VBD2 is closed. Please go to https://vbd3.co.uk instead.

I’ve found a really useful crib here detailing how to use “bbcode” (which is shorthand for Bulletin Board Code - essentially a simplified mark-up, i.e. text formatting, language).

Gobbledegook Hugh!! Can't make head nor tail of all that computer talk.

motorman wrote:Gobbledegook Hugh!! Can't make head nor tail of all that computer talk.

That makes two of us lol

nickjones wrote:

motorman wrote:Gobbledegook Hugh!! Can't make head nor tail of all that computer talk.

That makes two of us lol

Well that makes four of us now, mind you counting was never my forte. btw Hugh, how did you post the hidden weblink? I tried the URL function but couldn't get it right.

Useful to whom? or not many of which populate these pages I would suggest. Some of us still type with one finger!

when you click to make a post...all these codes are at the top of the posting box...you can bold and italic and underline and other things on that page...very simple to use

I think the comments were mostly "tongue in cheek".

I’m no computer geek (as Tony Robinson once proclaimed on a T-shirt during an episode of Time Team “I’m a Luddite, I don’t own a plough”), but I do have the advantage of having had WordStar as my first word processing program.
That used a series of codes for text formatting which had to be embedded in the text: one at the start of a particular word or phrase to turn a format on, and one and the end of the word or phrase to turn the format off again. Actually, you can get Word to work in exactly the same way. Try typing something, then press the Bold function button, type some more, press the Bold function button again and type some more. When you inspect what you have typed you will see that the Bold button has worked as a switch, turning the formatting on and then off.
BBCode (which appears to be a highly simplified form of the text formatting part of HTML – the language webpages are written in) works in a similar way. Formatting is turned on by a code in the text and is then turned off again in exactly the same way. A format command is denoted by the use of paired square brackets containing the appropriate letter(s). So to turn bold on, the command is “[b]”. Turning a command off is easy. It is the same command, but with the addition of “/” (which you can think of as having the value “not”). So, to turn bold off again, the command is “[/b]”.
Posting web addresses works in exactly the same way. The syntax is “[url]web address[/url]”. If you want to hyperlink text (as you know, I do like to use ‘here’ for this purpose), the syntax is “[url=web address]here[/url]”.
Fortunately many of the BBCodes are pre-programmed and shown in the menu bar above the reply box. All I can say is, have a practice. If you get it wrong, you can always edit or delete the post. All you have to remember is that these codes work as toggle switches and always occur in pairs: one to turn a format on, one to turn it off. On, off, on, off – it couldn’t be easier if you tried – honest!

WordStar now that takes me back !! Sorry idris but far quicker for me to click a button at the top when I post or reply to add formatting to my text - its the latest thing , you should try it

Moyboy wrote:WordStar now that takes me back !! Sorry idris but far quicker for me to click a button at the top when I post or reply to add formatting to my text - its the latest thing , you should try it

Hey Mick - you got it all right, that's really amazing!!

Kay