Fellow Forum Members:

Is there any way to import text into one's post besides good old cut and paste? I would like to compose my posts off-site then import the finished result into the forum for submission.

My reasons?

* I like being able to stop and start my writing. When I write I want to be able to leave this site to do a quick search [etc] or leave the internet entirely and go to my saved documents [etc,] -- then return to my message.[How ADD of me...] And then there is the matter of bathroom breaks and stopping so I can load the washed laundry into a dryer [or on to a improvised clothesline in the living room...].

* I have an older machine -- a laptop running Windows ME. [Stop snickering] AND I am using dial-up. [ Again, stop snickering.]. I use the Firefox browser [ 1.08 -- 1.5 has simply to much 'bloat' for my little machine.]

BTW I composed this in plain text in my Thunderbird e-mail client [Open source, free download. http://www.mozilla.com/thunderbird/] Unlike Notepad, Thunderbird DOES do spell check.

Thanks.

I don't know what could be better and simpler than cut and paste? :D What do you want to be able to do? Why would you need something different? FYI-do not do too much formatting and the like, sometimes the forum post processor does not like it and your post will not be accepted

Why don't you keep doing the copy and paste-Unless there is something easier? Then you can format your post the way you like in the reply window. The geekier ones among us know so much more than I though, I bow to their Geek Dogginess. They are DOG! Delightfully Omnipotent Geeks!

RADD
Hey, they laugh at me for using Internet Explorer! Old computer is better than no computer! Take care. You won't accidentally lose posts the way you do it! Trust me. I learned the hard way-and cut and paste for long or complex posts that require lots of brain work. :)

I'm fairly fluent with vB code (the markup language used in vBulletin to format posts), so I tend to insert my markup directly. Like for bold: [b]Your Text Here[/b] and so on. I use the standard post editor, which the WYSIWYG editor is on by default here. The standard editor is simply a text box that allows you to enter in your markup in raw form. To enter my posts, I just use a text editor that does spell checking. Often I use SlickEdit, but I'm sure there's a free text editor out there that will do the same. Some copy and paste using Microsoft Word, but it tends not to work very well (At least, looking at all the garbage it creates).

An outline of vB code usage:
http://www.addforums.com/forums/misc.php?do=bbcode

I type longer post in Word simply because complicated processes loose my interested. . . . .I can copy and paste using which ever method is closer to my fingers when I decide to do so.

I can recycle any thing and nurse most living organisms but when it comes to posting I am happy if it is produced in a language that resembles English. I have learned some simple mark up stuff (guess that is what you guys call the bold, various text colors ect. . .) because it is easier to type it up as I go while in word before transferring it here.

If you are one line a while because of spelling attention span ect I do know one thing about dial up- may what to turn off that auto disconnect timer. . . . that may end irregular balding patterns and prevent one form inadvertently teaching small children curse words. . . . . I also make sure to keep a copy of my work when I post some thing that requires research or real thinking because every once in a while the system has chosen to eat some thing or go down the minute I decide to post and it never does these cute tricks when I am posting some thing simply . . . . . it can only have fun with me when I am posting a response resembling a dissertation other wise it would not be fun for the system or the computer. . . . .I had more problems on dial-up; changing to broad ban seemed to decrease the frequency of eaten post.

Amateur minute over

PS thanks for the link HF! I might learn some thing cool. . . . . . .and useful!

Thanks to every one for the input. I have reset the 'message editor interface' to standard and I have bookmarked that 'vB code' page link. [I disabled my computer's 'auto-disconnect' and other 'helpful' features early on...]

I am a relative newcomer to the online world. The irony is that the more time I spend in it, the further back in its history I find myself. I missed the text-only era, so I did not know when I started about those helpful keyboard commands etc. that are still useful in these GUI times.

Why bother? One good reason is money. I can't afford to be in the IT forced march -- especially when the basics haven't fundamentally changed. I'll upgrade when *I* am ready. [I'm sorry but Internet Explorer is part of the problem...]