Tech: Blue Clickie & HTML Help

Subject: Blue Clickie
From: songs2play
Date: 12 Sep 02 - 10:01 AM

I'm fed up not being able to put in a Blue Clickie thingy in the message.

HOW DO I DO IT ?

Can somebody help me, in words of one syllable. Please, nothing technical. Just pretend you are talking to 5 year old. Don't mention hyperlink, HTML or anything technical.

Most appreciated.

Subject: RE: Help: Blue Clickie
From: curmudgeon
Date: 12 Sep 02 - 10:07 AM

Go to FAQ - New Members and scroll down a lot until you see big red and blue letters. If I could figure it out, anyone can -- Tom

Subject: RE: Help: Blue Clickie
From: Bagpuss
Date: 12 Sep 02 - 10:15 AM

To save you the bother of finding it:

type in what you want to call the link here

Subject: RE: Help: Blue Clickie
From: MMario
Date: 12 Sep 02 - 10:15 AM

and if you can't figure it out - you can always ask the link faeries to do them for you - one usually obliges.

Subject: RE: Help: Blue Clickie
From: Bagpuss
Date: 12 Sep 02 - 10:18 AM

oops, I forgot if I did an example, it would turn into a link!!

Subject: RE: Help: Blue Clickie
From: Amos
Date: 12 Sep 02 - 10:28 AM

Look, it is really easy. You know what a URL is, right? It's the string in your Explorer box that usually starts with "http://..." and usualy ends with ".com" or ".com/pagename...".

Just copy the URL you want to make a link to.

THen go to your post and when you want to insert the Blue Clicky, do the following:

1. Type "" followed by whatever text you want the link to say, typically "Click here" or "Over here" or whatever you want.
4. After the text that will show, type "/a" between angle brackets <>. In other words type a left bracket, a slash, the letter 'a', and a right bracket.

What the browser does when it sees this code is:

1. When it sees the (a href)it knows this is a Hypertext Reference coming up.
2. It takes the URL from the link as the target (where to go to if the link is clicked).
3. It _displays_ the text you entered (such as 'Click here') as the display text of the link, in the peculiar format of a live link so the reader will know he can click on it.
4. On a click, it directs the browser to the URL.
5. The slash-a at the end is to indicate end-of-container, in this case the entry for the Blue Clicky.

You get a few right and a few wrong and it'll be like second nature to ya!

A

Subject: RE: Help: Blue Clickie
From: wysiwyg
Date: 12 Sep 02 - 10:30 AM

Use the Mud Cat FAQ.

Or just enter the URL. We all know how to paste that into our browsers and go where we want to go if it looks like a useful link.

~Susan

Subject: RE: Help: Blue Clickie
From: Amos
Date: 12 Sep 02 - 10:34 AM

Boy, I thought I was being so clever!! LOL!! Follow WYSYWIG's advice and all will be well.

A

Subject: RE: Help: Blue Clickie
From: MMario
Date: 12 Sep 02 - 10:41 AM

Amos goofed! Amos goofed!

Subject: RE: Help: Blue Clickie
From: songs2play
Date: 12 Sep 02 - 10:42 AM

Right here we go.

"http://www.folking.com/""click here<"/a">

Subject: RE: Help: Blue Clickie
From: songs2play
Date: 12 Sep 02 - 10:43 AM

Balls.

Subject: RE: Help: Blue Clickie
From: Bagpuss
Date: 12 Sep 02 - 10:45 AM

getting there...

You still need the a href bit before it though.

Another way to do it, is to view the source (on the view menu) where someone has already done a clicky , copy and paste it, and change the bits you need to.

Subject: RE: Help: Blue Clickie
From: MMario
Date: 12 Sep 02 - 10:46 AM

you almost had it! take out the qoutation marks and don't forget the part you START with the a href inside the angle brackets.

Subject: RE: Help: Blue Clickie
From: songs2play
Date: 12 Sep 02 - 10:47 AM

Click Here

Subject: RE: Help: Blue Clickie
From: songs2play
Date: 12 Sep 02 - 10:48 AM

Rats

Subject: RE: Help: Blue Clickie
From: MMario
Date: 12 Sep 02 - 10:49 AM

that last one was correct except you did not precede the address with a href=

Subject: RE: Help: Blue Clickie
From: songs2play
Date: 12 Sep 02 - 10:51 AM

Click Here

Subject: RE: Help: Blue Clickie
From: MMario
Date: 12 Sep 02 - 10:54 AM

okay - on that last one - you had an extra / between the "href=" and the "http:"

Subject: RE: Help: Blue Clickie
From: Bagpuss
Date: 12 Sep 02 - 10:54 AM

That was correct except you had 2 urls typed in there.

We're rooting for you!

Subject: RE: Help: Blue Clickie
From: songs2play
Date: 12 Sep 02 - 10:58 AM

Last try-

click here

if this doesn't work. Forget the thread, I'm a registered dim-wit.

Subject: RE: Help: Blue Clickie
From: Bagpuss
Date: 12 Sep 02 - 11:00 AM

WOOOOO-HOOOOOOOOOOO

well done :-D

Subject: RE: Help: Blue Clickie
From: catspaw49
Date: 12 Sep 02 - 11:01 AM

Type one of these <
Now type an    a
Now type a space
Now type href
Now type =

Now put in the URL you want http://www.folking.com
Now type one of these >

Now put in your message Click Here

Now type one of these <
Now type /
Now type an   a
Now type >

Do exactly what I wrote. Only put a space where I said.




Spaw

Subject: RE: Help: Blue Clickie
From: catspaw49
Date: 12 Sep 02 - 11:02 AM

Ooopsss

Good job

Spaw

Subject: RE: Help: Blue Clickie
From: songs2play
Date: 12 Sep 02 - 11:03 AM

Well I'll be - I done it, well I hope I did , it works for me.

One GREAT BIG thanks to all, Amos, Bagpuss, MMario, Curmudgeon and WYSIWYG. Catters can do it.

Subject: RE: Help: Blue Clickie
From: Mark Clark
Date: 12 Sep 02 - 11:12 AM

If you want to share blicky code with other people in a thread you can get the special symbols to print as follows:

• To get a less than character (<) to print, use the four character sequence <
• To get a greater than character (>) to print, use the four character sequence >

Using those codes won't create a blicky but it will let you explain their use to other people.

A blicky begins with a tag that indicates the start of a blicky. It lookes like this: <a>
A blicky ends with a tag that marks the end of the blicky. It looks like this: </a>
The ending tag looks like the beginning tag but has a slash (/) character to indicate its status as an end tag.

In between those two tags you place the text that you want to display as blue underlined text. Example: <a>Click this!</a>

Of course my simple example doesn't specify any target Web page for the blicky. The URL that actually references the target page is embedded inside the beginning <a> tag as a hypertext reference (href) and in its simplest form is coded as follows:

<a href="http://www.targetdomain.com">

A full blicky, then, looks like this:

<a href="http://www.targetdomain.com">Click this!</a>

I thought it might be easier to understand if the pieces were broken down to look less like an untelligegible string of characters. I don't think this explanation is any improvement on the detailed explainations provide by Jeff and Joe but it's right here in this thread for anyone to busy or too lazy to click over to the official version.

One could also just copy my final example and paste it into a new posting making the necessary edits so it takes other readers to the referenced site.

      - Mark

Subject: RE: Help: Blue Clickie
From: Mark Clark
Date: 12 Sep 02 - 11:16 AM

Never mind....

I see I spent too much time on my explanation and others got in faster with better.

      - Mark

Subject: RE: Help: Blue Clickie
From: Bagpuss
Date: 12 Sep 02 - 11:20 AM

So, not only is the trial and error method quicker, but its a lot more fun! But at least your description is there for folks who arrive afterwards wanting to know the same thing.

Bagpuss

Subject: RE: Help: Blue Clickie
From: Amos
Date: 12 Sep 02 - 11:24 AM

Well, we all are just rewriting the FAQ, but, ya know, what da faq, right? It's fun to try.

A

Subject: RE: Help: Blue Clickie
From: wysiwyg
Date: 12 Sep 02 - 11:30 AM

songs2play--

You did a Folking Good job!

AND you know the appropriate lingo to express frustration! You am a true Mudcatter!

~Susan

Subject: RE: Help: Blue Clickie
From: MMario
Date: 12 Sep 02 - 11:44 AM

I think 'spaw did the best explanation I've seen in a while tho'.

Subject: RE: Help: Blue Clickie
From: C-flat
Date: 12 Sep 02 - 12:12 PM

Well done Songs2play!
Now if you're anything like me, you won't be able to resist putting blickiesin every post you make here!:~)
C-flat.

Subject: RE: Help: Blue Clickie
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 12 Sep 02 - 12:16 PM

Please oh gods please don't call them "blickies" Or clickies" or what ever... call it a LINK... or a URL...

And don't call your PC a 'puter' either...

It's insulting...

Subject: RE: Help: Blue Clickie
From: Airto
Date: 12 Sep 02 - 12:27 PM

Spaw's is the one for me. It's going on the wall.

Subject: RE: Help: Blue Clickie
From: Amos
Date: 12 Sep 02 - 12:32 PM

Clinton,

We got enuff damn bleeding hearts around here taking offense on behalf of every undertrodden illbespoken whangajang and uppsala sub-group in the damn Universe; please don't start a "political correctitude for the sensitivities of under-appreciated machines" movement on us!

Besides, most folks use that erm to describe Wintel boxes, which are below reproach and incapable of being insulted or spoken of in degrading terms.

A

Subject: RE: Help: Blue Clickie
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 12 Sep 02 - 12:38 PM

"political correctitude for the sensitivities of under-appreciated machines"

Not my intention A mate...

Rather a comment on how the terms reflect poorly on the people who choose to use 'em...

Subject: RE: Help: Blue Clickie
From: Pennny
Date: 12 Sep 02 - 01:19 PM

Well done Spaw.

Subject: RE: Help: Blue Clickie
From: MMario
Date: 12 Sep 02 - 01:32 PM

As somoene who supports many thousands of people using computers - I can tell you the terms "blicky" and "clickie" have helped ENORMOUSLY with people understanding. Especially good though is the phrase "blue clicky thing" - something almost everyone can understand immediatley - whereas they don't know a "hypertext link" or "clickable link" from a topographical map.

URL is another one that confuses them - "address" they understand - URL no.

Subject: RE: Help: Blue Clickie
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 12 Sep 02 - 01:45 PM

Better to teach people correct terminology... even if they are confused in the short term...

"Link" to me is the best easiest term as far as I can tell...

And it doesn't sound like 'baby talk'

Subject: RE: Help: Blue Clickie
From: Amos
Date: 12 Sep 02 - 01:46 PM

Kinda makes ya wanna URL your cookies, dunnit? (Duck, cover and run!)

A

Subject: RE: Help: Blue Clickie
From: Bill D
Date: 12 Sep 02 - 04:45 PM

test...trying something

stuff

Subject: RE: Help: Blue Clickie
From: Bill D
Date: 12 Sep 02 - 05:02 PM

anyway...here is the easy way to display HTML code without it becoming a URL....there is a little program called sHTML which will do it for you, in the color you specify, without having to learn all the &sptps like this....

<a href=http://hjem.get2net.dk/fec/shtmlc/shtmlc.zip>sHTML</a>

Subject: RE: Help: Blue Clickie
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 12 Sep 02 - 05:40 PM

test a href http://www.folking.com/testing

Subject: RE: Help: Blue Clickie
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 12 Sep 02 - 05:49 PM

test again:

=/http://www.folking.com/"This is a test clicky"

Subject: RE: Help: Blue Clickie
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 12 Sep 02 - 05:54 PM

This is a defective blue clicky:

="http://www.folking.com/"This is a test clicky"

This, I think is a correct blue clicky:

"This is another test clicky"

Subject: RE: Help: Blue Clickie
From: Bill D
Date: 12 Sep 02 - 06:01 PM

that is a FINE clicky, Uncle Dave!

Subject: RE: Help: Blue Clickie
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 12 Sep 02 - 06:12 PM

Well, how do you like that? I got it!

I guess I shouldn't have used the URL of my site yet, because it's only in the early stages of construction. It will be better, with more pictures, clickable songs to listen to, and a working guestbook. Hard telling how soon, though.

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: Help: Blue Clickie
From: C-flat
Date: 12 Sep 02 - 06:18 PM

Looking good DaveO!

Subject: RE: Help: Blue Clickie
From: GUEST,Peter from Essex
Date: 12 Sep 02 - 07:06 PM

You don't have to make the reader leave the thread. Just add a target statement like this to open a new window.

That was <href="http://www.essexfolknews.co.uk/" target="_blank">like this</a>

Subject: RE: Help: Blue Clickie
From: songs2play
Date: 13 Sep 02 - 03:05 AM

Well done Uncle Dave. We new blickiers need to stick together. I'm glad I started this thread.And just for some exercise i'll put in another blicki- hope it works.

blickie

Subject: RE: Help: Blue Clickie
From: C-flat
Date: 13 Sep 02 - 03:34 AM

That's excatly what I meant earlier, Songs2play! :~)