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Pistachio Backtalk Help:
Read Item Page

Read this first: Introduction to Pistachio Backtalk

The Read Item Page:

The read item page is one the most important page in the Backtalk systems, since it is used for what Backtalk is mainly there to do: reading what other people have read, and posting your own responses.

If your browser supports frames, and you have turned on the ``use frames'' option, the read item page will be divided into two subwindows. The small window at the top of your screen, which doesn't scroll contains a number important buttons for manuvering around. The large scrollable window on the bottom of the screen is used to display the contents of the item and to enter your own responses.

If you aren't using frames, there will be just one window, with the control panel buttons appearing both on the top and the bottom of the window.

The Navigation Buttons:

Most of the buttons in the top panel are for moving around from page to page. The

button moves you to the next item in the current conference (it is gray if there is no next item). The

button moves you to the next conference in your hot list.

There is also an button that sends you to the list of items in the current conference, a button that sends you back to the conference home page, an button that sends you to the entrance page, and a button that gets you right here.

These buttons (along with your browser's ``back'' button) are pretty much the only ways to get off a particular item page. Most of the other controls do things to the current item without moving you away from it.

The Item Text:

The text of the item and its responses are displayed in the bottom window, which you can scroll up and down if the item is a long one.

The title of the item is always displayed, including the name of its author and the date it was entered. Similarly, each response will also have a number, the author's name, and the date it was posted. To find out more about the author of an item or a response, you can click on the person's login id. This will send you to their personal information page.

If you are not reading anonymously, you will see an next to each response. This is used if you don't want to read through all the responses right now, but want to continue reading it next time you come through. Just click the unseen button for the first response you haven't read yet, and that and all subsequent responses will still be ``new'' so that the next time you do a ``read new'' you will see the responses starting at that point.

Scrolling Controls:

Normally no more than 30 responses will be printed on any one page. You can reset this value by going to the ``Option Setting Page.''

Whenever less then the whole item is displayed to you, some scrolling buttons will be displayed. At the top will be a button to display the previous 30 responses, and the first 30 responses. At the bottom will be a button to display the next 30 responses, and the last 30 responses.

There is also a ``view responses'' button at the top of the text window lets you select any set of responses you want to view. To use it, first type the range of responses you want to see in the little window, and click the button. Here are some typical kinds of things you could type into the little box to display chosen responses:

4-17 responses 4 through 17

0 the item text

$ the last response of the item

-4 the last four responses of the item

4-$ responses 4 through the end of the item

0-$ the entire item, from the item text through the last response

4,7,19 responses 4, 7 and 19

19-3,22,24 responses 19 through 3 in reverse order followed by responses 22 and 24

The Response Form:

If you scroll to the bottom of the text window, you will find a form for posting responses. If you are reading anonymously, or if the item is frozen, or the conference is read-only, this will be missing.

You post simply by typing your response in the big box, and pressing the button. Your new response will then be displayed. Sometimes someone else will have posted a response between the time you read the item and the time you posted your response. In this case, your response will not be entered immediately. The ``slipped in'' responses will be shown, and you will be given a chance to revise your response before posting it.

After you respond you will also be given a new response box, so you can enter another response to the same item.

You can change the version of your name that will be attached to a response by editing the full name box above the response window before pressing the post button.

Response Formatting

Backtalk offers three slightly different response formatting options:

Plain Text
The response will be displayed pretty much just as it was when you typed it in, in a fixed width font with the spacing unaltered.
HTML
Your item text will be treated as HTML text. HTML is the standard markup language used to create web pages. HTML text is automatically formatted by the reader's browser, usually in a proportional font.
You can use some HTML tags in your response to control spacing, formatting, text size and style, to include images, and to create links.
Lazy HTML
Normally in HTML you need to enter a <P> tag every time you want to leave a blank line. The "lazy HTML" option is just like the "HTML" option, but it automatically converts blank lines to <P> tags. This is intended to allow you to forget that you are entering HTML text, and still have it come out reasonable looking.

In all cases, certain types of strings will be automatically made clickable. For example:

http://www.unicef.org
URL's beginning with http: or https: connect to that site when clicked.
mailto:backtalk@hvcn.org
E-mail addresses with a mailto: prefix send mail to the given E-mail address when clicked.
ftp://someplace.com/pub/filename
Strings starting the ftp: prefix connect to an ftp server and fetch the named file or directory listing when clicked.
conf:general
If you type conf: followed by a conference name, then click it will connect to the conference home page for that conference.
item:9
item:general,9
If you type item: followed by a number, or a conference name and number, then clicking on it displays the named item. If no conference name is given, that item in the current conference is displayed.
resp:53
resp:9,53
resp:general,9,53
If you type resp: followed by a response number, then clicking on it will display that response of the current item. Alternately, you can specify the conference name and item number as well.

You can use dots or colons in place of the commas in the above examples.

In HTML and lazy HTML modes, you can also enter tags like

     I like <A HREF="resp:general,9,53">General Conference Item 9 Response 53</A>

The "resp:general,9,53" inside the URL will automatically be replaced with an appropriate URL referencing response 53 of general item 9.

Response Previewing

If you hit the

button you will be shown how your response would look to other Backtalk users if you posted it now. This is especially useful if you are using the "HTML" or "Lazy HTML" formatting options.

Hidden Responses:

Sometimes people post long responses that not all other users will want to read. You can hide such responses either by clicking the little ``Hide'' box next to the ``Post'' button before you post it, or by clicking the

button that will appear next to all your responses the item text.

When a response is hidden, the text will not be displayed when people read the item. Instead, just the header and a ``this response is hidden'' message will appear. Anyone can see the full text by clicking on the message.

Your hidden responses will also have a button next to them. This can be used to turn the response back into a normal response that is shown automatically to anyone reading the item.

Erasing Responses:

You can erase your own responses with the

button that appears next to the response. Erased responses are rubbed out (though on some systems a copy may be stashed someplace out of sight). One should exercise restraint in erasing responses, since it interferes with the flow of the discussion.

Editing Responses:

You can edit your own responses with the

button that appears next to the response. One should exercise restraint in editing responses, since it interferes with the flow of the discussion. Usually the better way to correct things after other people have responded is to post another response correcting your previous one.

Favoring Items:

You can use the

button to mark an item as a favorite. Favorite items will be shown first the next time you read the conference, and they are listed first in the item list. If an item is already a favorite, there will be a

button instead, and this can be used to remove the item from your list of favorites.

Forgetting Items:

If, as you are reading a conference, you run across and item that really doesn't interest you at all, you can use the

button to forget it. This means that it will not be shown to you again when you read new items in the future. If you really want to, you can still access it or even unforget it from the item list page.

Retitling Items:

If you are the author of the item, you will be able to change the title of your item, either to correct an error or to modify it as the discussion there changes. If you have this power, there will be a ``retitle item'' button at the top of the screen. If you click it, you will be prompted for a new title.

Though not everyone can retitle an item, any user can set their own private title for any item. Private titles are seen only by the user who set them. The ``Set Private Item Title'' button at the top of the text window lets you do this. To restore the original title, just set your private title to a blank.

Fairwitness Powers:

If you are a fairwitness, you will see many additional fairwitness buttons. These are usually shown in a contrasting color (normally red) to remind you that you are using your fairwitness powers when you click them.

The item will have a red retitle button will be at the top. Each response will have a button. Each response will also have a button. For many of the other functions, like killing and retiring items, go to the item list page for the conference.

4-17	responses 4 through 17
0	the item text
$	the last response of the item
-4	the last four responses of the item
4-$	responses 4 through the end of the item
0-$	the entire item, from the item text through the last response
4,7,19	responses 4, 7 and 19
19-3,22,24	responses 19 through 3 in reverse order followed by responses 22 and 24

Pistachio Backtalk Help:Read Item Page