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Old 10-20-2006, 10:21 AM   #2 (permalink)
Zazula
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Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Athens, Greece
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Best Practices

TIP #1: HOW TO EMBED IMAGES

First of all, you will need to select an Image Hosting Service (IHS are sites like www.imageshack.us or www.photobucket.com, which allow you to upload your images in their servers). It is advisable that you register to the IHS of your choice, so that you are able to access your uploaded images at any time, and use them again if needed. IN ANY CASE, ALWAYS KEEP THE ORIGINAL IMAGE FILES IN YOUR COMPUTER. Follow the procedure for uploading your image to the Image Hosting Service, and you will be given an Embeddable Code for each image you successfully upload.


First alternative

As soon as the upload concludes, you can see the direct link to your image. Select the URL and press CTRL+C to copy it:


Use the Taskbar or press ALT+TAB to switch to your Internet Browser window that displays your TSF post you are preparing to submit. Press on the Insert Image button:


A script box pops up; select the "http://" showing on the line, and then press CTRL+V to paste the URL of the image:


Press OK on the script box; the necessary BB Code has been included in your post. Press the Preview Post button, to make sure your image shows the way it is supposed to.


Second alternative

Browse through your uploaded images, and locate the one you want to embed in your article. Locate the Embeddable Code for Forums next to it, select it, press CTRL+C to copy it, switch back to your post, place your cursor where you want that image to be, and press CTRL+V to paste the code:



TIP #2: HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR ARTICLE

As it has already been suggested, the best way to prepare and compile your article, is by using a program that incorporates checking your spelling and even grammar or style (e.g. MS Word). When you are finished in the word processing program, and you have posted all necessary images in an Image Hosting Service, you are ready to post your article.

Go to the New Article Submissions sub-forum, and press on the NEW THREAD button; the Post New Thread window opens.

Switch back to your word processor's window, and press CTRL+A to select the whole text, and then CTRL+C to copy it. Switch again to the Internet browser windows, click on the big white box, and press CTRL+V to paste the text you've copied. Press on the Preview Post button to see how it looks.

Now it's time to add any images you want to; use the procedure described in tip #1 above. Keep pressing the Preview Post button from time to time, to make sure things are laid out the way are meant to. When you have finished adding your images, start formatting the text of the article. Above the white box where you work on your text, lie some buttons that help you with the formatting (you can see them at the second picture of tip #1). For a complete reference of all the tools available for formatting your article, please read through the vB Code List.

NOW COMES THE MOST IMPORTANT PART! Open Notepad in your computer. Switch back to your post-to-be-submitted. Click anywhere within the text box, and then press CTRL+A, followed by CTRL+C. Go to the blank Notepad document. Press CTRL+V to paste your article in its vB Code form. Save the Notepad text file. Now you have your article saved in a way that retains all the hard work you have done when adding images and formatting. When you will wish to update it, you won't need to repeat this work again; you will copy this text in whole, paste it in the Reply Post, and start at exactly the point you were when you submitted your original piece - and you'll then have to focus only to incorporating any necessary changes and/or additions.

Even further, I suggest you have this text file active in Notepad while you are still adding images and formatting your article; and keep saving it from time to time while you are still working. In case your computer crashes or your Internet connection is lost for any reason, at least you won't lose ALL the vB Code work you've done in the meantime.
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"Time is the wisest because it discovers everything" Thales of Miletus (ca.624BC-ca.546BC)
"Everything flows, nothing stands still." Heraclitus of Ephesus (ca.535BC-475BC)
"One thing I know, that I know nothing" Socrates of Athens (ca.470BC–399BC)

Last edited by Zazula; 04-13-2007 at 05:25 PM.
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