# Why can't I multi-quote in a post?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-multi-quote-in-a-post/520425
**Category:** About This Message Board
**Created:** [December 8, 2009, 9:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-multi-quote-in-a-post/520425 "2009-12-08T09:20:49Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2009, 9:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-multi-quote-in-a-post/520425/1 "2009-12-08T09:20:49Z")
For some reason, I can’t seem to quote a post that has multiple quotes in it. It’s important to capture each thought for a proper flow of the conversation.
When I hit the “quote” button, it will only quote the text that is in the posting that is from the author of the post I’m answering. However, if I push the “multi-quote” button, I get nothing. The browser locks, and I can’t get that nested quoting that is needed to make it easier to read.
Is there something I’m missing, a setting I need to change, or something else? This used to work for me, but it hasn’t worked for a couple of months now and I’ve grown tired of manually placing the quoted text in my postings.
Any ideas?
thanks!
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### Author:  [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2009, 9:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-multi-quote-in-a-post/520425/2 "2009-12-08T09:39:23Z")
There seem to be two different issues here:
1. Nested quotes - using the Quote button
2. Mutli-Quote - using the “” button to select multiple posts, then hit Post Reply button to multi-quote
Are both acting strange for you, or just one of them?
Which browser and OS are you using?
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### Author:  [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2009, 9:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-multi-quote-in-a-post/520425/3 "2009-12-08T09:39:30Z")
You mean you want to auto nest-quotes, so that you not only quote the post your responding to, but any quotes from a third posting that are in that post?
I don’t think you can do it other then with laborious cut-and-pasting. I think the “multi-quote” thing just adds quote blocks for every post you check it in, but still doesn’t preserve nested quotes.
Hope I’m wrong though, and someone chimes in with a better way to do it. I’ve always hated that the quote thing doesn’t grab other peoples quotes in the same post.
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### Author:  [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2009, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-multi-quote-in-a-post/520425/4 "2009-12-08T09:55:30Z")
> [@Simplicio](#):
>
> You mean you want to auto nest-quotes, so that you not only quote the post your responding to, but any quotes from a third posting that are in that post?
>
> I don’t think you can do it other then with laborious cut-and-pasting. I think the “multi-quote” thing just adds quote blocks for every post you check it in, but still doesn’t preserve nested quotes.
>
> Hope I’m wrong though, and someone chimes in with a better way to do it. I’ve always hated that the quote thing doesn’t grab other peoples quotes in the same post.
This is exactly what I want to do.
As far as the other questions, I am using windows 7 and IE.
sorry xash if I wasn’t clear.
At the bottom of each posting window, there is the edit button, the quote button, the “Multi-quote this message” button and “quick reply to this message” button.
Everything works except the multi-quote button. That button doesn’t do anything at all.
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### Author:  [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2009, 9:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-multi-quote-in-a-post/520425/5 "2009-12-08T09:56:09Z")
> [@Simplicio](#):
>
> You mean you want to auto nest-quotes, so that you not only quote the post your responding to, but any quotes from a third posting that are in that post?
Nested quote testing.
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### Author:  [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2009, 9:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-multi-quote-in-a-post/520425/6 "2009-12-08T09:56:42Z")
> [@xash](#):
>
> Nested quote testing.
Ohnoes! Eggs disappear from nest!
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### Author:  [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2009, 9:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-multi-quote-in-a-post/520425/7 "2009-12-08T09:58:11Z")
> [@Simplicio](#):
>
> You mean you want to auto nest-quotes, so that you not only quote the post your responding to, but any quotes from a third posting that are in that post?
> [@xash](#):
>
> Nested quote testing.
Eggs appear in separate basket. No nest.
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### Author:  [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2009, 9:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-multi-quote-in-a-post/520425/8 "2009-12-08T09:59:55Z")
Yeah, it seems like you can’t preserve a nested quote. You could use multi-quote instead. To use multi-quote, select the “” button for each post you want to quote, then click the Post Reply button at the bottom of the thread. All the posts you selected will appear as quotes in your reply box.
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### Author:  [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2009, 10:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-multi-quote-in-a-post/520425/9 "2009-12-08T10:03:34Z")
Additional tips: You don’t need to go looking for the post inside the nested quotes. First, select the post you want to quote, then for the nested quote just click on the little \> icon after the poster name in the nested quote, the browser will scroll to that post, then select it for multi-quote by hitting the “” button under the post, then scroll to the end of the thread and click on the Post Reply button. Both quotes will now appear neatly in your reply box. You can now manually nest them if you like.
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### Author:  [@ajb867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ajb867)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2009, 10:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-multi-quote-in-a-post/520425/10 "2009-12-08T10:10:58Z")
Xash anychance you are nesting bird eggs or something? Perhaps following the pigeon eggs thread? 🙂 I can almost imagine you smiling with glee at your discovery!
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### Author:  [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2009, 10:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-multi-quote-in-a-post/520425/11 "2009-12-08T10:16:19Z")
> [@ajb867](#):
>
> Xash anychance you are nesting bird eggs or something? Perhaps following the pigeon eggs thread? 🙂 I can almost imagine you smiling with glee at your discovery!
:golf clap:
😃
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### Author:  [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2009, 10:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-multi-quote-in-a-post/520425/12 "2009-12-08T10:19:17Z")
xash,
I’m going to try a number of different things in this thread to see if I can figure out what you are suggesting as well as how to get my nested quote post to look like it should. I know I had this function before, because doing it manually is just too tedious.
One question. What in the world is the multi-post button for?
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### Author:  [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2009, 10:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-multi-quote-in-a-post/520425/13 "2009-12-08T10:19:52Z")
> [@Stink Fish Pot](#):
>
> Everything works except the multi-quote button. That button doesn’t do anything at all.
That’s by design. The multi-quote button by itself does nothing. However, when you click it it turns red. Indicating you have selected the post for multi-quote. You need to click on the Post Reply button to see the multi-quote selections show up.
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### Author:  [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2009, 10:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-multi-quote-in-a-post/520425/14 "2009-12-08T10:23:06Z")
> [@xash](#):
>
> Nested quote testing.
> [@xash](#):
>
> That’s by design. The multi-quote button by itself does nothing. However, when you click it it turns red. Indicating you have selected the post for multi-quote. You need to click on the Post Reply button to see the multi-quote selections show up.
Ok, I just did that. I hit the multi-quote button, it indeed turned red, and then I moved down to the post reply button, and this is the result.
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### Author:  [@ajb867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ajb867)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2009, 10:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-multi-quote-in-a-post/520425/15 "2009-12-08T10:24:57Z")
> [@xash](#):
>
> Nested quote testing.
> [@xash](#):
>
> Ohnoes! Eggs disappear from nest!
> [@xash](#):
>
> Eggs appear in separate basket. No nest.
test…
Edit: Results are win!
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### Author:  [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2009, 10:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-multi-quote-in-a-post/520425/16 "2009-12-08T10:27:47Z")
Here’s the other thing…
Nested quotes are indented. Am I just imagining this, or does everyone that does this on the board do this manually?
I can’t believe that this is a manual process for everyone. And like I said, I do remember having this function at some time in the past.
of course, I could be imagining it.
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### Author:  [@ajb867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ajb867)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2009, 10:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-multi-quote-in-a-post/520425/17 "2009-12-08T10:30:05Z")
Indeed how do you get the box, inside the box?
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### Author:  [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2009, 10:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-multi-quote-in-a-post/520425/18 "2009-12-08T10:30:15Z")
> [@Stink Fish Pot](#):
>
> Ok, I just did that. I hit the multi-quote button, it indeed turned red, and then I moved down to the post reply button, and this is the result.
> [@xash](#):
>
> Yeah, it seems like you can’t preserve a nested quote. You could use multi-quote instead. To use multi-quote, select the “” button for each post you want to quote, then click the Post Reply button at the bottom of the thread. All the posts you selected will appear as quotes in your reply box.
xash, when I hit the “” button, it immediately takes me to the reply box, without giving me an opportunity to select another post to quote.
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### Author:  [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2009, 10:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-multi-quote-in-a-post/520425/19 "2009-12-08T10:34:45Z")
> [@ajb867](#):
>
> Indeed how do you get the box, inside the box?
You can just nest quote tags:
> [@](#):
>
> > [@](#):
> >
> > I’m in two quote tags
>
> but im just in one
But I don’t think there’s away to automate it as the OP wishes to do.
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### Author:  [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2009, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-multi-quote-in-a-post/520425/20 "2009-12-08T10:49:43Z")
> [@Stink Fish Pot](#):
>
> Here’s the other thing…
>
> Nested quotes are indented. Am I just imagining this, or does everyone that does this on the board do this manually?
>
> I can’t believe that this is a manual process for everyone. And like I said, I do remember having this function at some time in the past.
>
> of course, I could be imagining it.
I do it manually. It’s not that big a deal if people use the defaults.\* But if a post has multiple quotes in it, it is definitely a huge pain.
I believe it is something that had to be deliberately disabled. It works properly in Instant Messages.
\*You use multiquote, and move the tags a bit. With firefox, you can just highlight and drag the quote into place. [noparse]
> [@personA](#):
>
> blah blah blah
> [@personB](#):
>
> blah blah blah
becomes
> [@personA](#):
>
> > [@personB](#):
> >
> > blah blah blah
>
> blah blah blah
[/noparse]
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