted![/del]
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