Cut and paste h@ll

“So here we are. TTers hammering out the finer points of foreign policy....

Everyone loves a good cut/paste once in a while.At best when carefully used they can be the final hammer-blow in debate(if winning is what you are after...more on that later).At worst they are irritatingly long. I love to read but if I wanted a 20 paragraph persuasive essay on any given subject,I would seek out the source.

IMHO it would seem that if "WE" are trying to express opinions, and even trying to persuade others it may be better to formulate our own ideas and not just quote people ad nauseum. As we all know a source to support any insane issue can be quote for pages thanks to the internet. But ultimately it just a bunch of words that arent even created by those who support the writers.

I personally am rarely persuaded by these tactics. I am sure many others would agree. I would rather hear an individual articulate there own beliefs without depending on some proffesor from East Newark University of Progessive Thought or a staff writer from The West Ballsac Times to speak for them.

Cut/Pastes are great when it comes to discussion revolving around the FACTS of an issue. For example the weight of a pair of womens size 10 Zamberlan Civettas. But in a debate about more emotionally charged and less tangible subjects ( like "this war is a sham") there is no clear black and white. Or more appropriattely your black is my white and vice-versa.

Persuasion wont come from beating one to death with a cut and paste (even though its funner than all get out). Persuasion comes from respecting another person enough to respect their opinion (fat chance at TT).

In short (hehehe) stop being intellectually lazy. Speak your mind, blow off some steam but for the sake of all that is good and righteous LAY OFF THE FRIGGIN' CUT AND PASTES ALREADY!!!!.

This now concludes my rant. See, you actually can write paragraph after paragraph of gibberish on your own without a single cut/paste. Try it, its the new thing.”

“I agree!!! One or two paragraphs is OK, but those long and drawn out articles are useless (I mean, I never read them...who has the time to?)

However, Mr.birch, your post is almost as long as some of dem cut & pasters ;)”

“I agree wiff Birch again!

If ya must show us the whole text... post a link.”

“Cut and pasteth the raven:

>>Nevermore”

“The only one who could really post a looooooong post with style was Orbitmanifesto. Where's he been?”

“Orbit who? Is he realted to Obi wan by any chance?”

“HOW DARE YOU BIRCH!

How dare you chastise the cut and pasters that grace our presence here at TT. Not everyone can have their own original idea and defend it, or debate it. We need to let these "special" people be, and allow them thier freedom of cutting and pasting. If we don't, they may actually try to come up with an original thought of thier own, and thier brains will melt down. If you want thier blood on your hands Birch, so be it. I cannot be a part of this cruelty.

Damn the man, let them paste.”

“LOL BB.

I agree with Birch. Some time ago , I believe her name was Nancy Tuchon, had quite a debate going on. I think it was about animal rights. All she ever did on that thread was cut and paste, or quote others.

I was lurking on that thread. I did post finally and asked her to give her thoughts. She had posted some compelling thoughts and arguments, but they truly lacked conviction. I asked her to give her thoughts, tell how she lived her life according to what she was cutting and pasting, etc. She never did , and I was left with the conclusion that she really had nothing to say. I was also left with the conclusion that she could jump on a band wagon.

Pedxing has a good idea, post a link. Just give us your thoughts here, it is you that is posting here.....”

“Txwoodswoman, Orbit was/is a dude who used to post here all the time. He was known for his outrageously long posts. Look up a thread about "mountain bike dui" for a sample.”

“The West Ballsac Times? Do they have a web page?”

“Here's something for the Bush apologists to read while you non-reading crybabies whine about me cutting and pasting.

Bush Blocks All Public Access
To White House Papers
By Sarah Left
The Guardian
11-2-1

The US president, George Bush, last night signed an executive order that allows either a past or sitting president to block access to White House papers, a move that has angered historians, journalists and former president Bill Clinton.

The order amends - and some argue, reverses - a 1978 law that allowed journalists, historians and other interested parties to read presidential papers twelve years after the term of office finished.

The law, known as the Presidential Records Act, was the result of a lengthy legal battle over the papers of Watergate president Richard Nixon.

Under the terms of Mr Bush's order, any sitting or former president could veto the release of presidential papers.

The current president could not override a former president's veto, nor could a former president override the decision of sitting president.

Anyone seeking access to the papers could appeal the veto in court, but that would necessitate an expensive and potentially lengthy legal challenge.

The immediate provocation for last night's order is believed to be an outstanding request for 68,000 pages of former president Ronald Reagan's papers, which should have been opened to public scrutiny in January.

The Bush administration has delayed that release three times, and yesterday White House counsel Alberto Gonzales would not say when or if the Reagan documents will be placed in the public domain.

Some historians have voiced suspicions that the Bush administration is worried about what the Reagan papers might reveal about officials now working for Mr Bush.

They include the secretary of state, Colin Powell, the budget director, Mitch Daniels Jr, and the White House chief of staff, Andrew Card. The White House defended the order as establishing a procedure for implementing the 1978 Act.

A White House official said: "History has shown that former presidents release virtually all of their documents and this executive order won't stand in the way of that."

However the order would also mean that Mr Bush's personal papers detailing the decision-making process in the current war on terrorism could remain secret in perpetuity.

Bruce Craig, the director of the National Coordinating Committee for the Promotion of History, called the order "blatantly unlawful top to bottom" and predicted a quick legal challenge.

"This is about confidential information - communication between a president and top people - that they would simply prefer not to be released to the public," he said.

Vanderbilt University historian Hugh Graham said the draft was a "real monster," and complained, "They [the administration] would reverse an act of Congress with an executive order."

According to a report in the Washington Post, a lawyer for Mr Clinton wrote to the White House objecting to the order.

The paper quotes an aide to Mr Clinton as saying, "A government's legitimacy is based on the trust of its people, and when decisions are made on behalf of the American people, citizens eventually have to be able to see the process of how those decisions came to be."

Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2001
Link”

“What is a Bush apologist? I don't think there are any. Doesn't there have to be something to apologize for in the first place?”

“How about for his being a dumb @ss? I'm just glad he has some smart people around him.”

“A dumb ass as compared to who? He has a degree from Yale. An MBA from Harvard. He flew fighter jets in the National Guard.

No apology necessary.”

“One of my personal favorite copy/pastes:

George W. Bush, Albert Einstein and Pablo Picasso all die. Due to a glitch in the mundane/celestial time-space continuum, all three arrive at the Pearly Gates more or less simultaneously, even though their
deaths have taken place decades apart.

The first to present himself to Saint Peter is Einstein. Saint Peter questions him. "You look like Einstein, but you have NO idea the lengths certain people will go to, to sneak into Heaven under false pretenses. Can you prove who you really are?" Einstein ponders for a few seconds and asks, "Could
I have a blackboard and some chalk?" Saint Peter complies with a snap of his fingers. The blackboard and chalk instantly appear. Einstein proceeds to
describe with arcane mathematics and symbols his special theory of relativity. Saint Peter is suitably impressed. "You really *are Einstein! Welcome to
heaven!"

The next to arrive is Picasso. Once again Saint Peter asks for his credentials. Picasso doesn't
hesitate. "Mind if I use that blackboard and chalk?" Saint Peter says, "Go ahead," Picasso erases Einstein's scribbles and proceeds to sketch out a truly stunning mural. Bulls, satyrs, nude women: he captures their essences with but a few strokes of the chalk. Saint Peter claps. "Surely you are the great artist you claim to be! Come on in!"

The last to arrive is George W. Bush. Saint Peter scratches his head. "Einstein and Picasso both managed to prove their identity. How can you prove yours?" George W. looks bewildered, "Who are Einstein and Picasso?"
Saint Peter sighs, "Come on in, George."”

“These quotes

"Mexico is our biggest trading partner"

"England is our closest friend"

both required apologies to countries which were given by Powell because Bush didn't have the nads or the brains to know any better.”

“SH if you must cut and paste: paste the essential paragraphs.... do a little active editing.”

“Why did he have to apologize for "England is our closest friend"? That's true, isn't it? Sorry, Canadians.

I don't have a problem with Bush. He's a nice, well-intended man. I just think that we had two really bad choices the last time around.

And why are we apologizing to other countries? We have the right to defend our own borders. If other countries don't like that, too bad.

The problem, of course, is that the Bush administration turned its back on the world before this incident. So now that the initial shock of the attack is over, the other countries are starting to turn a cold shoulder to Bush.

The war will be won in American security procedures. Sure glad it only took a month and a half for Bush to push through a partisan airline security bill.”

“

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valign=middle>

To learn to smallify quoted text, click href="#qte" selected>here

What Cut, Copy and Paste is Good For

If you're writing a letter or post, you will frequently want to be able to include
material from the original within your response. While this can be done by Forwarding
or Attaching the entire original message, by copying text from the original instead
you can insert your comments before, between, and after parts of the original
text (which can be indented and "smallified," giving the appearance of quoted-text
edit?see href="#qte">below).

There are also many times when you might want to include
material from other sources in your messages, and c/c/p allows
you to do this easily?you could even include the text of an
entire online newspaper article you want someone to see in a
letter to them.

If you make webpages, the ability to copy information from
another location into your own page is a real timesaver (it's
also possible to outright steal material in this way?but that
would of course be wrong).

If you write long, involved HTML e-mail signatures, c/c/p will
allow you to cut the entire code of your sig and send an
HTML-free message, then paste it back after the fact (and you
can keep the code by pasting it somewhere else in the
meantime?you could even have a series of signatures saved within
a single webpage of code on a homepage site).

The Four Cmd's

There are four basic Cmd key combinations you'll be using when
you cut/copy/paste text. Here they are, along with what they do:

• Cmd-A ? Highlights the entire page (actually, in
  certain situations it will highlight somewhat less than all the
  text on the screen).
  
• Cmd-C - Copies whatever was highlighted to your
  terminal's temporary memory, but always leaves the highlighted
  text right where you found it.
  
• Cmd-X - Cuts the highlighted text if you're in a
  typing area, such an e-mail or newsgroup posting screen, or
  an HTML editor, or a form text box. Cmd-X will not work on
  a received e-mail, a viewed newsgroup post, or on a webpage
  you're viewing (you can use Cmd-C to copy the text, though; see
  above).
  
• Cmd-V - Pastes the previously copied or cut text,
  anywhere you would have been able to type (into an e-mail or post
  writing screen, a webpage editor, or a form text box).
  

In addition, when you're writing something yourself, you can
highlight from the cursor position "up" or "down" within the
material you're typing/editing by holding the Shift key and
pressing an Arrow key.

Copying only a portion of a viewed webpage or post, or received
mail, requires the use of the Find key to create a
highlight, which you can then extend to cover everything you want
to copy.

Note: If you're using a wired keyboard, you won't find a
Cmd key?the equivalent of the Cmd key is the
Microsoft/Windows key (looks kind of like a flag with a cross on
it). If you have an older keyboard without the Microsoft/Windows
key, use Ctrl-Alt together as your Cmd key equivalent.

Learning to Use Cut, Copy, Paste

Try it out. Right now, place your cursor in the form below (it's
probably already there) and press Cmd-A to highlight all the
text within the text window. Then press Cmd-X to cut it; then
Cmd-V to paste it back again?then Cmd-V again, to paste a second
copy into the same window.

cursor=silver borderimage=noborder nohighlight autoactivate <br /> wrap=physical<br /> value="This is just some test stuff, pay <br /> no attention to <br /> the content. If it were really important what this text said, I <br /> certainly would have taken the time to make it somewhat more <br /> relevant.<br /> ">

While you still have the text temporarily stored in the
"clipboard" of your terminal's RAM memory, move the cursor down
the the box below, and use Cmd-V to paste the text into it.

cursor=silver borderimage=noborder nohighlight autoactivate <br /> wrap=physical>

If you're typing a document (e-mail, newsgroup post, text in a
form, or HTML code in an editor), you can select text for
highlighting from the current cursor location, by holding down
the Shift key and using the Right, Left,
Up, or Down Arrow (to highlight a character at a
time right or left, or a line at a time up or down), or the
Up or Down Scroll keys (to highlight a screen's
worth of text at a time, with each press of the Scroll
key). You can highlight all your writing by using
Cmd-A.

Try it out. Put the cursor into the box below, and move the
cursor to the beginning of the text. Then, while holding down the
Shift key, press the Right Arrow key a few times to extend the
highlight a letter at a time rightward. Then, with Shift held
down, press the Down Arrow twice to extend the highlight
downward. At any point, you would be able to use Cmd-C to copy or
Cmd-X to cut whatever you have highlighted.

cursor=silver borderimage=noborder nohighlight autoactivate <br /> wrap=physical<br /> value="This is just some test stuff, pay <br /> no attention to <br /> the content. If it were really important what this text said, I <br /> certainly would have taken the time to make it somewhat more <br /> relevant.<br /> ">

Many times, you'll want to copy just part of an e-mail message,
newsgroup post, or webpage text, rather than "grabbing" the
entire thing. To select only the portion of the text you
want to copy, use Find and search for the word or
phrase that appears at
either the beginning or end of the section you want to copy; that
word or phrase will automatically be highlighted. Then, while
holding down the Shift key, use the Arrow or Scroll
keys to extend the highlight until the entire section of text you
want to copy is selected?then press Cmd-C to copy it. Once you've
got it copied, go into your e-mail or newsgroup posting screen
(or webpage editor), and use Cmd-V to paste it. (You can still
highlight the
entire page, or an area of the page (if there are frames or a
sidebar) for copying by pressing Cmd-A.)

Why not try it out, with this
paragraph? Hit Find (or press
Cmd-F) and type in Why not then hit Return. That
will highlight the first two words of this paragraph; then while
holding down the Shift key, press the down key until you've
highlighted the entire paragraph. Now, press Cmd-C to copy the
text.

Move the cursor into the box below, and press Cmd-V to paste the
paragraph of text into it.

cursor=silver borderimage=noborder nohighlight <br /> wrap=physical>

Whatever is copied or cut will be stored in RAM memory, until you
either copy or cut something else, or power off the terminal or
switch users.

Practice this all over the place until it becomes second nature.
Go to a newspaper site online, for instance, and use Find to
select a paragraph in an article, highlight the entire paragraph,
use Cmd-C to copy it, then go to Mail and paste the paragraph
into a Write screen. Use this feature to copy part of a received
e-mail for inclusion with your reply?experiment.

How to "Fake" Quoted-Text Edit with C/C/P

Note: The following procedure to set text you're quoting
indented and smaller can only be done with text you've pasted
into an e-mail or newgroup post you're composing; you can't use
this method on a webpage, it doesn't work there.

Cut/copy/paste will let you "lift" text from almost
anywhere you find it with WebTV, but when you insert it into an
e-mail or newsgroup post, it'll look just like you typed it
yourself.

Quoted-text edit is a way of making the quote indent and
"smallify," and it's done by breaking a paragraph into single
lines of text with a hard Return at the end (making them
non-wrapping), and a > character before the beginning of
the text of each line. Many e-mail and newsreader programs do
this reformatting automatically, WebTV doesn't have this feature
at this point.

So you fake it, by inserting hard Returns after each line of
text, and placing a > before each.

First, you would copy a piece of text from a received mail, a
newsgroup post, or a webpage, as described above, using Find.
Then you would paste it into a Write screen (for either e-mail or
newsgroup posting). Here's a sample paragraph of text:

Welcome to GeoCities Advanced HTML Editor. You can use this form
to design your own customized HTML Page. We have developed a
preview capability so you can look at your page as it will
actually appear on the Web. Take a look at what other people
have
done to give you some idea of the flexibility and power of our
Home Page Editor.

In your mail Write or newsgroup Post screen, get your cursor in
front of the second line of text (the
cursor location is indicated by the yellow vertical bar in this
example).

Welcome to GeoCities Advanced HTML Editor. You can use this
color=yellow>|form
to design your own customized
HTML
Page. We have developed a preview capability so you can look at
your page as it will actually appear on the Web. Take a look at
what other people have done to give you some idea of the
flexibility and power of our Home Page Editor.

Then press Delete, then Return?this inserts a hard Return at the
end of the first line.

Move down the left side of the paragraph, doing the same thing
to
place a hard Return at the end of each line.

Now, go to the left end of the last line and type in a
> character; do this for each line, working to the top,
until it looks like
this:

>Welcome to GeoCities Advanced HTML Editor. You can use this

>form to design your own customized HTML Page. We have

>developed a preview capability so you can look at your page as
it

>will actually appear on the Web. Take a look at what other
people

>have done to give you some idea of the flexibility and power of
our

>Home Page Editor.

Don't worry if putting in the > character makes the line
you're adding it to break to another line; when the message is
sent or posted, the breaks all go away automatically.

Make sure you hit Return twice any time you want to
separate paragraphs of indented text, or before and after the
indented material (to keep unindented material from getting
"sucked in" to the quote).

The result with this particular quote would look something like
this using this method:

Welcome to GeoCities Advanced HTML Editor. You can use this form
to design your own customized HTML Page. We have developed a
preview capability so you can look at your page as it will
actually appear on the Web. Take a look at what other people
have
done to give you some idea of the flexibility and power of our
Home Page Editor.

Practice this by sending yourself tests in e-mail, you'll get it
figured out pretty quickly.

For a different approach to smallification, check out Don Rogers's page, How
to Fake Quoted Text Edit (smallifying).

src="vargaspaulnetfinal.png" width="277" height="84" border="0">

”

“Is there a server that your post works on?”

“Hack, Hack”

“no, ped.

this is the junk that will work on nothing, as opposed to his normal posts that only screw up in 85% of the browsers used.”

“No it doesn't work well Ped and was only posted as a humorous response to birch's rant which, by the way, I totally agree with.

It only pissed of raddy as a bonus.”

“it doesn't piss me off. i just don't understand why you post stuff that most folks can't see. i'm sure that matt loves it, tho.”

“It was beautiful Violin, blunt but subtle at the same time. A much less offensive way to say "Cease and desist in all of that cut and pasting sh!t!"”

“Oh.. I have to have ORIGINAL ideas? hMmmm.. could be difficult.. cut and paste is so much easier.. I mean.. why invent new things.. just recycle everyone elses!

*scampers away*”

“Hell Yeah Man.”

“I cant see the letters on this thread, there is not enough contrast.”

“Oh yah, regurgitation so simple, an infant could do it.”