Shoutbox

in reference to
http://shoutbox.menthix.net/showthread.php?tid=46...d=483812#pid483812

quote:

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Originally posted by multimillion2k
what do those asterisks *really* mean??

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It means the word is emphasized as bold writing.

This type of emphesizing words is used when no graphical code (visible layouting of text) is available. Or when graphical code is available but the user doesn't want to use the special tags, but plain text characters.

Using those special "markers" in texts which could be formed in a graphical way could also mean that the user wants to emphesize a word, but not as clearly/much as with the visible layout tags. Thus *this* would mean a bit less bold emphesized as this....

most common used:
*bold*
_underlined_

Note: This use of emphasizing comes from the time that word processors weren't WYSIWYG and visible graphical layouting of text wasn't available (eg: Word Perfect for DOS)

You can still use those emphasing characters in some modern word processors though. It will automatically change the encapseled word in the proper visible text layout (eg: When you type *this* in MS Word, it will autoamtically be converted to this... <= you can turn this beheviour on/off in the settings of MS Word.)

Haha nice reference!

Cool mini-fact that may be helpful to some of the *newer* people on the forums or those that aren't fully accustomed to the whole internet scene. Thanks!

I didnt know that. I thought it was only to grab attention. I didnt know it was for bold and underlines

It seems that some people also (on the internet) use it to describe actions aswell such as:
Who...me? *looks behind*
Or something like that. Just thought I'd add that aswell.

I always thought the *s were meant to show sarcasm or something of the sort.  That is a cool tip about MS Word though, I need to try that out.

quote:

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Originally posted by ProblemWv Authority
It seems that some people also (on the internet) use it to describe actions aswell such as:
Who...me? *looks behind*
Or something like that. Just thought I'd add that aswell.

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You would normally put an asterisks just at the front, and on these forums, you can type /me clicks "Post Reply"

* rav0 clicks "Post Reply"

quote:

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Originally posted by CookieRevised
most common used:
*bold*
_underlined_

Note: This use of emphasizing comes from the time that word processors weren't WYSIWYG and visible graphical layouting of text wasn't available (eg: Word Perfect for DOS)

You can still use those emphasing characters in some modern word processors though. It will automatically change the encapseled word in the proper visible text layout (eg: When you type *this* in MS Word, it will autoamtically be converted to this... <= you can turn this beheviour on/off in the settings of MS Word.)

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It seems that in MS Word the underscore emhasizing character means in fact "Italized" and not "Underlined"...


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quote:

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Originally posted by rav0

quote:

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Originally posted by ProblemWv Authority
It seems that some people also (on the internet) use it to describe actions aswell such as:
Who...me? *looks behind*
Or something like that. Just thought I'd add that aswell.

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You would normally put an asterisks just at the front, and on these forums, you can type /me clicks "Post Reply"

* rav0 clicks "Post Reply"

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yep, also both true... since non-WYSIWYG editors become the standard, the original use of emphasizing words in this way has become almost obsolete and now it is also often used to indicate some trivial action in non formal text. Only the context of the text indicates which meaning has to be given to the characters...

quote:

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Originally posted by ProblemWv Authority
It seems that some people also (on the internet) use it to describe actions aswell such as:
Who...me? *looks behind*

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agreed. i have been known to use bounding asterisks to describe self action *nods*.