The Quote Function - a tutorial in several parts.

[imatfaal]

The quote function - a brief tutorial; although I expect/hope that this might grow into a thread as other members explain techniques and tricks that I don't know about.


1. Plain Quote Box

The simplest form of quotation is used to make it clear that some text is copied from elsewhere and isn't yours - a link or source is expected as well.

Plagiarism is the "wrongful appropriation" and "purloining and publication" of another author's "language, thoughts, ideas, or expressions," and the representation of them as one's own original work. The idea remains problematic with unclear definitions and unclear rules.The modern concept of plagiarism as immoral and originality as an ideal emerged in Europe only in the 18th century, particularly with the Romantic movement.

From Wikipedia page on Plagiarism - here

a. Copy text from source
b. Paste - you can just right-click / ctrl-v or you can use the paste plain text button if you want to remove formatting and hyperlinks



c. Highlight the text - click the quote button



d. Go back to source and copy webpage address
e. Paste this into your post normally
f. If you want to customise your link (as above) investigate the link button



2. Quoting a Post

We also have a system that allows us to quote another post from the forum - the software will automatically add in the name, time, and date of the post quoted as well as putting a link to the source.

Within one thread this is a one click job -

a. click the quote button at the bottom right of the post you wish to quote. Hit "return/enter" or use your mouse to move the cursor outside of the quote box, and then start typing your response.



You can see the link button that appears on a post quote - clicking this little curved arrow will take you directly to the quoted post.



Note you can do this at any point of your post - the quote will be inserted at the point you leave the cursor.

2a. Quoting from another thread

 

If you wish to quote a post from a different thread - it is basically the same process

 

a. Hit quote button at the the bottom of the post you wish to quote.

b. Copy entire contents of text entry box.

c. Paste this in thread where you wish quote to appear.

d. It would be best if you also provide a notice that this quoted post is from another thread.

e. I would copy the post in BBcode mode - see 5 below - as it is easier to see what must be copied.

 

3. Editing a Quote

You can also delete partial content of the quoted post to make it clear which part of a post your are responding to - ALWAYS make sure that this is done obviously to avoid misrepresenting another member

a. Quote as above in 2.

2. We also have a system that allows ...

Note you can do this at any point of your post
...

b. Click and select section(s) to be deleted (do not select first character of post this will break things) - and delete. Replace with ellipsis, with [deleted] or \snipped.

c. You can quote and delete multiple times to reply to different sections of a post. Or quoting different posters.

The
/snipped

a. click the quote button at the bottom right of the post you wish to quote.
[remainder deleted]

4. MultiQuote


If you wish to quote multiple posts in full there is an easy short cut using the multiquote button



1. Hit the multiquote button on each post you wish to quote - it will turn green
2. When you have selected all the posts you wish to quote hit the newly appeared floating button



You can edit these posts as above but again ALWAYS make sure that this is done obviously to avoid misrepresenting another member


5. BBCode (thanks to HyperV - I had forgotten this bit)

Splitting quotes may also done by clicking the light-switch button on the top left of the reply box.

a. Hit the lightswitch styled button


b. This will show any hidden BBCode tags in the post
c. This view and the use of tags will allow you to break up quotes using the begin quote

and end quote

tags around the sections of text you wish to separate (without the space).
d. Please note that you must have the same number of

tags as you do

tags.

You may edit a quote to show who authored it using, as an example,

to begin the quote.

This will produce a quote that looks like this.

This is very handy if you are quoting multiple sections of quotes from different members.

[Lightmeow]

What are the rules for paraphrasing?

[StringJunky]

What are the rules for paraphrasing?

If you made it seem like a direct quote but the content or spirit was distorted beyond the author's intent that would be misleading and can't be good form. Also, I think you need to preface or follow your version of what someone said in such a way that the reader is clearly informed that it is paraphrased.

 

On topic:

 

There seems to be two ways to get the cursor out of the quote box after editing depending on what mood the software is in. Normally I can just click it outside the box and there the cursor will be but sometimes it it gets stuck. If you take it to the end of the quote after editing it then double-tap the enter button it should be outside the box.

Edited March 14, 2014 by StringJunky

[imatfaal]

What are the rules for paraphrasing?

 

Like in an essay - make it clear you are paraphrasing. It is rather external to this thread as a section of prose that is paraphrasing another's ideas never ever goes in quotation marks. As Stringjunky says below it might be seen as deceptive if a paraphrase is made to appear as if it were a direct quote and it is good posting practice to overtly mention that you are re-wording another persons text (see what I did there - metaparaphrasing)

 

If you made it seem like a direct quote but the content or spirit was distorted beyond the author's intent that would be misleading and can't be good form. Also, I think you need to preface or follow your version of what someone said in such a way that the reader is clearly informed that it is paraphrased.

 

On topic:

 

There seems to be two ways to get the cursor out of the quote box after editing depending on what mood the software is in. Normally I can just click it outside the box and there the cursor will be but sometimes it it gets stuck. If you take it to the end of the quote after editing it then double-tap the enter button it should be outside the box.

 

The behaviour of the cursor and the software doing "its own thing" is one of the reasons we decided a thread was necessary. I tried to list things that (nearly) always work - but if there are problems with any of the methods let me know and I will attempt a workaround.

[Daedalus]

In addition to thanking Imatfaal for putting together such a wonderful tutorial that will hopefully be put to use, I would also like to add that you can nest quotes. The forum software used to do this automatically when you quoted someone who also quoted someone else. To nest quotes, you simply copy and paste the quoted text inside the quote.

 

 

What are the rules for paraphrasing?

Like in an essay - make it clear you are paraphrasing. It is rather external to this thread as a section of prose that is paraphrasing another's ideas never ever goes in quotation marks. As Stringjunky says below it might be seen as deceptive if a paraphrase is made to appear as if it were a direct quote and it is good posting practice to overtly mention that you are re-wording another persons text (see what I did there - metaparaphrasing)

 

If you made it seem like a direct quote but the content or spirit was distorted beyond the author's intent that would be misleading and can't be good form. Also, I think you need to preface or follow your version of what someone said in such a way that the reader is clearly informed that it is paraphrased.

 

On topic:

 

There seems to be two ways to get the cursor out of the quote box after editing depending on what mood the software is in. Normally I can just click it outside the box and there the cursor will be but sometimes it it gets stuck. If you take it to the end of the quote after editing it then double-tap the enter button it should be outside the box.

The behaviour of the cursor and the software doing "its own thing" is one of the reasons we decided a thread was necessary. I tried to list things that (nearly) always work - but if there are problems with any of the methods let me know and I will attempt a workaround.

 

Of course, this involves you pressing the quote button for both posts, copying the quoted text, and then pasting one quote inside the other.

Edited March 15, 2014 by Daedalus

[kristalris]

 

 

OOPS This clearly didn't work.

2. Quoting a Post

We also have a system that allows us to quote another post from the forum - the software will automatically add in the name, time, and date of the post quoted as well as putting a link to the source.

Within one thread this is a one click job -

a. click the quote button at the bottom right of the post you wish to quote. Hit "return/enter" or use your mouse to move the cursor outside of the quote box, and then start typing your response.

You can see the link button that appears on a post quote - clicking this little curved arrow will take you directly to the quoted post.

END QUOTE

 

OOPS again. Bit of a John Cleese moment gallantly fighting it out with this unwilling machine.

 

When this digibeet hits the quote button (or even multi-quote button) I get the entire quote box. It used to be possible to simply put the cursor on the spot where I wanted to snip double enter and the box split. This doesn't work anymore.

 

Now I'm trying to understand what is meant by above quote. When I get an entire quote box by hitting the quote button and I need to edit this in more quote boxes is that what is meant by multi-quote? Because that doesn't work either. When I hit the little arrow I end up in the quoted post and then what? How do I get back to my intended reply box? Let alone not getting anything to appear were my cursor is at as you say.

 

Now I guess someone is going to tell me that I should par rules have referred to the help desk. Anyway: help (please).

 

Edited March 23, 2014 by kristalris

[swansont]

It used to be possible to simply put the cursor on the spot where I wanted to snip double enter and the box split. This doesn't work anymore.

 

 

Yes, which is one of the issues with the so-calld upgrade to the forum software and one of the reasons for the tutorial. To do this you need to follow section 5, and copy/paste or type the quote tags around the sections you wish to quote.

[Acme]

...

We also have a system that allows us to quote another post from the forum - the software will automatically add in the name, time, and date of the post quoted as well as putting a link to the source.

 

Within one thread this is a one click job -

 

a. click the quote button at the bottom right of the post you wish to quote. Hit "return/enter" or use your mouse to move the cursor outside of the quote box, and then start typing your response.

 

buttons4.jpg

 

You can see the link button that appears on a post quote - clicking this little curved arrow will take you directly to the quoted post.

 

buttons7.jpg

 

Note you can do this at any point of your post - the quote will be inserted at the point you leave the cursor. ...

This is very handy if you are quoting multiple sections of quotes from different members. ...

Just revisiting the above as I continually see folks old and new either using just quotation marks when quoting from a post or if using the Quote function, not including the name of who is quoted or the place/post/thread the quote came from.

 

So what gives? Ignorance? Disdain for convention? Habit? Stubbornness? Whatever the reason(s), not using the system is with few exceptions an impediment to our discussions. :soapbox:

[LaurieAG]

It's best if you use the full Editor and click "Preview Post" before adding your reply.

Edited June 13, 2014 by LaurieAG

[Acme]

It's best if you use the full Editor and click "Preview Post" before adding your reply.

Agreed. But I don't think proofreading is the issue/problem with those not using the Quote system. I don't understand the problem folks have using it, particularly seemingly otherwise intelligent folk and long-time members. Again but with verve; WTF?

[TheVat]

For a half  hour or so,  I have been unable to make either the quote or reply function work here in a couple threads.   I click on the buttons, but  nothing happens.   I verified I was still logged in.   Is this a routine glitch here or is something going on today?   This thread,  obviously, is not having the problem.

OK,  now it's working again.   As with many glitches,  there may be no answer to this.   

Edited October 19, 2021 by TheVat
ETA that it's working now

[swansont]

I've noticed on occasion that it doesn't work if the page hasn't fully loaded. Reloading sometimes fixes this.

You can highlight a portion of text and click on the "quote" popup (but that doesn't properly attribute the quote if you are highlighting quoted text)

On occasion, hitting return/enter will simply not break up the quote boxes as it should. I don't know why.

An alternate option to using the quote function directly is to copy/paste text, select it, and then hit the quote button in the toolbar (the double quotation mark) but that won't attribute the quote, so the person will not be notified of the response.

[iNow]

2 hours ago, TheVat said:

For a half  hour or so,  I have been unable to make either the quote or reply function work here in a couple threads

I've noticed this too, but am often on my mobile device and chalked it up to a recent software upgrade on iOS. Any chance that's how you're accessing? 

[TheVat]

A quick (I hope) one:  when I cut/paste from another site on the web, the rich-text format seems to then apply to whatever I type after (so that, say, a biggish font is perpetuated down through my own writing).    How do I keep that paste in its distinct font and format, but be able to type in the standard font in the following paragraph?   The only workaround i've found so far, which is hitting submit and then typing another post as quick as I can so my total post isn't broken up into separate parts by another member post, is a bit perilous.  

 

 

I guess I just put the pasted text in its own quote box?  Seems redundant, when the format already makes clear it is a clip from elsewhere, but I can do that.  

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is ready to warn Vladimir Putin during a video call Tuesday that Russia will face economy-jarring sanctions if it invades neighboring Ukraine as Biden seeks a diplomatic solution to deal with the tens of thousands of Russian troops massed near the Ukraine border.

End of quote, and this is me doing the following paragraph.  As you see, I am now stuck in the AP font, as I write my own text.  I tried to cursor my way away from the quoted text, but it wouldn't let me do that.  So I guess the quote box was my only solution here? 

[studiot]

I have found when using either the quote function from the input toolbar or the quote function for a previous post or part of one that you need to exit the editor's setting by hitting return a few times untl your cursor is a few lines clear of the quoted passage.

I also find that doing this to separate several quotes is a good idea as sometimes the limits overlay each other.