How to trim quoted material from posts

[Martin X. Moleski, SJ]

Video tutorial on how to trim quotations.

The goal is to reduce the material from a previous post to the bare minimum so that your new comment makes sense.

You can insert a quote anywhere in a post by pressing the "insert quote" button in the line of editing buttons above the text-entry area.

You may also, of course, type either tag by hand.  The tag is composed of plain characters found on your keyboard.

When you reply to a post by pressing the "Quote" button, the entire message to which you are replying is placed inside quotation tags:



Here is how it looks in the edit window:

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[quote author=Martin X. Moleski, SJ link=topic=377.msg3943#msg3943 date=1305895965]
The purpose of the TIGHAR Forum is to pool the resources of its participants, share information, and allow participants to explore the strengths and weaknesses of each other's arguments. ...
[/quote]


Here is how it looks in the completed post:

The purpose of the TIGHAR Forum is to pool the resources of its participants, share information, and allow participants to explore the strengths and weaknesses of each other's arguments. ...

When you quote someone who has quoted someone else, you get quote tags inside of quote tags.

This is how it looks in the edit window:

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[quote author=Third author]
[quote author=Second author]
[quote author=First author]
This is what the first author wrote.
[/quote]
This is what the second author wrote.
[/quote]
This is what the third and most recent author wrote.
[/quote]


This is how it looks in the completed post:

This is what the first author wrote.

This is what the second author wrote.

This is what the third and most recent author wrote.

This can very quickly become incomprehensible.  Don't metagrobolize your readers! 

[Mona Kendrick]

Marty, when I quote someone and reply, sometimes my reply appears in the blue like it's a quotation, even though I start typing after the close quotation tag.  How come?

Mona

[Martin X. Moleski, SJ]

Marty, when I quote someone and reply, sometimes my reply appears in the blue like it's a
quotation, even though I start typing after the close quotation tag.  How come?

Mona

That can happen if the person you are quoting did not have "nested" tags.  In this case,
I have two "begin quote tags" but only one "close quote tag.

Here is the full "source code" for this post.  Notice the two opening tags and only one closing tag:

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[quote author=Mona Kendrick link=topic=392.msg6856#msg6856 date=1322675252]
[quote]
Marty, when I quote someone and reply, sometimes my reply appears in the blue like it's a quotation, even though I start typing after the close quotation tag.  How come?

Mona
[/quote]

That can happen if the person you are quoting did not have "nested" tags.  In this case, I have two "begin quote tags" but only one "close quote tag.

Here is the full "source code" for this post.  Notice the two opening tags and only one closing tag:


[Martin X. Moleski, SJ]

This is a fake quotation.  I'm making it up.  The next quotation from Mona is real ...

Marty, when I quote someone and reply, sometimes my reply appears in the blue like it's a quotation, even though I start typing after the close quotation tag.  How come?

I've demonstrated the problem in the post above.

Here I'm showing how quoting someone who is quoting someone should look when the number of opening and closing tags are properly distributed.

[Dan Swift]

Thanks Marty!
I will study that.  Great tutorial! 

[Martin X. Moleski, SJ]

Thanks Marty!
I will study that.  Great tutorial!

My pleasure, Dan.  I'm glad you like it.   :)