Sally, I don't know enough about using a Mac, but if you want the special characters, you should be able to open a new tab or window, google the character you want and paste it over. While you're there, you could google using Alt codes on Mac. :)

Sally, To do the degree sign on the mac, hit alt +0. How do you do italics?

There should be formatting icons below the message box on the GzzW screen. The ones for ordered and unordered lists don't work very well, but the B (bold) and I (italic) work fine. I find them hard to turn off, however, so the easiest way for me to use them is to type past where I want to format, then go back, highlight the letters to change, and push the button. You can also do Bold+Italic by pressing both.

To highlight, click your mouse pointer at one end or the text to be highlighted, or use the keyboard arrows to move the cursor there. Hold down the right mouse button and draw the mouse along the text to be highlighted, or hold down the Shift button and use the arrow. The highlighted text will turn white with a green background unless you have override settings turned on in your browser.

Sally, Your Mac has at least 3 keyboards for every font. Try using option and a key; use control and that key; hold both option and control and press the same key... as an example. On a Mac, to get degree, it's: option and the zero key - º.

Thanks. I wasn't sure if that was a zero or a capital O. I'll try. º Yeah, it worked. To do italics, I just hold down the command key, and hit "I", like I do with other documents. Cool.

Sally

I got it!! Thanks everyone.....

Plllog: you want old old old; I started programing FORTRAN with punch cards.

Me too!

To type italics and bold I find it much easier to do ctrl i and ctrl b. Much easier than clicking on the B and I at the bottom of the post, as they don't always turn off when you want them do.

Well, that's another part of being a fossil. Keyboard control font styles didn't used to work online. :) Interestingly, when you do CTRL-I and CTRL-B, the B and I buttons show themselves as depressed. :) Oh, such a modern age... I remember when having an open terminal single line of monochrome ASCII text connection was a huge deal. :)

Hmmm. As usual, I can't get my computer to do any of those things. Control x does nothing, I can't manage to select a picture because it locks up the computer and no matter what I do I can't get the degree sign. Sigh. I hate computers. Hey, at least I can edit, to say that I have an HP computer and Windows 8, which I detest since I don't do touchscreens at all and it's pretty much made for that.

Annie

Punch cards.....I have forgotten about them.....I remember working for a big insurance company way back and they were just in the beginning stages of computers.....I sat for hours and key in information to make a original punch card. I hated that job!! I went on before long and found something I really liked and never looked back. Long ago and far away it was.

Hi Annie, I have an HP with Win8 too. Actually it is Win8.1 and that may make it a little easier to get to the older looking layout. I mostly use my mouse for almost everything. I wonder if you haven't really tried the alt code correctly. A degree sign is alt and 0176, but like control codes, the control or alt key needs to remain pressed while all the other characters are pressed. Regarding Cont. x, c, v; of course you have to have something highlighted with your mouse before you cut or copy it. I wonder if your press of the Control key might be too light. I often find a 'v' sitting where I expect to find some copied stuff because I have not maintained sufficient pressure on the Control key while pressing the V Key.

175

nope, can't make the degree sign.....

That's because it's hold down Alt while entering "0176". ... ° ... This is what you get
with 175 ... ¯ ...

That is, Alt+0175 gives you an overscore.

350°

Ah, did it! cool...

OK, let's try again, although that's exactly what I did before. 350

Nope, nothing. Do I need to enter after I hold down alt while entering 0176? Because I did that too, and nothing.

Annie

350

I'm with Annie. Can't make it do it.

Okay, something I didn't know until I tried to find the answer for you: You have to use the 10-key, not the numbers over the QWERTY keys. Make sure the number lock is on (or else they work as arrow keys). On some smaller keyboards, like laptops, there's a toggle to turn 10-Key-ness on and off, or sometimes they put them as soft keys shown on a touch screen.

Additionally, I learned, that not everyone knows that in computer documentation, the "+" or "-" when talking about key combinations is used to mean concurrence. That's what tells you to hold down the Alt. You don't actually type the "+" or "-". Furthermore, I read that in Windows 8 you don't have to hold down the Alt. I don't know if that's true. It sounds weird, but Windows 8 is weird. :)

As you play around with Alt codes, remember that they may not all be supported by the posting engine here. That is, the more obscure ones may show up on your screen during editing, and go away when you submit.

OK, let's try again. I won't hold down the Alt. 0176 is what I get with the Num. lock on and no alt key. I'll try with the Alt held down and the num. lock on: °

Hooray, there we go. Hold "alt" down, turn on num lock and then type 0176 on the key pad.

Of course, I'll never remember that, LOL.

Annie

AnnieB, and Jasdip, on your PC press (and hold) ALT, then type 0176. Do NOT release the ALT key while typing the code on your numeric key pad.
If it doesn't work, try the ALT on the left side of your keyboard.
I wish I could see your keyboard, but since I can't, I have to ask a silly question, is your Num Lock key ON?

If nothing works, try it the roundabout way, while you're figuring it out.

On Microsoft Windows:

Go to "Start."
Click "All Programs."
Click "Accessories."
Click "System Tools."

Click "Character Map."

There, you'll find your symbols. Just clip on any you like. Then, copy and paste wherever you want. I hope you got something out of this. If not, I'll drop in when I've had some R.E.M. :)

Sol

Well, never mind. You got it, girl. G'night.


Sol

Hurrah!!! Annie, it doesn't matter if you use it in the future (you can always look it up if you want it). You have surmounted this hurdle and will forever be one of those who can.

375°

Ta-Da!!! It was having to use the actual numeric pad that does the trick.

Thanks for your patience in the details, Plllog and Sols

Annie: I don't think there is really that much memory involved in this case. Explanations in words makes stuff appear more complicated. To me, the only thing to recall (well, other than the specific code) is to use the number pad (I didn't know about that, but other issues have required the pad too). I would expect that almost everyone would have their pad set for Numbers anyway and the only reason to press num-lock is because it accidently got turned off and numbers aren't showing up for anything. Once you realize that alt codes are like Control codes, except that you can use several successive keys, it should not be a memory issue.

And regarding the Alt codes themselves: yes, you need the Character Map to find them; and for a one time thing you could just copy and paste one somewhere. But, everyone should probably have access to Character Map anyway.
Sols method above should get it for you; or you can find it in the Apps display of the full win8 apps by using that annoying little arrow that would show up at the bottom left of the tiles screen if you bring your mouse toward that area; and then probably have to go way over to the right, hunting for windows accessories apps. (just one of the reasons you want to punch your fist thru the touch screen...). Then, right click it and choose 'pin to taskbar' and Character Map will be waiting for you when you need odd characters in the future.

Hurrah, Jasdip!

My fingers don't reach the top row so I always use the 10-Key -- I didn't know until I googled either, and I know all kinds of stuff about computers.

The character map is a very useful thing and I have it on my Start menu. While online, however, I find it easier to google the symbol I want in another tab, if I don't know the code. (On the old GW, we used the HTML versions of the same codes, though some have shortcuts, like accents and tilde, which made life easier.)

To Sol and all the other computer mavens here:

I thought I knew my way around a keyboard, and I'm familiar with HTML coding, but I never knew about that System Tools/Character Map before. Actually, I use the same chart frequently in a Word doc (Insert/Symbol and then select your character), but I didn't realize till now that it was available for other programs, such as writing comments on the internet.

BTW, when you open the Character Map, you may not find the character you want in Arial or Times New Roman. But you can change the font (in the box at the top) to Segoe UI Symbol, and you'll see quite a few more symbols, wingdings, and other odd characters and pictures: ⛵ ⛄ ✂ ☮ ☏ ✡ ⛽ (I wonder if all of these will show up when I press "Submit"). (Edited to add: Yes!!!)

Having too much fun! Now, back to the kitchen!

Sue

I have to get in on the act! I'm using my kindle for this:

Testing…350°. In italics,in bold, in both, and back to normal! Well, I'll be DARNED!!! This just might amuse me all morning. But I'm not ready to try pictures yet. THANKS!

Jasdip, you persevered. You'll memorize all other codes soon enough, so you'll never have to look it up. I learned all that HTML gobbledygook, back when I built my first website (In contrast, putting websites together is a royal pain in the as I was saying, congratulations!)


Sue, have fun with it; windings are always a favorite with me.


Way back when the G.W. was new, and Spike was Commander-in-Chief, some of us had a field day playing with HTML. Happy Days. And here we are again.


Sol

Oh Sol, that brought back such memories. Poor Spike. When we were all learning HTML on the Garden Party and Kitchen Table and we'd change the background or add music and not turn it off so the whole thread was messed up, LOL. Plus in the days of dial up all that stuff would crash computers when you'd open such a thread. Makes me sad though..... Marda taught so many of us and she's gone now.

Good job everyone. Annie for a long time I kept a small post it on edge of computer with alt 0176 written on it. Btw I always keep the number lock on, no reason not to.

I don't leave my numbers lock on, because I can't use Page Up or Down when they're locked. No biggie to lock it when I need to though.

Thanks, Chas, I did that. Let's see if I can figure out the copy thing. 375

°

Well, I got it to copy, but screwed up and can't put it behind the 375, LOL.

Yes, I'd like to put a fist right through the screen.

And that's why I refuse to have a blog, ugh. I hate computers.

Annie

I don't have a 10-key with my keyboard. I'm glad just using the 0 worked. I don't understand why you have to use all those extra numbers with PC's. I do command-0 to get the degree sign, but I don't have to add 176. I don't get what the point of that is.

Sally

Sally, the Alt codes were created long before there was an Apple computer. They come from the times of core memory and physical registers you could set with switches. ALL input was in hexadecimal numbers, which is why punch cards were so great. They translated keyboard input into the numbers that the computers understand. Now there's a huge software interface. Apple decided to create their own with their own codes and closed source, and captured a market segment. IBM used the Alt codes and all the heritage architecture to make a greater connection between its mainframe computers and desktops with the idea of not reinventing the wheel. They didn't go proprietary and captured a much larger market share. Different approaches for different druthers. There were many other players in the game, and Windows (with great GUI envy) took over with software from what IBM started as the unifying system, but it has generally boiled down to those two. The revolution is in handheld, app based devices which use overlay keyboards instead.

Sally, I never actually knew the history of the alt codes and never understood why they started with zero. As it turns out, they don't all start with zeros anyway. The first zero had nothing to do with the degree character. Tons of other alt codes start with zero. There are heaps of different special or odd characters that can be created with particular alt codes; all those accented characters for example. AND there are single digit codes and non zero other codes. I just learned that 167 is also the degree. º, yep-that's right, and alt 3 is a heart ♥, like in the card suits (two is diamond). Well: you can't use them because you have a Mac, and for less likely characters, will have to look them up on Mac's version of the character map called something else.

Okay, I hadn't thought about the codes, as in code writing. Of course it makes sense that lots of stuff would start with "0". Obviously, I'm not exactly a computer person. I love what computers do, but I don't know how they work. Thanks for the education.

Sally

While we're on the subject, I have a question about this new format. Why do some of the threads with pictures have the little icon to the side of the post title, and some don't? Just curious.

Sally

Sally, your sentence structure made me think you must be talking about something other than the circular graphics that represent us. However, I didn't find any actual photo in any thread that had another icon beside it. If yours does, perhaps it is your browser.
If you just mean the representative icon, then the reason that some don't have a pic. is because they (and you) haven't set one up. One has to go to 'your houzz' at the top right corner and paste something in. For example, I copied a graphic (from wikipedia I think) of my favorite comic strip character. It is 'father' from Calvin and Hobbes. Or you could choose a photograph. Annie1992 chose a photo of a unique modern 21st century character who grows her own vegetables and meats and cooks with them.

LOL! I love your description of Annie's avatar, Chas!

The other possibility is that the question was about the square icon next to the topic listing in the index. That icon means that there's a photograph in the OP message. It's only there if the photo is in that one top message, not somewhere in the whole thread, like the camera icon for the last few years on the old GW. If you use preview mode, which is the middle of the three boxes on the right above the index, a large thumbnail--more of a earsized--copy of the first photo in the first message shows. The icon, and that preview photo, denote the same thing.

I see your point plllog; it makes much more sense. I never even noticed that icon before. Now I understand why some have complained about the light text. That icon looks more like an attachment indicator, so perhaps a link might also show up? But plllog, re missing things: I don't see three boxes that might find a preview mode. I'm using firefox. Is that an issue?

@chas045 - Re the "three boxes": if you go back to the main page where topics are listed, at the top right, there is a section with three configurations of horizontal bars (one, two, or three bars). If you select the single bar, you can view the basic list of topics; if you select two bars, you'll also see the first two lines of the post; and if you select three bars, you'll see all or part of the last comment in that thread. Both of the options for a preview give you a better idea of what the post is about (or in which direction the conversation has veered). But the one-bar option allows you to see more topics at a glance.

I belong to another forum that allows you to see the firstseveral lines of a post by simply hovering your cursor over the topic title.

I don't know why, but it seems to be a relatively common phenomenon that folks don't like to actually click on a topic without knowing in advance whether they'll be interested in it or not.

If you look on the index, where the list of topics is, on the right, just above, and underneath the post a new message area, and right under the GardenWeb has joined Houzz box), you'll see the mode selector. There's a sorting style dropdown menu that let's you choose to sort by latest activity (like on GW), Featured, Popular, and Unanswered. I don't know who or how they determine Featured and Popular, but I bet there's something in there that's making all these old threads pop up!

Farther to the right are the three boxes. The leftmost is for the basic index of thread topics, signified by many lines (3 lines). Middle box has two blobs because when you choose that, the entries are thicker. That's the one I was talking about. In the two bars, middle box, "preview" mode, you see the first two lines of the last post on the thread, as well as the last poster's screen name and avatar, and how old the last post is. Plus, the preview of the first picture posted in the OP post.

The one solid box, on the far right, gives you the first two lines of the OP post, indented with its picture preview to the left) and the last two replies to it, but with all the threads strung in a row. This is a great way to see if there's anything new in a slow moving forum. It used to show the full threads, I think, but our threads are too long for that. :)

Yeah, I was talking about the faint icon that looks like an attachment icon, not the avatar thingy. Plllog answered my question.

It never occurred to me to preview a thread to see if I'm interested. I just click on the thread, read it, and then decide if I want to read all or some of the follow ups or not. I usually do want to read them.

So much to learn.

Sally

plllog, thanks for correcting my explanation. I had a feeling I was misstating it, but I didn't know whether I'd lose my post if I went to another screen to check. Anyway, it's a handy feature. I can't decide which way I like it best.

Well; I'm going to jump on the dim text bandwagon; and attempt to upgrade my intuition of computer iconography (good luck with that). Actually, I couldn't really see most of those icons. It is due to my computer. I use an HP Netbook. I am not all that tall, but when the top or screen is fully open, it is not yet directly facing me and further tilt is needed for full brightness. Yes, optimum tilt brings them full in view. BTW: at my regular tilt, the dress is white/gold; but tilted to full view, it is blue/black!!

Funny.

Sally

325 °

Hey! I found an easier way to type the degree sign. I can actually remember this one. Annie, try it out :-D

Hold down the Alt key, type 248 on the numeric pad, release the Alt key, and voila!

I'm typing a Word document and it works in that too.

OK, let me try. Nope, it doesn't work for me. Thanks, though. I guess I'll just keep typing 350F, it's just easier, one keystroke and no memory, LOL>

Annie

Darn, I just did it again Annie. Are you using your number pad? Is it turned on, lol?