Templot Club Archive 2007-2020                            < back - search archive  browse archive images

• === Hi Brian,
  
  You have a long "em-dash" character in your signature which will cause grief and look odd in many recipients' email software:
  
  

  Carrs – C+L Finescale.,       ^

  
  I suggest you change it to a normal short dash/hyphen/minus sign. Or two of them. Or a tilde ( ~ ).
  ===

• I have removed the em-dash, but still cannot get the signature in anything other than a pale grey.......
  

you need to change the "userContent.css" file that can be found in your profile folder. eg. the following will make the text black
.moz-txt-sig, .moz-signature { color: black !important; }

• ===
  • === I have removed the em-dash, but still cannot get the signature in anything other than a pale grey.......===
    
    
  The pale grey signature is normal behaviour when reading a message in Thunderbird, and in my opinion is preferable.  It means it's still there for all to see, but doesn't draw attention away from the message body.  In the words of a website:-
  
  

  "...the purpose being to allow recipients to decide for themselves how the sig will be treated."

  
  I did find the following that might help how signatures will appear on your computer, but there's nothing you can do about how they appear on other people's:-
  
  

  "you need to change the "userContent.css" file that can be found in your profile folder. eg. the following will make the text black .moz-txt-sig, .moz-signature { color: black !important; }"

  
  Paul
  ===

• Yes, but it does not seem to allow me to have the hyperlink active. And I still have not managed to set the date properly.
  
  I like Thunderbird, particularly the junk handling, but I have spent too many fruitless hours on trying to get it right. If I have not succeeded by tonight, I and going back to IE7 tomorrow.
  

• === 
  Talking of signatures, I wonder if there's a way to have a signature when posting on this forum? (Goes off to read the Help pages.....)
  ===

>You're welcome Brian. That's one of the big advantages of the new forums. Off-topic stuff is >shunted off into its own siding called "None of the above". That way no-one need see it ?>who doesn't want to. Feel free to chat and chunter about anything you like on there.

Would it be posssible then, the disable the feed from "None of the above" to the Yahoo group? I know you want to move away from Yahoo, but I still get the digest because I can read it at work without having to go on the net (and having it eat into my internet time)

Tim

----- from Brian Lewis -----

My thanks to Paul and Martin - special thanks to the latter for continuing to help me by turning a blind eye to the fact that none of this is directly about Templot. But, despite 4 power supply interruptions yesterday, (Guess who is now the proud owner of a 1000VA UPS), and no internet connection for 4 hours today - either the rain, or else the squirrels are chewing the wires again, I have now got Thunderbird roughly into shape. (Apologies for the error Paul - I mentioned IE7 in an earlier email, whereas I meant Outlook).

----- from Brian Lewis -----

Sad to say, I am still having problems with Thunderbird.

The *******@lcpinternational.co.uk emails work perfectly. However, I cannot seem to retrieve or send ******@finescale.org.uk, which includes our secure on-line ordering service and have to keep opening Outlook.

I have set up the accounts for this, exactly as I did in Outlook, but when I click on 'Get Mail', it advises variously that the password is incorrect, I am already logged on, or access to finescale.org.uk is refused.

This is driving me, (even more), insane. Has anyone any thoughts please?

--

Regards

Brian Lewis

Are you running any antivirus programs from Norton?  There are known issues with Thunderbird and Norton products

----- from Brian Lewis -----

I did not know about Nildram's problems, as their spam checker - which is usually amazingly accurate, filters out all their routine messages to us......

"We are currently experiencing Network Issues which will be affecting DSL users. Our Core Network Team are investigating the cause and we will provide further information as soon as this is available. Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience caused."

«Well I have finally configured Firefox and Thunderbird to work exactly as I want them.»

Possibly, but you may not be aware of another really useful add-on for Firefox: Adblock Plus.  This is used to block those unwanted advertisements which clutter up the page.  You simply right-click on the ad, select "Adblock image" and check the URL.  You will probably want to modify the advertiser's URL so that everything from that ad site is filtered out on any web page: e.g. http://www.gobbyads.com/*

It will even filter out those bl**dy irritating flickering and flashing animated Macromedia adverts;  here, right-clicking does not work: you have to display the list of blockable items on the page and find the nuisance peddler in the list.  This is great, because you can still keep Macromedia installed for things you want to see.

To find Adblock, go to Tools>Add-ons>Get Extensions and it's listed under "Popular Extensions".

Another handy add-on (if you are using Firefox on more than one networked or internet-connected pc) is Foxmarks, which synchronises all your bookmarks on each machine, both in the bookmarks drop-down list and in the bookmarks toolbar.  It works between platforms, too; I use it both on Windows and Linux machines.

----- from Brian Lewis -----

Thanks Alan, I will try Adblock.

One thing I do miss from Outlook is the Calendar. Pity Thunderbird doesn't do one....

--

Regards

Brian Lewis

When I receive a reply on my messages from Brian's Thunderbird,only my own message can be read,Brians part of the message is missing. Curiously enough,the reply was visible twice,but failed with all his other replies.

I'm using Vista Home Premium and Windows Mail.

Max wrote:

When I receive a reply on my messages from Brian's Thunderbird,only my own message can be read,Brians part of the message is missing. Curiously enough,the reply was visible twice,but failed with all his other replies.

I'm using Vista Home Premium and Windows Mail.

Uh-oh!  Microsoft have launched yet another email client, it seems.

Anyway, can you clarify what you mean?  I think what you're saying is that Brian replies to you quoting your message - you can read your bit that he's quoting but not the new bit that he's typed in.  Is that right?  I'm not sure what failed with his other replies.  Have you tried reading the message as plain text rather than HTML, or vice versa?

Probably not much help, I'm afraid, but as Windows Mail is the new kid on the block, and going with previous MS history, I suspect the problem is in there somewhere.

Yes,he's quoting my message and that's the only part I receive,the message itself is missing.

There seems to be no 'plain text' selection as with Outlook Express only Unicode etc.

Windows mail is not much different from Outlook Express

Max wrote:

Yes,he's quoting my message and that's the only part I receive,the message itself is missing.

There seems to be no 'plain text' selection as with Outlook Express only Unicode etc.

Windows mail is not much different from Outlook Express

Hi Max,

I don't know Windows Mail, but if the same as Outlook Express try this:

right-click on the message in the Inbox
click Properties menu item
click Details tab
click Message Source button

Expand the window and scroll down, and you can see the entire content of the received message. Is the missing part of the message visible?

If no, it means Brian never sent it, and the problem is at his end.

If yes, there is something amiss about Windows Mail or your setup. Maybe the relevant text is being treated as part of the header. Maybe you are viewing it as HTML and it is being shown in a white font on a white background, or grey on grey. If that is the case, try dragging your mouse across the area in the message where the text should be.

If still no joy, bear in mind that you can send each other private messages via this Templot Club forum. Or you could do, if Brian would finally get round to registering...

regards,

Martin.

PS: Strange that Brian has not registred here yet, he supplies the hardware for most of the designs created by Templot

Having read so much, via the Templot site in recent weeks, about how good was Thunderbird I decided to try it.  Yes, well....seems better than Outlook Express in some ways - but very complicated to a simple soul.  Can a genius give me advice, please?  I use Windows XP & a dial-up connection.

Now, strange as it may sound, I use three ISPs (one with two separate identities!).  ISP (A) is very stroppy & will not allow me to access mail when abroad or via another ISP; the other two do not mind.  So I set up four mailboxes: ISP (A-1), ISP (A-2), ISP (B) & ISP (C) - hope that all makes sense?  These work perfectly alright with Outlook Express as, obviously, each has its own set up.

However, with Thunderbird, ISP (B) will work without any problems but the other three - despite being given their own details in the 'Servers' sections - do not.  It is completely impossible to send or receive messages via them; all that is displayed is the panel saying"......mozilla.com could not be found...."  The other noticeable difference is that, whilst OE dials the relevant telephone numbers of each ISP, Thunderbird will not dial any other than that for ISP (B) - hence more reprimands from ISP (A)!!!!

HELP, have mercy on a poor ignorant supplicant.

Now, strange as it may sound, I use three ISPs (one with two separate identities!).  ISP (A) is very stroppy & will not allow me to access mail when abroad or via another ISP; the other two do not mind.  So I set up four mailboxes: ISP (A-1), ISP (A-2), ISP (B) & ISP (C) - hope that all makes sense?  These work perfectly alright with Outlook Express as, obviously, each has its own set up.

The other noticeable difference is that, whilst OE dials the relevant telephone numbers of each ISP, Thunderbird will not dial any other than that for ISP (B)

There's no question in the matter of browsers -- Firefox is the outright winner -- but in email clients I'm not so sure. I've installed Thunderbird as the obvious accompaniment to Firefox, but so far I've made little use of it, and I'm not sure that I want to. The very first thing Thunderbird did was to advise me not to use multiple SMTP servers, which didn't impress me at all. Most UK ISPs insist that you use their connection if you want to access their SMTP server, so if you have multiple ISPs you don't have the option of using only one server -- and if you could, you would have no backup for sending urgent emails if it goes down.

One thing puzzles me though - as you have broadband you presumably only have one provider for that, so you have to use their SMTP servers for all outgoing email because other ISPs won't allow you to use their's if you're not connected to them - it isn't an option to just use one server. If either your broadband or the ISP goes down, you just switch to dial-up from another ISP and use their servers instead, which Thunderbird handles much better than OE (the easiest way is to just temporarily change the default SMTP server from the previously set up list). Or have I misunderstood something?

PS: Strange that Brian has not registred here yet, he supplies the hardware for most of the designs created by Templot

Dear all,

PS: Strange that Brian has not registred here yet, he supplies the hardware for most of the designs created by Templot

I'm pleased to report that Brian has now joined us, so a warm welcome Brian, and thanks for registering. We now have both Brian Lewis's, as is customary on these groups, so we are all set.

(We could also discuss that apostrophe, and the correct plural term for them - a "templot" of Brian Lewis's? )

Martin.

I'm pleased to report that Brian has now joined us, so a warm welcome Brian, and thanks for registering.

I don't have to temporarily change anything in OE, I just select the required account in the From: dropdown list, and OE automatically uses the SMTP server set up for that account. If my Nildram broadband goes down (as happened on a couple of days recently), I just click the desktop shortcut for one of my dial-up numbers to make the connection, select the appropriate account in the From: list, and send the email. Like you I have different accounts for YahooGroups, E4um, etc., with different sender and reply adresses, each one duplicated for different SMTP servers.

Well, you rather twisted my arm Martin and how could I not respond?

I not sure what happens next. Do I continue to receive emails? Or do I have to log in every time I want to access Templot? If it is the latter, then I guess I will be a very infrequent visitor.

You will find in practice that you can just go to  http://www.templot.com/forum (bookmark it now!) and find yourself already logged in every time.

Screenshots? I have been trying to work out how to do a screenshot for years but never have succeeded.

1. Arrange your screen as required.
   
   
2. Press the Print Screen key on the keyboard (top right near F12). This copies the entire screen to the Windows clipboard -- it doesn't print anything despite the confusing name. (To copy only the currently active window, press Alt+Print Screen.)
   
   
3. Open your graphics editor program, e.g. Paint Shop Pro, Windows Paint, etc.
   
   
4. Click Edit > Paste to see it. Click Save.

If it is easier for you to drop me off the email list Martin, then by all means do so.

How do you quote in the middle of a box of text??

The 'From' address can be separated from the SMTP server - you can't do that with OE. (Can you?)

Hi Brian,

Brian Lewis wrote:

Well, you rather twisted my arm Martin and how could I not respond?

Not too painfully I hope! Welcome to Templot Club.

I not sure what happens next. Do I continue to receive emails? Or do I have to log in every time I want to access Templot? If it is the latter, then I guess I will be a very infrequent visitor.

Having made the effort, I  do like the format of the forum. Thank you for taking elists, (O know it is not exactly an elist), out of the 'Notepad' text only era. A few questions:

Do I have to insert my signature, or will it appear automatically - I do wish folk would not put anonymous or meaningless signatures on their contributions. Also, is it an established convention that new input appears at the bottom. 50 years in commerce has taught me that the latest documents appear on the top...... I find this confusing and am always trying to go the wrong way. Is there a spell checker on the system? (I can spell, but my fingers are so arthritic now that I constantly hit the space between to keys.... And lastly, how do you cange the Subject, if the thread leads to a new topic?

Thanks and Regards

Brian Lewis

Hi Paul,

Paul Boyd wrote:

One thing puzzles me though - as you have broadband you presumably only have one provider for that, so you have to use their SMTP servers for all outgoing email because other ISPs won't allow you to use their's if you're not connected to them - it isn't an option to just use one server. If either your broadband or the ISP goes down, you just switch to dial-up from another ISP and use their servers instead, which Thunderbird handles much better than OE (the easiest way is to just temporarily change the default SMTP server from the previously set up list). Or have I misunderstood something?

If that's a question, could you re-phrase it?

I don't have to temporarily change anything in OE, I just select the required account in the From: dropdown list, and OE automatically uses the SMTP server set up for that account. If my Nildram broadband goes down (as happened on a couple of days recently), I just click the desktop shortcut for one of my dial-up numbers to make the connection, select the appropriate account in the From: list, and send the email. Like you I have different accounts for YahooGroups, E4um, etc., with different sender and reply adresses, each one duplicated for different SMTP servers.

I don't understand how "Thunderbird handles this much better than OE", if you need to make temporary changes (and presumably back again afterwards)?

I'm sure Thunderbird is fine for most users, I just don't see the step change over OE that's so obvious for Firefox v. IE. But maybe I haven't used it enough to see the difference -- if I didn't also have JBMail and Mailbag Assistant I'm sure OE would be driving me mad and I would be looking for an alternative.

regards,

Martin.

Hi Paul,

Paul Boyd wrote:

One thing puzzles me though - as you have broadband you presumably only have one provider for that, so you have to use their SMTP servers for all outgoing email because other ISPs won't allow you to use their's if you're not connected to them - it isn't an option to just use one server. If either your broadband or the ISP goes down, you just switch to dial-up from another ISP and use their servers instead, which Thunderbird handles much better than OE (the easiest way is to just temporarily change the default SMTP server from the previously set up list). Or have I misunderstood something?

If that's a question, could you re-phrase it?

I don't have to temporarily change anything in OE, I just select the required account in the From: dropdown list, and OE automatically uses the SMTP server set up for that account. If my Nildram broadband goes down (as happened on a couple of days recently), I just click the desktop shortcut for one of my dial-up numbers to make the connection, select the appropriate account in the From: list, and send the email. Like you I have different accounts for YahooGroups, E4um, etc., with different sender and reply adresses, each one duplicated for different SMTP servers.

I don't understand how "Thunderbird handles this much better than OE", if you need to make temporary changes (and presumably back again afterwards)?

I'm sure Thunderbird is fine for most users, I just don't see the step change over OE that's so obvious for Firefox v. IE. But maybe I haven't used it enough to see the difference -- if I didn't also have JBMail and Mailbag Assistant I'm sure OE would be driving me mad and I would be looking for an alternative.

regards,

Martin.