The Ozman Tests

[ccga3359]

"Ozman Tests" has taken on a life of it's own; (Never had a whole thread named after me before. Firstly, I'd like to thank the little people - no not the Pixies!)

I hope it will help some other dummies like myself - we just don't "get" computer stuff I'm afraid. This is when we WANT to be treated like three year-olds, it's the only way we can understand it all.

Actually the title sounds like the next hollywood blockbuster. "Come soon to a theatre near you, 'The Ozman Tests'".

When the Mods made this it's own thread I believe they saw a chance for you (and others) to learn. As frustrated as you got you wouldn't give up. But if you could learn it so could others. And you did learn it as did others. You may feel like you were singled out or faced with the potential for ridicule (of course, not for this but your choice of those hose with that shirt...). I doff my hat to you Stan and thank you for making this forum that much better with your smiling face.

What's next renamed clickable links?

[Mike1]

David;
I hit the edit & it just shows IMGcode. Is that what I'm meant to see?

Correct, clicking the Edit button will show you a post with raw BBCodes.

[Ozman1944]

Sorry Grant, but my snow-white hose were in the wash.......

[Mike1]

Somebody please put a browser box in here!!! PLEASE!

You might want to remember you just might get what you are hoping for. ~IF~ a photo gallery is installed, then each member will suddenly be faced with limitations on how many images they are allowed to post. At present, you can insert up to 10 images per post. If a gallery is added, you will quite likely be held to a maximum of 25-30 images. Which means that some of the members that regularly post picture threads would see all of that going away.

You still wanting that photo gallery script added?

All the other web-sites that look like this one have them, why not this one...I can't figure out how to do the link thing either...This is totally unfair.

Nonsense. Look at all the people posting pictures on this forum. Each and every one of them had to learn how it is done. They could have rolled over and played dead, but chose to keep trying to learn how it is done.

Pay attention -

See this URL? http://www.aztech.ws/images/forum/jacquie.jpg

That is a link, or URL, or Web address, to a picture stored on one of my Web sites. The Web site is http://www.aztech.ws/ and on that site, there is a folder called images/ and in that folder is another folder called forum/ and in that folder is an image called jacquie and that image is stored in a .jpg format. If I want to look at Jacquie's picture, I have to 'drive' to see it. And since I already know the address of where the image is on the Web, I can 'drive' right to it.

Take a look at that URL and familiarize yourself with the structure. Better yet, write it down on a piece of paper. Do as I say, write it down. I'm not going further until you've written it. Get one character wrong or out of place and the whole mess goes down the plughole, so write carefully.

Now, go up there and click on that URL and see what happens.

Ohmigosh, you opened up a picture from a bluidy string of words and characters!! You're half-way to being a computer genius. Now before you throw away that scrap of paper with the URL written on it, I want you to click on that link again, only this time, look up there in the address window of your browser. Compare the slip of paper to your browser. My stars, what next, you had the URL of the image before you ever saw the image!

OK, now click on that URL one last time. When the picture appears, I want you to put your mouse pointer over it and right-click the image. Look, you made a dialogue box appear, as if by magic. In that box, there is a line that says Properties. Click on that word. Whoa, this is too much! You've now opened another dialogue box. See the word Location? What does it say after location? I'm betting the farm it says http://www.aztech.ws/images/forum/jacquie.jpg

Was I right or wrong? Ha! You've just discovered how to find an image's address on the Web.

OK, now reply to this thread and when you are looking at a text entry window, I bet you see an image that looks a bit like this -

When you're ready to insert the image into your post, click on that and it will open up a dialogue box. You are really getting good with opening all these dialogue boxes, are you aware of that? And what next, you've already got the http:// waiting for you in that box! Put your mouse pointer next to that last / and click. You should have a cursor flashing to the right of that /. Now, type in everything that is written on that scrap of paper, so the text in the dialogue box looks exactly like what you've written down. Remember, the http:// is already there, so do not type it a second time, else this ain't gonna work.

http://www.aztech.ws/images/forum/jacquie.jpg

When you're sure it all matches up, click the OK button.

It's official, you are now a full-blown computer genius. Well, OK, maybe not quite a genius, but you did manage to post a picture to the forum.

Now tell me, if I can teach a six year-old child to do this, how much harder are you going to try to make it? Admit it, you can learn how to do it. G'wan, I want to hear you say it.

STOP RIGHT THERE! I saw what you were on about. You were going to move on to the next post, weren't you? <SLAP> Wrong move. You're not going to the next post until you've read this one a few more times. Read it and re-read it. Follow the instructions a few times. Ohhh, now look. You're starting to understand what this is all about, aren't you?

Now run along and grab an appropriately-chilled adult beverage from the cooler. Heck, grab two, I'm thirsty too. Have a sip or two, smile and start posting pictures.

G'nite Gracie.

[morrison]

.... .... ....Once you are in your message here at Xmarks, you right-click (other mouse button) and select paste. It will look like this:.... .... ....

My MAC computer's mouse only has one button. No right button!

[Kilted_John]

Hold down the mouse button on a Mac with the older single button mice. That causes the popup menu to appear... Otherwise, click in the field, hit command-A, and then command-C. Go to the post, hit command-V. Then, finish up the message, and click post quick reply or "Submit".

-J

[Ozman1944]

Gee! And me being dumb started all this? Cool!

[morrison]

Time to celebrate a triumphal journey through a lively learning process! Let's have a toast to passing the Test (rather than a stone) and becoming a closer family of XMTS user/participants {participants? Shouldn't that be particikilts?}.
It's time for a PERNOD
Be certain the waiter owns at least one Kilt!

Naked Waiter recipe
3/4 oz Pernod® licorice liqueur
3/4 oz Mandarine Napoleon® orange liqueur
1 oz pineapple juice
4 oz sparkling bitter lemon soda

Pour into an ice-filled wine goblet, and garnish with a lemon wedge.

9% (18 proof)
Serve in: Wine Goblet

[CactusJack]

Gee! And me being dumb started all this? Cool!

Glad to see you have finally got the hang of posting pictures, I know it took me a few attempt to get it right as well, Can't wait to see more from you..

[Mike1]

I hate to keep relating to topics that tend to indicate my age, but those that think some of this is too difficult should have been around, not so very many years ago, when forums didn't have things like WYSIWYG editors and all the editor tools were not available.

Now, it's a simple matter to click to insert a link or click to insert an image. A few years back, if a forum supported BBCodes, you typed them yourself, because there were no graphical buttons. I became so used to just typing the codes that I never use the buttons for anything. I forget they are even up there.

All of these procedures are the same as anything we've had to learn. I can remember when I was absolutely certain I was never going to be able to master tying my own shoelaces. (yeah, we had lace-up shoes that far back) And writing in cursive? That was never going to happen, because that was like learning a foreign language. But when I was taught and then spent time practicing what I had learned and both became completely natural. Had I remained adamant and refused to even try, then I would have been 100% correct - I would still not be able to tie my shoelaces.

Although I have spent the last 30+ years printing nearly everything I write and have forgotten how to write in cursive. I can sign my name, but that's about it. I have to stop and think about how each letter is shaped, if I try to write anything else. And that proves if we practice what we are taught, we can master it.

(Hmmmm, I've discovered there is a downside to using an operating system written in another country. Ubuntu's spell-check wants me to type 'practising', rather than 'practicing'. EDIT - Check that, as it's vBulletin's spell-check doing it.)