Optimal Use of the JBoard Questions

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TheyCallMeMrKid
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Optimal Use of the JBoard Questions

Post by TheyCallMeMrKid »

As a relative newcomer here, wondering if someone with more experience can offer some tips on how to use JBoard to optimize efficiency and value. (I realize that this may be posted somewhere in the annals, so I apologize for repeating something that may have been said 100 times, but I could not figure out what the magic keyword might be.)

A few questions:

1. What do you find to be the most efficient way to keep updated on updated comments to the board? Do you wait for e-mails, linger on the board all day, have some sort of feed set up to send them to you in another way, or other?
2. What do you find to be the most efficient way to participate in TDs? I have been keeping a MS Word window open as I read clues, and shrink it so that I can read the clue and see my typing at the same time. I then copy all of my answers to a PM. While feeling a little more efficient that hand-writing then typing into PM, this still seems a little cumbersome. Are there any other better suggestions out there?
3. :? How do you insert pictures and videos into posts? I feel stupid for not being able to figure this out. :oops:
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zakharov
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Re: Optimal Use of the JBoard Questions

Post by zakharov »

Dude, it's a message board, not a logic problem. There's no "efficiency" to worry about here. Use the "last read" icon to find stuff you haven't read already. If you miss a few posts, the board doesn't move so quickly that you can't go back and re-read.
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Paucle
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Re: Optimal Use of the JBoard Questions

Post by Paucle »

2. Here's how I do TDs: copy the entire TD, then open a PM to the host and paste it in there. As you type an answer for each question, erase the question. When you're done, enter a subject (not before you're done, so as not to send by accident) and send.

3. I always forget how to do that, so I just go to a post where it's been done and click QUOTE. The ensuing window quotes the entire message, coding and all, so you can see how to do that neat stuff.
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Magna
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Re: Optimal Use of the JBoard Questions

Post by Magna »

#2: I usually look at the questions first and start thinking about them. When I'm ready to enter the competition, I open a notepad program while looking at the TD questions, then type answers into it (including "drop" or the like). After mulling it over for as long as I think I need/can stand to, I copy and paste my answers into a PM. I've also used Paucle's method - it works well for harder TDs.
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econgator
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Re: Optimal Use of the JBoard Questions

Post by econgator »

Paucle wrote:2. Here's how I do TDs: copy the entire TD, then open a PM to the host and paste it in there. As you type an answer for each question, erase the question. When you're done, enter a subject (not before you're done, so as not to send by accident) and send.
Just an FYI, if you click the PM icon from within a post, it quotes the entire post for you in the PM. So, just delete out the formatting commands and there you go.
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Magna
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Re: Optimal Use of the JBoard Questions

Post by Magna »

econgator wrote:
Paucle wrote:2. Here's how I do TDs: copy the entire TD, then open a PM to the host and paste it in there. As you type an answer for each question, erase the question. When you're done, enter a subject (not before you're done, so as not to send by accident) and send.
Just an FYI, if you click the PM icon from within a post, it quotes the entire post for you in the PM. So, just delete out the formatting commands and there you go.
I don't have a PM icon in any of the posts I see. I can click on the poster's name, and I'm taken to the page where I can click "send a private message." But that PM doesn't have any quoted material in it. Are you thinking of the "quote" function?
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econgator
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Re: Optimal Use of the JBoard Questions

Post by econgator »

Magna wrote:
econgator wrote:
Paucle wrote:2. Here's how I do TDs: copy the entire TD, then open a PM to the host and paste it in there. As you type an answer for each question, erase the question. When you're done, enter a subject (not before you're done, so as not to send by accident) and send.
Just an FYI, if you click the PM icon from within a post, it quotes the entire post for you in the PM. So, just delete out the formatting commands and there you go.
I don't have a PM icon in any of the posts I see. I can click on the poster's name, and I'm taken to the page where I can click "send a private message." But that PM doesn't have any quoted material in it. Are you thinking of the "quote" function?
Right-hand side, under the word "Joined".
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Magna
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Re: Optimal Use of the JBoard Questions

Post by Magna »

econgator wrote:Right-hand side, under the word "Joined".
Yes, I see it now! :D I would still review and edit my answers in a separate document before sending, just to avoid mistakes.
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Paucle
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Re: Optimal Use of the JBoard Questions

Post by Paucle »

You can save it as a draft at anytime while composing.
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Re: Optimal Use of the JBoard Questions

Post by opusthepenguin »

TheyCallMeMrKid wrote:3. :? How do you insert pictures and videos into posts? I feel stupid for not being able to figure this out. :oops:
There are two ways to insert images.

1. Click on the Img button. Copy and paste a link to the online location of the image.

Image
In the composition pane, it'll look something like this: [img ]http://your_image_url_here.jpg[/img ] (but without the space between "img" and the close bracket.

PRO: Works well if the image you want to show is available online somewhere. (You can make it available online, of course, by uploading it to Flickr or Photobucket or Instagram or Google Photos or Tumblr or Wordpress or....

CON: There doesn't appear to be a way to specify the size of the image inline. You can't do it in terms of percentage of screen width, which would be ideal, or even in absolute (pixel) terms. I hope I'm wrong about that and someone can correct me. The BBCode tricks I've tried haven't work. The reader's browser will solve the problem of too-large images in a ruthlessly Procrustean manner. It'll lop off whatever doesn't fit. (Well, it's still there. Readers just can't see it unless they open it in another screen or in an image viewer.) Worse, there's no consistency. How large an image is too large? That depends on how boardies have their screen and browser configured. Some won't be able to see the whole image up above. For others, it will appear too small and they'll have to squint.

2. Click on the "Upload attachment" tab below the composition pane.
Note the scroll bars. You'll probably have to scroll down to see the "Upload attachment" tab.
Note the scroll bars. You'll probably have to scroll down to see the "Upload attachment" tab.
How to Insert an Image 2 (1280x720).jpg (181.45 KiB) Viewed 11902 times
This will let you browse to the image on your computer and upload it to the JBoard. You will then be given the opportunity to add a comment and click the "Place inline" button. The attachment will show up wherever the cursor currently is in the post you're composing. There's a 250k size limit but that should be enough.

PRO: The image doesn't have to be online already.

CON: Look at the result.
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opusthepenguin
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Re: Optimal Use of the JBoard Questions

Post by opusthepenguin »

TheyCallMeMrKid wrote:3. :? How do you insert pictures and videos into posts? I feel stupid for not being able to figure this out. :oops:
There are two ways to link to videos in your posts.

1. You can display a Youtube video within the post using the [youtube] tag. There's no button to click. You just have to remember what to type. In the draft of your post, the link will look like this:
The result will look like this:



RESTRICTIONS:
  • Only works for Youtube
  • Doesn't work with links that begin with https://. They have to start with http://. Your browser may automatically show Youtube videos using https://. You won't even notice it. But if you put that link between [youtube] tags, it won't work. E.g.
    Unless you delete that "s", JBoard won't show the video.
  • Doesn't work with the shorter links provided by Youtube when you click "share". E.g.
    links to the same video as above. But JBoard's software won't recognize it as a Youtube link.
  • Doesn't work with anything appended to the end of the URL. E.g.
    Note the "&feature=youtu.be" at the end of the first link. (The Youtube "share" link mentioned previously gets redirected to a URL with that last part added.) JBoard don't like that. Delete it.

    Note the "#t=113" at the end of the second link. If you paste the link into your address bar, that last bit tells Youtube to start the video at the 113-second mark. It's a useful feature, but can't be used in JBoard-embedded videos.
PRO: Boardies don't have to follow a link to Youtube and view the video there. That can be a bother, especially when it's just a quick, throwaway joke.

CONS:
  • Video can't be switched to fullscreen (as far as I know).
  • It's easy to forget (or never figure out) one of the Restrictions I listed and end up frustrated.
  • When people reply to your post, they often don't bother removing the video. So it sits there in your quote, taking up a lot of screen real estate.
2. You can link to any video, including a Youtube, the same way you link to any web page, via the URL button.

Image

In the draft of your post, the link will look something like this:
When you Preview or Submit your post, it will look like this:
Alternatively, you can put a description of what you're linking to between the tags and put "url=" plus the actual link between the the first set of brackets. E.g. if you create the link like this:
It will show up on the board like this:
PRO: You don't have to remember a bunch of restrictions. Notice how my links above use https:// and the shorter Youtube "share" links and the neat trick that starts the video at the point of interest. The [url] tag works with any valid link. Vimeo, Dailymotion, Photobucket, Wikipedia, J-Archive, whatever. The link takes the boardie to the actual site where videos can be viewed in fullscreen and all features are available. Also, it gives people the option of not clicking on the link if they don't want to.

CON: Why should they have that option? You know they'll be a better, more fulfilled individual if they just look at what you're trying to show them. :D
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Re: Optimal Use of the JBoard Questions

Post by alietr »

BTW, if anybody can find a better implementation of custom BB codes to implement the Youtube tag, I'd be happy to implement it. I made a quick look a while back and didn't find a better one, but if someone does, please bring it to my attention.
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Mathew5000
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Re: Optimal Use of the JBoard Questions

Post by Mathew5000 »

Alietr, is it possible to enable image resizing on jboard using the parameters mentioned here? Or even better, image resizing as a percentage of the user's window width? As Opus noted above, it can be a pain to incude an image when only a large size is available and there's no way to reduce it for display.
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Re: Optimal Use of the JBoard Questions

Post by alietr »

Mathew5000 wrote:Alietr, is it possible to enable image resizing on jboard using the parameters mentioned here? Or even better, image resizing as a percentage of the user's window width? As Opus noted above, it can be a pain to incude an image when only a large size is available and there's no way to reduce it for display.
Yeah, I should be able to take care of that when I have chance. Thanks.
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Re: Optimal Use of the JBoard Questions

Post by opusthepenguin »

alietr wrote:
Mathew5000 wrote:Alietr, is it possible to enable image resizing on jboard using the parameters mentioned here? Or even better, image resizing as a percentage of the user's window width? As Opus noted above, it can be a pain to incude an image when only a large size is available and there's no way to reduce it for display.
Yeah, I should be able to take care of that when I have chance. Thanks.
No, man, thank YOU. Thanks even if you never get the chance. Thanks even more if you do.

To me, the optimum would be a default resizing to 100% of JBoard width (possibly only applied to images that exceed that width). Then secondarily, there'd be the opportunity for BBCode geeks to override with percentage or pixel specs. But I don't have a clue what's involved in implementing any of this.
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lisa0012
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Re: Optimal Use of the JBoard Questions

Post by lisa0012 »

opusthepenguin wrote: To me, the optimum would be a default resizing to 100% of JBoard width (possibly only applied to images that exceed that width). Then secondarily, there'd be the opportunity for BBCode geeks to override with percentage or pixel specs. But I don't have a clue what's involved in implementing any of this.
I'm not a BBCode geek, but I'd like a smaller resizing option. I hate sharing a picture if it fits within the window, but is large enough that it seems that it would disrupt the flow of the conversation. A 1000x1000 might fit, but it would also be annoying. I try to find pictures under 400x400 if I need one to illustrate a point.

Also, to Alietr etc...

Image
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Re: Optimal Use of the JBoard Questions

Post by alietr »

It is done. I have implemented a custom code using the tag "image". See below for an example of the implementation. Just quote this post to see what it looks like. The original image of John Dickinson (1776 meanie and apropos for the Fourth of July) is much smaller than the original. Basically, instead of 'img', use 'image' followed by =x,y where x and y are the dimensions you want of the image. I haven't worked on Opus's original problem, however. Don't know about that one. Happy 4th, all!

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Mathew5000
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Re: Optimal Use of the JBoard Questions

Post by Mathew5000 »

Thank you, Alietr!
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Re: Optimal Use of the JBoard Questions

Post by RandyG »

alietr wrote:It is done. I have implemented a custom code using the tag "image". See below for an example of the implementation. Just quote this post to see what it looks like. The original image of John Dickinson (1776 meanie and apropos for the Fourth of July) is much smaller than the original. Basically, instead of 'img', use 'image' followed by =x,y where x and y are the dimensions you want of the image. I haven't worked on Opus's original problem, however. Don't know about that one. Happy 4th, all!

Cool!!
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Re: Optimal Use of the JBoard Questions

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