2. How to "Smallify" Text

[Note: Text treated with the smallifying method will show as having been smallified when being viewed in any newsgroup by both computer users and WebTV users. It will also work in email sent to WebTV users, but not in email being viewed on a computer. To learn how to create quoted text that will work when sending email to a computer email address and to a WebTV email address, click here.]

Use the "smallify" function to make quoted text smaller! Here are some simple instructions:

First, use CCP (cut, copy, and paste) to copy and paste the text to be quoted.

Important:
(Make sure that the text to be smallified is a paragraph unto itself. Separate the text to be quoted from other text which may be above or below it by using the Return key to place a blank line above and below the text you want to smallify.)

Now place the cursor at the very beginning of the second line of text. Hit Delete and then Return. (This is known as placing a "hard return" for each line of text.)

Next, using the down arrow, move the cursor down to the beginning of the next line of text, and use Delete and Return again. Once again, use the down arrow to place the cursor at the beginning of the next line of text, and continue the process through all the lines of text to be smallified.

Now, working your way up, place the cursor at the beginning of the last line of text, and, using the Shift key, hit the ( > ) key (the "greater than" key.) Other keys that can be used are the closing script key (]), and the closing parenthesis key. [)] The good thing about using the closing script symbol is that the shift key does not have to be used to type it!

Moving up one line at a time, do the same for each line. You will have to use your left and up arrows to place the (>) symbol at the beginning of each line, including the first line.

Important note: Do not hold down the Shift key continuously, but depress it each time you place the (>) symbol.

If you see a partial line of text "appear" below where you are working, and it does not have a (>) in front of it, don't try to go back and place a (>) symbol in front of it. Just leave it alone. This will not always happen, but it is normal.

Work your way to the top line of text, and you are almost done!

The last thing to do is use your arrow keys to place your cursor at the very end of the smallified paragraph and the hit your Return key twice to begin a new paragraph.

Note: You will not see the effects of smallifying until after an email has been sent! You may check your Sent mail folder to see the effect, or simply send yourself some test emails to see the results of your work.

If the text you are quoting has a quote within it, you can further separate the "quote within a quote" by placing two (>>) symbols in front of each of those lines. This has the same effect as "double indenting."

The process can be carried one step further by using three (>>>) symbols, but that's about the limit. To use more than three (>) symbols would make the text lines so short that they would be difficult to read.

Practice is the key to learning this procedure.

If the text you want to smallify is only on one line and has not wrapped to a second line, you do not have to use the "hard return." Just place the "greater than" symbol in front of the line to be smallified.