News Message Tutoial

Tutorial 2 : Newsgroup message clean-up

In the sample below, you'll find a garbled newsgroup message. Notice how the first person's statements are preceded with '> > >', the second person's responses are prefaced with '> >' and the last person's responses are prefaced with '>'. The problem is, the first person's statements have been distorted to an almost unreadable degree because the words at the far right side of the page have been pushed past the maximum line width and word wrapped incorrectly. MessageCleaner allows you to highlight sections of a message an regroup them with the proper number of '>'s.

To clean the sample message with MessageCleaner, do the following:

Go to the sample message and select the text by highlighting it : Position the mouse cursor at the beginning of the line that says "Joe wrote: ", depress the left mouse button, and drag the mouse cursor down to the bottom of the message, and then release the left mouse button. Note: When you're importing a message from your news reader, click Reply and copy the text from your news reader's message composition window; this insures that all previous statements from other people are indented with '>'s (your reply should be the only text without '>'s).

Copy the selected text to the Windows clipboard by clicking Edit | Copy or by pressing ctrl-C.

Paste the message from the Windows clipboard to the MessageCleaner edit window by clicking Clipboard | Paste All from MessageCleaner's top menu bar.

To clean a newsgroup message, you'll need to activate the indentation tool panel. To do this, click the Indentation label (circled in red). On the indentation tool panel you'll find radio buttons which will allow you to select the indentation character. In most cases you'll probably want to stick with '>'s. Below the radio buttons, you'll find scroll bars to control how many of the selected indentation characters to insert at the left margin. The Depth scroll bar will automatically update to reflect the deepest indentation in the selected text every time the left mouse button is released. Cleaning-up a message's indentation requires you to select one block of text at a time (grouped by indentation depth), make sure the desired options are selected, and click the Apply button to regroup each block of text.

At the risk of being tedious, let's clean the sample message step-by-step. Starting with the first block below "Joe wrote:" Highlight the 8 lines that start with a single '>', notice that the Indent depth has been set to 1 character automatically. Click the Apply button to proceed.

Block number 2 merely contains quotation information, but we'll clean it anyway (just for looks). Select it as shown (notice that the Indent depth has now been set to 2), and click Apply.

Block number 3 is the first really messy block because it has been indented too far and has started to word wrap incorrectly. Notice that some of the lines in this block do not start with 3 indentation chars (such as '> advisor'). This makes block selection tricky. Generally speaking, when you see a short line with fewer '>'s preceded by a long line with numerous '>'s , the short line should be grouped with the preceding long line. Select block 3 as shown and click Apply.

Block number 4 is unremarkable except for the fact that it has 4 blank lines at the bottom. When you encounter this, highlight the blank lines along with the text. This allows MessageCleaner to strip them out of the message. Once again, Select and click Apply.

Block number 5 reverts back to statements from the original person's message; and, once again, it's a mess. Mark it as shown, click Apply. Continue marking the remaining message blocks until they're all done. When finished, the message should look like this.

To post your exceptionally well groomed response, you need to copy the message text to the Windows clipboard and paste it into your news reader's message composition window. To copy a message using the Windows clipboard : click Clipboard | Copy All from MessageCleaner's top menu bar. Next, pull up your news reader's message window, click the edit pane where the message text belongs, then click Edit | Paste or press ctrl-V. You now need to add your response and post it as usual.

Sample Message (Before)

Joe wrote:
> 
> Clinton was selected as a Rhodes Scholar which speaks to his intellect.
> Clinton earned this award, he did not buy this honor. Clinton was not born
> with a silver spoon in his mouth. What matching achievement does G. W. Bush
> have to prove similar learning abilities? Your comments reek of prejudice.
> 
> Tom A. <ta@intellex.com> wrote in message
> news:378069fb.110084562@news.supernews.com...
> > On Sat, 03 Jul 1999 01:17:34 -0700, insane
> > <insane@earthlink.net> wrote:
> >
> > >Bush Weak in Foreign Policy
> > >              WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Brent Scowcroft, the national security
> advisor
> > >to
> > >              President Bush, said that the younger Bush clearly lacks
> > >international
> > >              credentials as reported to the Boston Globe April 5th. "Is
> he
> > >              comfortable with foreign policy? I would say not."
> Scowcroft
> > >said.  The
> > >              governor's main experience "was being around when his
> father was
> > >in
> > >              his many positions."
> >
> >   And what was Clinton's foreign policy experience before he was
> > elected?  Answer: he read about foreign policy in the newspapers and
> > books.  Of course, Clinton has proved the point that inexperience can
> > be a handicap when directing foreign policy.  However, I would say
> > this is an individual thing, rather than something that applies to
> > everyone.  Some people just learn quicker than others, and G. W. Bush
> > has excellent foreign policy advisors, unlike Clinton.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > >
> > >              Unlike United States Senators and Representatives who spend
> years
> > >              analyzing and voting on foreign policy issues, state
> governors
> > >spend
> > >              their time at home.   Does Bush have the brain power to
> learn on
> > >the
> > >              job?
> > >
> >
> >   Bill Clinton was a governor.  Does your question apply to him too?
> >
> >
> >
> > >              Not according to former GOP Texas State Chairman Tom Pauken
> > >              who held the post from 1994 to 1998. Pauken says he has
> "real
> > >              concerns" about a Bush presidency - "It's critical we have
> someone
> > >
> > >              with the intellect to handle the job.  It's one thing to be
> a
> > >governor in a
> > >              state where Lieutenant Governor Bob Bullock had most of the
> power;
> > >
> > >              but it's a totally different thing to be President."
> >
> >
> >   The same can be said for Clinton.
> >
> >
> >
> > > Pauken mocked
> > >Bush
> > >              as a "me-too Republican".
> > >
> > >              Bush acknowledged he is weak in foreign policy.  "This is a
> big
> > >world
> > >              and I've got a lot to learn," he stated June 22nd.  Bush is
> being
> > >tutored
> > >              by various advisors so he won't continue to refer to Greeks
> as
> > >              Grecians or confuse Slovenia with Slovakia.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >   Bush may need a little brushing up on geography (and who does not?)
> > but I'll bet Bush (or Bradley, or anyone else) will not compromise
> > national security the way Bill Clinton has done.
> >
> > TA

Sample Message (After)

Joe wrote:

> Clinton was selected as a Rhodes Scholar which speaks to his 
> intellect. Clinton earned this award, he did not buy this honor. 
> Clinton was not born with a silver spoon in his mouth. What 
> matching achievement does G. W. Bush have to prove similar learning 
> abilities? Your comments reek of prejudice. Tom A. 
> <ta@intellex.com> wrote in message 
> news:378069fb.110084562@news.supernews.com... 

>> On Sat, 03 Jul 1999 01:17:34 -0700, insane <insane@earthlink.net> 
>> wrote: 

>>> Bush Weak in Foreign Policy WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Brent Scowcroft, 
>>> the national security advisor to President Bush, said that the 
>>> younger Bush clearly lacks international credentials as reported 
>>> to the Boston Globe April 5th. "Is he comfortable with foreign 
>>> policy? I would say not." Scowcroft said. The governor's main 
>>> experience "was being around when his father was in his many 
>>> positions." 

>> And what was Clinton's foreign policy experience before he was 
>> elected? Answer: he read about foreign policy in the newspapers 
>> and books. Of course, Clinton has proved the point that 
>> inexperience can be a handicap when directing foreign policy. 
>> However, I would say this is an individual thing, rather than 
>> something that applies to everyone. Some people just learn quicker 
>> than others, and G. W. Bush has excellent foreign policy advisors, 
>> unlike Clinton. 

>>> Unlike United States Senators and Representatives who spend years 
>>> analyzing and voting on foreign policy issues, state governors 
>>> spend their time at home. Does Bush have the brain power to learn 
>>> on the job? 

>> Bill Clinton was a governor. Does your question apply to him too? 

>>> Not according to former GOP Texas State Chairman Tom Pauken who 
>>> held the post from 1994 to 1998. Pauken says he has "real 
>>> concerns" about a Bush presidency - "It's critical we have 
>>> someone with the intellect to handle the job. It's one thing to 
>>> be a governor in a state where Lieutenant Governor Bob Bullock 
>>> had most of the power; but it's a totally different thing to be 
>>> President." 

>> The same can be said for Clinton. 

>>> Pauken mocked Bush as a "me-too Republican". Bush acknowledged he 
>>> is weak in foreign policy. "This is a big world and I've got a 
>>> lot to learn," he stated June 22nd. Bush is being tutored by 
>>> various advisors so he won't continue to refer to Greeks as 
>>> Grecians or confuse Slovenia with Slovakia. 

>> Bush may need a little brushing up on geography (and who does 
>> not?) but I'll bet Bush (or Bradley, or anyone else) will not 
>> compromise national security the way Bill Clinton has done. TA

Go to the sample message and select the text by highlighting it : Position the mouse cursor at the beginning of the line that says "Joe wrote: ", depress the left mouse button, and drag the mouse cursor down to the bottom of the message, and then release the left mouse button. Note: When you're importing a message from your news reader, click *Reply* and copy the text from your news reader's message composition window; this insures that all previous statements from other people are indented with '>'s (your reply should be the only text without '>'s).
Copy the selected text to the Windows clipboard by clicking Edit \| Copy or by pressing ctrl-C.
Paste the message from the Windows clipboard to the MessageCleaner edit window by clicking Clipboard \| Paste All from MessageCleaner's top menu bar.
To clean a newsgroup message, you'll need to activate the indentation tool panel. To do this, click the Indentation label (circled in red). On the indentation tool panel you'll find radio buttons which will allow you to select the indentation character. In most cases you'll probably want to stick with '>'s. Below the radio buttons, you'll find scroll bars to control how many of the selected indentation characters to insert at the left margin. The Depth scroll bar will automatically update to reflect the deepest indentation in the selected text every time the left mouse button is released. Cleaning-up a message's indentation requires you to select one block of text at a time (grouped by indentation depth), make sure the desired options are selected, and click the Apply button to regroup each block of text.
At the risk of being tedious, let's clean the sample message step-by-step. Starting with the first block below "Joe wrote:" Highlight the 8 lines that start with a single '>', notice that the Indent depth has been set to 1 character automatically. Click the Apply button to proceed.
Block number 2 merely contains quotation information, but we'll clean it anyway (just for looks). Select it as shown (notice that the Indent depth has now been set to 2), and click Apply.
Block number 3 is the first really messy block because it has been indented too far and has started to word wrap incorrectly. Notice that some of the lines in this block do not start with 3 indentation chars (such as '> advisor'). This makes block selection tricky. Generally speaking, when you see a short line with fewer '>'s preceded by a long line with numerous '>'s , the short line should be grouped with the preceding long line. Select block 3 as shown and click Apply.
Block number 4 is unremarkable except for the fact that it has 4 blank lines at the bottom. When you encounter this, highlight the blank lines along with the text. This allows MessageCleaner to strip them out of the message. Once again, Select and click Apply.
Block number 5 reverts back to statements from the original person's message; and, once again, it's a mess. Mark it as shown, click Apply. Continue marking the remaining message blocks until they're all done. When finished, the message should look like this.
To post your exceptionally well groomed response, you need to copy the message text to the Windows clipboard and paste it into your news reader's message composition window. To copy a message using the Windows clipboard : click Clipboard \| Copy All from MessageCleaner's top menu bar. Next, pull up your news reader's message window, click the edit pane where the message text belongs, then click Edit \| Paste or press ctrl-V. You now need to add your response and post it as usual.