INSERTING GRAPHICS INTO ABOUT.COM FORUMS
WINDOWS PC INSTRUCTIONS

Signature Graphic.  Many don't know this, but just as web pages have web addresses so do graphics.  Right click on the star graphic below and in the menu that pops up click "properties".  You will see a dialogue box pop up with the stars web address in it, which happens to be http://www.dustie.com/quit/stars/happymovingeyestar2.gif.   If you were to copy and paste that address into your address line, you would be taken to a page that has only that little star on it.  So in order to get that star to show up in your signature, the html coding would be <img src=http://www.dustie.com/quit/stars/happymovingeyestar2.gif>  If the image you want to use is on the net and has an address already, then you don't need to know HTML..you can just copy the image and paste it into your signature.  However, your graphic has to have

A WEB ADDRESS!  That means that any graphic that been downloaded to your computer won't work!  Say you saved a great image from a free clipart site and want to use it in your signature.  You have to first find someplace to put that image on the web so you can copy and paste it from there.  You need webspace!   There are two sites that come to mind  www.imageshack.us   and www.photobucket.com where you can open a free webspace account.  You will then be given space on their server to load images.  Once they are on the web, you can then copy and paste the image into your signature.  Never copy/paste the images directly from free clipart sites unless they specifically say that it's ok.  It's normally NOT ok...  you have to first download the image and then upload it to your space on imageshack or photobucket.

EXCEPTIONS:

FOR NOW, THE DOTS AND STARS AND CLIPART ON THIS SITE CAN JUST BE COPIED AND PASTED in your signature.  
They don't have to be first downloaded and then uploaded to imageshack or photobucket.    I'm acting as the host for these images so you only 
need to follow the directions below to post graphics from this site into your signature..

On the graphic you wish to use (this includes the dots, stars and/or cliparts) right click with your mouse to get a menu.  On the menu, choose copy.  This will put a copy of the graphic in the computer's memory.  You're ready now to post that graphic into your forum signature.

 

In Forum, on the right hand column under your name, you will see a link to My Preferences.   Click on it and once inside My Preferences scroll down to Personal Signature in the right hand column.  In the left column, click on the change button.  A separate window will pop up with a dialogue box where you can type in your signature text and add graphics.  The buttons and drop down menu at the top of the dialogue box will allow you to change the letter size, color, type of font, align left, right or middle and other text formatting.    You can paste your star anywhere just by left clicking where you want the star to go to get your cursor, and then right click with the mouse and choose paste from the menu that pops up.  You should then see your star.  If you want it above your text and you put it below your text, you can drag it above, or visa versa.  

Once you have your signature graphic and text as you want it, then click Update.  If you do not see the Update button under the dialogue box, then your signature window did not maximize out.  Click the second button in the top right corner of that window to maximize it's size and you should see the update button then.

That should do it!  

You use the same procedure to insert any graphics into your signature.  Just remember, any graphics found on other sites have to be first uploaded to your own website or photobucket or imageshack account so you can copy and paste it from there.  

Keep in mind...you are only allowed one signature graphic in your post...stars and dots not included..they are freebies.    So if you wish to put up another graphic, you'll need to replace your signature graphic, at least for that post.  I have a quit coaster that I like to put up from time to time, so I just replace my mermaid with the coaster and it works fine.  All I do is replace the web address of the mermaid with the web address of the coaster in my HTML coding.  You might give it a try if you want to jump between images like some do on the forum.

This page is to help you.  If you found any part confusing, please let me know.  

Thanks and good luck!

 

To my fellow Junique Junopers...and other old friends in Forum.  I just wanted to let you know that I can't get into the forums.  Try as I might, I can't remember my original login, so I created a new login with my second email address, and was able to post my 2 year milestone on June the 8th.  However, since then, I've not been able to log back in.   I must have written something wrong in the user name and/or password.   I've tried asking for my password by answering my sercret quesiton, but to no avail..  So  instead I'll have to use this way to say howdy to everyone.  If someone who knows me see's this would you post a howdy to everyone and say thanks for the nice response to my milestone post in the olbies thread? And I want to say congratulations  to all my fellow Junique Junopers who made it to their 2 year mark and beyond!