The GMG "How to...?" thread

[Maciek]

I'm starting this as a thread where those having trouble with the board technicalities (such as adding a picture to a post etc.) can ask other, more experienced members for help. Hope it will be of use.

Maciek

[uffeviking]

Best idea in a long time! Thank you Maciek. 

I noticed all the cover pictures of purchased CDs, etc. The only way I can manage it is so complicated going from this to that program. There has to be an easier way. Who can tell me, speaking English please, not Computerish! 

[George]

Uffe:

I usually just click on "File" at the top left of the screen, then click "new window" and then use that new window to search for the image using google.

Once I find the image I want, I copy the address of the image, close the window (opened above). Then I paste the address onto the desired thread.   

[SonicMan46]

Best idea in a long time! Thank you Maciek. 

I noticed all the cover pictures of purchased CDs, etc. The only way I can manage it is so complicated going from this to that program. There has to be an easier way. Who can tell me, speaking English please, not Computerish! 

Lis - quite easy, as George has already explained; the first point to realize about an 'image' on the Web is that it has to have a unique URL (an address), so if you can find that address, copy it (using the usual Windows commands, i.e. Ctrl C & Ctrl V for 'copy' & 'paste'), and then 'paste it' into your message using the 'image icon' at the top of your 'Post Reply' then you're home free!  Always do a 'Preview' to make sure it has worked correctly.

As an example, below I decided to copy an image into this message from Amazon (you could go to any site or use Google & bring up the 'Images' selection -makes no difference) - the image was a Mozart disc of 'String Quintets', steps:

1.  Open a 'new' window & find the image desired, such as on Amazon.
2.  Bring up the image desired and the 'right-click' on the image.
3.  When the menu appears, select the 'Properties' option.
4.  When properties opens, go to the URL and use 'Ctrl-C' to copy the address (this is the unique identifier).
5.  Return to your 'Post Reply' and click on the icon 'Image' - a bracketed image set will appear.
6.  Between the two brackets, use 'Ctrl-V' to paste the image URL into that location; that is it.  Do as many as needed.

Now, you may find 'images' of different 'pixel sizes' esp. when using Google images - that is why some images posted seem 'small' & others appear 'huge' - usually an image in the 200 to 400 pixel range is a pretty nice size, but you can experiment to see what you like.  Hope this helps - Dave    P.S. Simply click on reply to see the 'bracketed' image notation for the URL insertion; actually, you can simply type in these same commands (and all of the others) if you want to use the HTML language directly; just plenty of different options. 

[Dancing Divertimentian]

I noticed all the cover pictures of purchased CDs, etc. The only way I can manage it is so complicated going from this to that program. There has to be an easier way. Who can tell me, speaking English please, not Computerish! 

Lis,

Do you have a Mac or a PC?

I have a Mac and it's super easy! Should translate perfectly to PC.

• As George and Sonic mentioned open a new window by clicking on the File option in your menu bar at the top left of your computer. Once you do that you'll be back on the net. 

• Find a pic (JPC, Amazon, CD Universe are good for CD covers).

• Go back to your GMG post leaving your 'new window' open.

• Type in [i m g] <-- Note: do NOT space letters out like this. I only did it because the normal lettering initiated the "insert image" process and made a mess of this post!

• Simply drag pic from the 'new window' and insert it into your post after [i m g].

• Type in [ / i m g] after your pic and you're done!


Remember no spaces between letters in [img's] or [/img's].

[Dancing Divertimentian]

BTW, click on the image you find to enlarge it.

You can also alter the size of your image once you've inserted it into your post:







What might help, Lis, is simply "quote" my post as if you were going to reply to me and take a sneak peek at all I've done!

[George]

BTW, click on the image you find to enlarge it.

You can also alter the size of your image once you've inserted it into your post:







What might help, Lis, is simply "quote" my post as if you were going to reply to me and take a sneak peek at all I've done!

Thanks, Don!

I never knew how to do that! I often can't find large enough pictures and wondered how people find large ones.

In yours, you made it smaller, but I can see it works to make it bigger (below):







Now, I just need someone to explain the tinyurl function. 

[uffeviking]

George! Don! SonicMan: Waking up and finding caring replies from you Gentlemen, made my sunny Sunday even sunnier! I printed out your advise and I shall practice, practice, practice!

[Maciek]

I'm glad the idea for this thread worked out.

Another tip from me: you can make an image "clickable" - so that clicking on it would take you to another site.

The general formula is this:

Code Select Expand

[url=ADDRESS OF THE PAGE YOU ARE LINKING TO] [img] ADDRESS OF THE IMAGE THAT YOU WANT DISPLAYED AS A LINK [/img] [/url]
(sorry for the size of this, can't figure out how to make it larger... )

Here's an example. On the page http://www.merlin.com.pl/frontend/browse/product/4,427832.html there's an image of a compact disc. I would like to post the image on the forum and make it "clickable", so that anyone who clicks on the image will be taken to the appropriate web page. In order to do this you have to "embed" the img inside the url. So if you type in

Code Select Expand

[url=http://www.merlin.com.pl/frontend/browse/product/4,427832.html] [img]http://www.merlin.com.pl/images_product/25/3460382.jpg[/img] [/url]
you will get the following effect (click on the image to see that it in fact does send you to another page):



Note that the url and /url "commands" are on the outside, while the img and /img "commands" are on the inside (embedded in the url).

Here's another example, maybe the shorter url will make things easier?

If you type in

Code Select Expand

[url=http://www.google.com/] [img] http://www.gigant.pl/assets/images/p1.jpg [/img] [/url]
you will get a gigant.pl logo that sends you to the Google search page (try it):



Phew! I'm not sure if this is English or Computerish but it's the best I can come up with at the moment...

Now here is my question: there was a "Convenient thread alignment" thread on the old forum, where people would post screenshots of GMG. How was that done? (Since we can't post there anymore, the "quote" option is not available... )

Maciek

[George]

Tiny Url help please? 

[Maciek]

OK, I'm not sure if I understand the concept correctly myself but since no one else is offering, I'll try to explain...

The general idea is that some web addresses are very, very long. In fact, they are so long that if you try to type them out on a page of regular size, they won't fit in one line. This happens when you send someone a link in your e-mail: if the link is very long, part of it will be moved to the next line. This causes a "break" in the web address - the address might not work anymore after that. I think tinyurl.com is a sort of gigantic bookmark service. What you do is give them the address that you want shortened, and they save that address on their server and give you a very short link leading to the bookmark on their pages. Now you can easily give the web link to anyone - it is very short so it won't "break". The new link simply connects you to a sort of redirection page (because the full web address is stored on the tinyurl server). Supposedly, those links are going to be stored on that server forever, so once you get your tiny url link you might as well forget about the long version - tinyurl will remember it for you.

Now I expect to feel infinitely embarrassed shortly, because someone will surely point out that I'm speaking some sort of nonsense. But, FWIW, I tried.

Anyone able to answer my question (at the end of my previous post)?

Maciek

[johnQpublic]

I have a Mac and it's super easy! Should translate perfectly to PC.

Simply drag pic from the 'new window' and insert it into your post after [i m g].

Thanks, I was having problems doing disc images with my Mac until you offered this solution.

[George]

OK, I'm not sure if I understand the concept correctly myself but since no one else is offering, I'll try to explain...

The general idea is that some web addresses are very, very long. In fact, they are so long that if you try to type them out on a page of regular size, they won't fit in one line. This happens when you send someone a link in your e-mail: if the link is very long, part of it will be moved to the next line. This causes a "break" in the web address - the address might not work anymore after that. I think tinyurl.com is a sort of gigantic bookmark service. What you do is give them the address that you want shortened, and they save that address on their server and give you a very short link leading to the bookmark on their pages. Now you can easily give the web link to anyone - it is very short so it won't "break". The new link simply connects you to a sort of redirection page (because the full web address is stored on the tinyurl server). Supposedly, those links are going to be stored on that server forever, so once you get your tiny url link you might as well forget about the long version - tinyurl will remember it for you.

Thanks. I actually think that there is simply a particular format as to how this is done. I just don't know what that is. I know that there are many members who know how to do this, so I epect that they'll come forward at some point. 

Now I expect to feel infinitely embarrassed shortly, because someone will surely point out that I'm speaking some sort of nonsense. But, FWIW, I tried.

Anyone able to answer my question (at the end of my previous post)?

Maciek

No idea on that one, Sorry!

[Drasko]

Now here is my question: there was a "Convenient thread alignment" thread on the old forum, where people would post screenshots of GMG. How was that done? (Since we can't post there anymore, the "quote" option is not available... )
Maciek

Pretty simple actually

a) take a screenshot
b) crop it to get just what you want
c) upload it to some image hosting place like Imageshack and then link to it
or d) click on Additional Options.... and simply attach it to your post

[Maciek]

OK! That:

c) upload it to some image hosting place

was the part I didn't think of!

Thanks!

[Dancing Divertimentian]

Tiny Url help please? 

George,

Don't know about tinyurl but here's a method for shortening links that's very simple:

Amazon.

Simply copy whatever link you want and paste it inside the brackets of [ u r l = ] <-- (no spaces). Type in a word after the bracket then follow with [ / u r l ].

(Quote this post to take a peek.)

[Dancing Divertimentian]

Thanks, I was having problems doing disc images with my Mac until you offered this solution.

Glad to help!

[George]

George,

Don't know about tinyurl but here's a method for shortening links that's very simple: Amazon.

Simply copy whatever link you want and paste it right between the url brackets.

(Quote this post to take a peek.)

WOW, thanks Don! I think I got it

1. Copy link

2. Type [ u r l =

(without the spaces)

3. Paste the website next, put a ] at the end.

4. Then put a space and the name I ish to appear followed by [ / u r l ]

(again without spaces.)


Historical Site

[Dancing Divertimentian]

That's it!

[George]

That's it!