MECHANICS OF THE BOARD

[Jill H.]

Oooops, I forgot to tell you how to size it but Kathy gave you great instructions.

[Bryan]

Keep trying, G.:

These dimensions are pretty good:

width="150" height="225"

Example:

[G]

Thanks, folks. Still working on it, but at least it is now manageable (copying and pasting REALLY helps - Thanks Kathy)

[[deleted user]]

Really good information.

Thank you!

[Kate]

Testing how to do this. One of the books that changed the types of history books I read was Robert Massie's Peter the Great. Until I read it, I often found military history dull, but he made it come alive, especially with maps that demonstrated what a profound role geography has in military conflict.

Robert K. Massie

[Jill H.]

You almost have it, Kate. There is a photo of the author and it should be included as shown below.

by Robert K. Massie

If there is no author photo, the author link followed by (no photo) is appropriate. For example:

by Paul Bushkovitch(no photo)

[Kate]

Shall do.

I must say that I find just having the pictures of the books without words very hard. I like words, as I retain the info better.

Would it be ok to do by ?

[Jill H.]

I understand your feelings regarding the picture as opposed to the cover photo but the guidelines, put in place by our founder and lead moderator, Bentley, are very specific regarding the citations. It keeps a continuity for all posts.

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Hello Kate - we have a format for citations so that the powerful goodreads software will populate the threads and the group site properly. Look at the left margin and you will see one way the software populates our site when you do the citations as we ask. It creates a list of every book and author listed and also how many times the book has been mentioned on this particular thread.

Each link will take you to the write up for the book or the author's page.

If you select other topics which is beside the name of the book or author - that is even more powerful - it will show you where in our group site discussions or postings about the book or author have taken place or are in progress and you can then join in or access those threads just with the links. All of your posts and any books or authors you add are then entered into the database and populated throughout the site. It is very powerful and integrates our site. There is a reason why we do things the way we do.

However, if you want to see the title of the book at any time just move your cursor over the book cover - and leave it for a moment - the book title and text will pop up for you. That too is very powerful and you have the words in front of you whenever you want them while at the same time allowing your group members to link to whatever you post and access your postings from any thread on our site.

I think you will get used to this and be very happy with the information the site and postings provide. Without doing it this way - your posts would be forgotten and not accessible and the information would be lost in the thread. This way it is not.

[Holly]

Practicing my citations! This is by far one of my favorite history books:

by Natalie Zemon Davis

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

And an excellent job you did too.

[Rachel]

I think I got it.......but how do you highlight arthurs name?

[Rachel]

Testing this

by Antonia Fraser

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

OK you have the book cover ok - then the word is not capitalized by and then you have the author's photo ok but you have to go in twice for the author. First you grab the photo and then you change the radio button at the bottom to link when you are in the author tab and then click on the same photo of the author above. That should do it. You are forgetting to go in twice and clicking the photo button first and then adding it and then going back in and clicking on the link button next and adding it. Don't add any links after wards - not allowed.

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Holly wrote: "Practicing my citations! This is by far one of my favorite history books:

by ..."

Holly good

[Dean]

A question from a new member: I'm about to go to the introduction thread and I'm still confused about the "self-promotion" rule. One of several reasons I joined this group is that my book has a strong historical component and I'm not quite sure how to mention that without mentioning the book. Is that self-promotion? Thanks so much for responding and for your welcome email.

[Dean]

Thanks, Teri, it does help. And a follow-up question: I shouldn't mention that I'm an author at all? And I'm assuming from your reply that you don't need any other personal/professional info--retired teacher? Grandmother? I'm completely happy with whatever the rules are. And I guess I realize I have another question: may I list a fellow author's book using the format for your citations?

Sorry to be so dense.

[Jill H.]

Nicely said, Teri. And welcome, Dean.

[Dean]

Thanks again, Teri, and thanks for the welcome, Jill.

And, Teri, I love clear, simple instructions; I also love this kind of professional limit.

Where is it appropriate to list a book I'm reading in your citations format?

[Dean]

I now have several versions of how to add a book cover and links to the book and its author, which I haven't even tried yet. But here's a big question: if I want to list a book I'm reading, along with commentary about it, where should I post that comment?

[Dean]

I will, Teri, and thank you. Did anyone figure out those gigantic images? I will get on top of this, perhaps not today :-)

[Dean]

Teri wrote: "Dean wrote: "I will, Teri, and thank you. Did anyone figure out those gigantic images? I will get on top of this, perhaps not today :-)"

Don't use the img src html tags for books/authors, please u..."

Thanks, Teri. I'll delete the earlier instructions about the tags. I'll give the add book/author a try next time

[Lynette]

The comment boxes associated with the challenge trackers (those underneath the "you have completed x of y books") do not appear to have the "add book/author" link (or the "some html is ok" link). Am I missing something?

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Thanks Alisa

by Timothy Snyder

[Tim]

How do you "like" someone's post? I've noticed it in others' timelines.

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

That feature is not on the threads. But let us say you look at the videos on the main page of the HBC and click on one of them - you will see under the message box on the bottom left a way to click like that you like the video. It works similarly on other parts of goodreads. On other parts you just click on the word like

[Laura]

I have a question about the mechanics of the Discussions. Is there a way to collapse all and then open/expand the one you are interested in ?
Thanks you .

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Laura - you can only click on the carat to the left of the folder title and that would collapse all of them but that would not help you much.

[Laura]

Thank you! Yep, that is what I do. It is a LARGE, interesting discussion board.

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

It is that - thank you.

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

No worries

[Tom]

My question may well be answered somewhere in your encyclopedia of instructions, but I haven't found the reference yet. I have just finished "The Royal Family: A Personal Portrait" by Ralphe M. White and Graham Fisher," published circa 1969 by David McKay & Co. I can't find it in the Goodreads inventory or in the posts of your British Monarchy sub-group. I have tried to search to see if it has been mentioned in one of the monarchy threads, but so far, no luck. White was a personal footman to QE II for several years. What other search methods should I use.

[Lorna, Assisting Moderator (T) - SCOTUS - Civil Rights]

Tom, this may be a book that hasn't been entered into the Goodreads catalogue database to date. I tried it as well to no avail. If you go to the link below, it will connect you to the Goodreads Help Section.

You may try to search the book by ISBN. A second option is to add the book yourself by clicking on "manually add book" on the right side of the search page.

https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=wh...

A third option is to pose a request in the Goodreads Librarians Group. Thank you.

[Tom]

Lorna, thank you for the tips. I did a manual-enter. Interestingly, a later book by a different author used the same title. I guess the copyright was not enforced. or else a licensing fee was paid.

[Lorna, Assisting Moderator (T) - SCOTUS - Civil Rights]

Tom, you are most welcome. I'm glad that you were able to add that book to the Goodreads database.

To be consistent with our guidelines, it should appear as follows:

The Royal Family: A Personal Portrait (no image) by Ralphe M. White and Graham Fisher (no photo)

Thank you.

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Thank you Lorna for helping Tom.

[[deleted user]]

I'm trying to find the discussion of the book "Madison: A Biography." I had thought it would be under Presidential Biographies.

by Ralph Louis Ketcham

[Vicki, Assisting Moderator - Ancient Roman History]

Hi, Adelle. At the bottom of the page for this book, it says -

"There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one"

I've checked with books that I know have been discussed, and there are links to pages where the discussions are.

Here's the topic in the History Book Club for Madison. You could add your comments on the book there, if you want.

James Madison

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Soon I have the book and I am ready to go - keep a lookout.

[Vickie]

Practicing:

by Ross King

[Lorna, Assisting Moderator (T) - SCOTUS - Civil Rights]

Perfect citation, Vickie.

[Vickie]

Practicing:
by Laurence Bergreen

[Vickie]

Question: I would like to see the discussion site for the following book: by Candice Millard

Can you point me to it? The book club discussion was supposed to begin Sep 1. I would like to know where to go after I've read the book. I'm confused about "threads." Are they the same thing as discussions?

[Lorna, Assisting Moderator (T) - SCOTUS - Civil Rights]

Vickie, thank you for your interest. This is the link to the discussion on this particular book: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

Please keep in mind that this discussion will go through December 2019.

by Candice Millard

The threads basically are all of links to the various subjects on a variety of historical categories, i.e., American History, World History, World War I, etc.

Thank you.
Lorna,
Assisting Moderator (T) - Civil Rights and Supreme Court

[Vickie]

Lorna wrote: "Vickie, thank you for your interest. This is the link to the discussion on this particular book: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2......"

Thanks for your help!

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

HOW TO ADD IMAGES OR PICTURES (ART, PHOTOS, IMAGES, PAINTINGS, JPG'S)

HTML is not that difficult if you can get the hang of it and you have to again use html to add images, photos, pictures, jpg's, etc.)

Unfortunately, you cannot simply do an edit, copy and paste.

But if you would like to post an image, here are the instructions.

If you look below to the blank comment box - you will see at the upper right in green lettering "some html is ok" and it gives instructions if you click on it.

But here is how you should interpret those instructions:

Type the following "EXACTLY" the way it is as follows:

< img src="your link here" />

Put a < in front of the html code img. Just remove the spaces and do everything else exactly as it is above.

To get your image link, right click on the image and there should be an option to select 'copy image link'. Paste that whole thing inside the parentheses. When you post it, the image should come up. If it doesn't or you have questions for any of the moderators, please let us know because we are very willing to help out.

You can even practice on this thread - and can use the preview function to see if your image or photo or whatever you want to display shows up as you want it to.

Try it.

[Melissa]

I am wondering if there will be any challenges coming up? It looks like the challenges have all ended.

[Lorna, Assisting Moderator (T) - SCOTUS - Civil Rights]

Melissa wrote: "I am wondering if there will be any challenges coming up? It looks like the challenges have all ended."

Melissa, I am not sure if Bentley has planned an upcoming challenge in the new year. I would just like to point out that all of the challenge threads are still open if there is one that may appeal to you in the interim.

Thank you.

Lorna,
Assisting Moderator (T) - Civil Rights and Supreme Court