The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #19340   Message #196946
Posted By: Joe Offer
17-Mar-00 - 06:28 PM
Thread Name: Mudcat FAQ - Newcomer's Guide
Subject: Basic Mudcat HTML
You do not need to know any HTML to post messages at the Mudcat Cafe - but it's nice to know a little bit.

I suppose the most basic HTML tag is the <br> line break. Mudcat automatically puts one at the end of every line you post, unless you have automatic line breaks turned off in the bottom of the message reply box. If you are copy-pasting text that already has line breaks visible, be sure to turn off the automatic line breaks. Once again, line breaks look like this:

<br>

If you see <br> in the text you're copying, be sure to turn Automatic Linebreaks OFF when you paste it into a Mudcat message.

If you want to direct somebody to an interesting site on the Web (or to information that's at another location at the Mudcat Cafe), the best way to do it is by posting a clickable link. We have a Make a link ("blue clicky") tool at the bottom of message boxes that will make links for you. Click here to try it. You have to highlight and copy the text that results, and paste it into the proper place in your message.

Even if you use the link maker, it's a good idea to know how to make clickable links. Here's how:

<a href="https://www.mudcat.org">Click here</a>

<a href="mailto:joe@mudcat.org">Click to e-mail</a>

If you're posting links at Mudcat, the quotation marks are optional. I prefer not to use them, because they complicate the task of making links. Simple is better, I think. Fewer misteaks.
I find it's best to open a new browser window [CTRL-N] and navigate your way to the site you want to link to. Highlight and copy [CTRL-C] the URL (address) of the site, and then go back to your Mudcat message and paste [CTRL-V] the URL into your link. Be sure to include the http:// in that URL. The quotation marks are standard procedure, but most links and HTML tags work just fine without quotation marks.
I'd like ask our "regulars" to take the time to learn how to do within-Mudcat clickable links (internal links). When you make a link, leave out the http://XXX.mudcat.org (XXX being the name of the server). That way, the link keeps the reader in the server he/she was using. Our regulars post a lot of internal links, and I've had to spend a lot of time changing them. If you linked to ragtime or dharma or shorty or loki (all now dead), or even www - there are times that those servers aren't working, and your link then leads people to a dead end. The link maker tool handles this correctly - but it doesn't hurt to know how to do it yourself.
The above tells you how to make clickable links. I'd also like to encourage you to explore all the links you'll find at Mudcat. For Mudcat Members, one very important link is the little grey box that sometimes appears and says You have XX Messages. The words in that box are a clickable link - clicking on the words will take you to your personal messages on your own personal page. Please take full advantage of personal messages for sending personal chit-chat and phone numbers and other personal stuff that doesn't belong in a public forum. Personal messages are one of the nicest advantages of Mudcat Membership.

-Joe Offer-
Here are some other HTML tags to try:

Click here for more HTML stuff

Updated November 2003