Advanced Formatting in Blackboard Discussion Board

http://kb.its.bethel.edu/articles/391/

Advanced Discussion Board Formatting

Compare the top message with the bottom to see the effects of the HTML formatting.

Subject:

Put your Blackboard message subject here

Message:

Put your Blackboard message here.
1. A good idea is to type your message in a word program and double space between paragraphs. Then copy (Edit/Copy) the message from your word program and paste (Edit/Paste) your message into the Message: box.

2. If you want formatting you need to either add html code like for bold, for italics, and colored fonts or use a web or html authoring program and copy the html or "source" code and paste it into the Message: box.

3. Web links can be added directly in the Blackboard Message: box by typing (or pasting) the entire web link address (URL)[(Uniform Resource Locator) - The World Wide Web address of a site on the Internet.]. If you leave a space in front of the URL it will be a "hot" "hyperlink" (http://www.getnetwise.org/glossary.php) will not be hot, but ( http://www.getnetwise.org/glossary.php) will be.. Some html will show up with the "Smart Text" Options checked, but other only with the "HTML" Options checked.

4. You can also attach images, word documents, excel spreadsheet files, and powerpoint shows using the Attachment: Browse button.

5. You must submit your message. CAUTION:If you have taken longer than 30 minutes to write your message and you only write it in the Message: box and not in your own word program, when you "Submit" your message, your work may be lost as your ISP (Internet Service Provider) typically has a "time-out" feature. Keep a copy of your message BEFORE you submit (copy the message into your clipboard before clicking the submit and then if it fails, just open a new discussion board message window and paste it right back in and submit again). This is a good habit to get into.

The above message will look like:

Current Forum: Course Blackboard Discussion Board
Date: Wed Nov 26 2003 10:36 am
Author: Kistler, Robert <kisrob@bethel.edu>
Subject: My first Blackboard Post

Put your Blackboard message here.

1. A good idea is to type your message in a word program and double space between paragraphs. Then copy (Edit/Copy) the message from your word program and paste (Edit/Paste) your message into the Message: box.

2. If you want formatting you need to either add html code like for bold, for italics, and colored fonts or use a web or html authoring program and copy the html or "source" code and paste it into the Message: box.

3. Web links can be added directly in the Blackboard Message: box by typing (or pasting) the entire web link address (URL)[(Uniform Resource Locator) - The World Wide Web address of a site on the Internet.]. If you leave a space in front of the URL it will be a "hot" "hyperlink" (http://www.getnetwise.org/glossary.php) will not be hot, but ( http://www.getnetwise.org/glossary.php) will be.. Some html will show up with the "Smart Text" Options checked, but other only with the "HTML" Options checked.

4. You can also attach images, word documents, excel spreadsheet files, and powerpoint shows using the Attachment: Browse button.

5. You must submit your message. CAUTION:If you have taken longer than 30 minutes to write your message and you only write it in the Message: box and not in your own word program, when you "Submit" your message, your work may be lost as your ISP (Internet Service Provider) typically has a "time-out" feature. Keep a copy of your message BEFORE you submit (copy the message into your clipboard before clicking the submit and then if it fails, just open a new discussion board message window and paste it right back in and submit again). This is a good habit to get into.

October 29, 2005
Bethel College Information Technology Services Bob Kistler

Keywords: No Keywords

Created: 2006-09-06 08:34:55

Updated: 2007-10-29 01:05:17

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This is a technical article

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