Katie wants to know how to post links and graphics. For all you newbies out there, here's an introductory course in link and image posting. To begin with, everything you see on the web has an "address" called a URL (Universal Resourse Locator). A "Link" is a clickable thing on one web page that causes your browser to load another web page when clicked. An "Image" is a graphics file that exists somewhere on the web. A web page is usually a combination of images and a text file containing "HTML" (Hyper Text Markup Language) instructions. A graphics image or HTML file must be on a computer connected directly to the internet to be accessed by a URL. These computers are commonly called "servers." Your computer probably connects to an ISP (Internet Service Provider) through a modem. It is your ISP that is connected to the web, not you. Your ISP gets stuff off the web and sends it to you based on URLs you provide. You cannot post a link to a file on your hard disk.

So now, to post an image we first must put it on a server on the web. As part of my internet access package, my ISP provides me 5 meg of disk space on their server for me to post a web page and images. As part of his chip board service, Greg's ISP provides disk space on the web for image hosting. You will find instructions on how to upload images there at http://www.thechipboard.com/upload.htm. (Notice how the BB software automagically detects URLs in this text and turns them into clickable links. I didn't have to do anything special.)

OK, so I'm out surfing and I find something interesting I want to share with the gang. If I'm viewing it with my browser, it's URL is in the "location" or "address" box at the top of the page. Using the windows clipboard (do we also need a class on remedial cut and pasting?), I copy the location to the clipboard, go to the Chipboard, find an appropriate "post a message" dialog, and paste it in the box labeled "Optional Link URL" or simply include it in my message. In the "Optional Link URL" box, be sure to get rid of the default http text, and be sure to type a name for the link in the "Optional Link Title" box. I have provided an exciting link below as an example.

It's the same thing with images. I can post links to images here in the text, but you must click on them to view them. Here's a few of my favorites:
http://www.greatbasin.net/~sweetie/baby_as_baby.jpg
http://www.greatbasin.net/~sweetie/baby1.jpg
http://www.greatbasin.net/~sweetie/charlie_b_and_a.jpg
http://www.greatbasin.net/~sweetie/charlie_and_me.jpg

The BB software provides a way to post a link to an image that it loads when the message is viewed. Simply put the URL of the image in the box labeled "Optional Image URL." This can be an image you found on a web page somewhere, in an eBay auction, on your ISP's server, uploaded to Greg's ISP... any image with a URL. Cut and paste is the best way to move these URLs around. If you are going to retype them, be careful. Every character matters, and URLs are generally case sensitive.

If this is clear as mud, and your still thinking "UR what?" I would suggest you experiment. When you click the "Preview Message" button, all links and images should be just how you want them in your final post. If they are not working, simply use your browser's "Back" or "Prev" button and try again. Nothing shows up on the board until you click "Post Message." If you want to annoy a bunch of the regulars, you can post a whole string of messages like "See if this works" and "Still not working" and "test again" ...

Don't do that.