How to: Paste clipboard images and upload files

How you or Bruce were able to weave your way thru the different page locations is amazing

Thanks, that was me.  I spent a considerable amount of time researching, testing and documenting this.  Bruce just didn't like my first version of this summary.  But I did make a few revisions from his notes, so thanks for that.

This is an example of subscriptions to the Apps and Internet forums.

Bruce, take a breath.  You're reading way more into an innocent comment than was ever intended.  You gave me some notes to help me and I used them.  I appreciate when people help me.

But to follow up, you're actually making my point for originally using "forum group" rather than just "forum".  For accuracy, it's sometimes better to refer to a forum group.  I opted to simplify to "forum" to avoid confusion.  The irony of it all is that I was the one who caused the confusion with WiderM when I referred to "group" when the procedure referred to "forum".  But, in so far as what a user needs to do, "forum" is fine.  It isn't really necessary to know about creating groups and subscriptions.  All the user cares about is whether they can paste a copied image and how the heck do I stop all these notifications I don't want?

Anyway, we're all good if you're all good.  

A post is the original post.  A reply is a contribution to said post.  For example, this sentence: "... including threads in which you've never participated."  Why use "threads?"  Just use "post."

I agree with "post' and I agree with "reply".  But, "thread" is the post and all of the replies.  If I reply to one of your replies, you will receive a "Responses to you" notification because you had replied to the post and/or one or more replies.  I'm using "thread" in lieu of  "Questions and discussions" (which is what Cox uses)  because it's shorter.

(I've written this thing three times now.  I keep forgetting to swap windows when I check on wording of the notifications because I'm trying to type and watch the Redskins-Cowboys game at the same time).

It looks fine, but an issue I see is that Joe Public may not understand your technically accurate phrasing.  Joe may think "But I don't want to upload a file from my PC.  All I want to do is paste this screen shot into a reply".  But if you say "copy and paste an image", he's probably going to know what that means.   Another question is "What if I change my mind after I unsubscribe and I want see those notifications again"?

My question for you is,where did you get your information for what you just wrote?

Bruce, I want to learn from your experiences.  You know about a lot of things for which I haven't a clue and I'm always interested in what you have to say.  So, I want you to be involved.  But, you've really got to lighten up, man. Sometimes it seems like you react to a perceived offense that just isn't there.  At least it feels that way sometimes in conversations you have with me.  If someone offers you help, it doesn't mean your technical skills aren't respected.  I'm not saying you need any help with technical issues that are discussed.  But there wouldn't be anything wrong with accepting help if you did.  Everybody needs help sometime.  I'll gladly accept help from anyone who wants to give it.  We can even disagree.  I'll still respect your opinion.  Please respect mine.

When I left you the procedures about how to unsubscribe from a forum group, I thought you had actually received 17 unwanted notifications that I now know you were using as an illustration.  I was only trying to help you get rid of all the unwanted notifications I thought you were receiving. 

I didn't mean to offend with the "talked me into it" comment.  WiderM and I were in a series of back and forth replies and I inadvertently told him "group" when my procedure said "forum".  This was obviously confusing for WiderM and I was trying to quickly correct my error (emphasis on quickly) while kind of watching a football game.  What i actually meant and would have said, given more time and without the football distraction, is that what you "talked me into" was using consistent terms (because it's a good idea).  The result of that was when I made them consistent, I decided to change all references of "forum group" to "forum".

The discovery of how to join a group and the resulting ability to post images in replies is actually due to to the famous Christmas Day reply by the Cox employee in the original thread.  We had all kinds of theories about why some of us were unable to post images.  They ranged from different version of the website, changes to the software a year ago, regional differences, browser settings and probably more.  That "click to join" banner just became part of the landscape.  It got to where I didn't even notice it.  None of us thought to click it because we could already post.  Why would we need to join anything?  

I changed the wording in the procedure where I first reference joining a forum to include "(TV, Internet, Phone or Apps)" to show that the user will be joining one of those forums.  I use "forum" to refer to "TV Forum", "Internet Forum", "Phone Forum" or "Apps Forum".  When I look at the top of this screen now, I see "Internet Forum".  However, I think (not sure) that when you say Forum, you're referring to this entire website world of groups, posts, replies, subscriptions, etc. that we spend much of our lives in.

 I looked at changing "forum" to "forum group" ("forum", not "Forum")  In the context I'm using, "forum" isn't a proper noun unless it's the name of one of the four forums, e.g. Internet Forum.  There are some places where "forum group" doesn't work.  I would be back to a mix of "forum" and "forum group" which is what I had in the first place.

Also added is "threads (Questions and Discussions)" the first time "threads" is referenced, to relate it to the same terminology that Cox uses in the filter selections.  I guess questions are the posts and discussions are the replies.

This is something I probably should have asked you a long time ago, but when you refer to "upload a file from your PC", are you literally talking about locating a file on your PC and uploading it?  I've been talking about print screen, snipping tool, right click on an image for "copy image" and any other available means to  copy an image to the clipboard.  Then press "ctrl+v" or right click for "paste"  to paste the contents of the clipboard into the reply.

Lastly, I'm shouldn't have expressed frustration about who did what and when.  But, I've seriously put a lot of time into this.  And, "posting images" (or however we refer to it) isn't even something that I cared all that much about being able to do.  For me, it was a mystery to be solved.  It's been interesting, but I'm ready to be done with it.

Thanks CurtB and Bruce for this healthy conversation.  The fact that Bruce and WiderM did talk about this image/file cut/paste was great.  For me, I just wanted the clipboard version insertion into this Forums Reply box.  Was confused because I saw many images (from pingplotter, cmd ping and tracert and many modem settings...) I wondered why not me.  I was lucky to find CurtB even bothering to comment, because most of the community did not...even when Cox chimed in, it was "they are investigating," heck, even emails to their Help desk got stuck. 

On Xmas day, that comment from Cox, about the "Join" appearing at the bottom of any of the 4 Groups...well that opened up the floodgates (apparently this was always there but not noticed by either CurtB or myself or even the early Cox Contributors) .  Without "Joining" one could never do a clipboard paste or do a PC File Upload.  As Bruce said, why does Cox make you do another Join since you already are a paid customer.  Now, WiderM, did you not leave Cox, but still are able to make posting and image.....do you have another account that allows interaction....just wondering.  Appreciate your comments.

I believe this basic issue of image/file insertion into the Reply box is resolved.  Posters need to Join...Cox need to get rid of this redundancy....CurtB even found out about how to "Leave" by selecting the Circled image at the Left of the, say Internet Forum on line 2.

Now the issue of Subscription Notifications under the Lightning bolt....I opened a new topic about the link that allows turning on/off Notifications.....which CurtB first pointed out had some problem....

Thanks again to all for this conversation...Hopefully we all learned a little more about this strange behavior and we can all move on and make comments...with Images...yeah!  Please Bruce and CurtB and even WiderM....keep contributing.. we all have some kind of issue with Cox....mine is more around the TV Forum.