Latex Guide Link: Easily Accessible Toolbar Option

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the accessibility of the LaTeX guide on the Physics Forums platform. Participants explore the idea of making the guide more prominent in the user interface to assist newcomers who may not be aware of its existence. The conversation includes suggestions for improving visibility and ease of access to the guide, as well as sharing personal strategies for helping others find it.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • One participant suggests adding a fixed "insert LaTeX guide" link in the toolbar to make it easier for newcomers to find the guide.
  • Another participant questions whether the existing link in the lower left of the edit window is sufficient for users.
  • Some participants express that many users posting mathematical content may not be aware of LaTeX or the existing link, indicating a need for better guidance.
  • There are suggestions for using tools like AutoHotKey on Windows or AutoKey on Linux to streamline the process of sharing the LaTeX guide link.
  • One participant mentions the possibility of copying the link directly from the comment interface, highlighting its convenient location next to the text input.
  • Another participant acknowledges that using drag and drop to share the link could effectively resolve the issue of accessibility.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the effectiveness of the current link's visibility and whether additional measures are necessary. There is no consensus on a specific solution, and multiple strategies are proposed.

Contextual Notes

Some participants assume that newcomers may not read all site information before posting, which influences their suggestions for improving access to the LaTeX guide. The discussion reflects varying levels of familiarity with the platform's features.

Who May Find This Useful

Users interested in improving forum usability, newcomers seeking guidance on LaTeX, and those looking for efficient ways to share resources within the community may find this discussion relevant.

erobz
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A link to the latex guide. I feel like I insert it (and see others linking it) often enough that it is worth asking about having it a fixed option in the tool bar. An “insert latex guide” link. It seems like most newcomers don’t bother to look at at, unless you point it out.

Just an idea. Don’t hurt me.
 
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Different from the existing link? (lower left of the Edit window)

1684680606265.png
 
berkeman said:
Different from the existing link? (lower left of the Edit window)

View attachment 326851

Yeah, I was thinking in the header (maybe within the create a link icon).

The way I see it one can either tell the poster, "hey there is a link in the lower left corner of the reply box that shows how to learn Latex" I'm sure you've typed that sentence a few hundred times or so by now. Or, I like to be more direct and open the link, copy the address, and create a link directly in the body of the reply so it is practically inescapable that they do not find it, or consider it. I see others doing that as well.
 
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To me it seems like people that make the posts with math like "z= x^2+3/y-4 " don't know about "latex" so they aren't looking for it, nor are they seeing the existing link. I suspect most newcomers don't immediately read all the site info before making a post, they just make it. That leaves "helpers" saying "here are the hw forum rules, here is the latex guide ect...over and over. I don't think that will ever change. So my only hope was that a few steps could be cut out of the process programmatically each time we must perform "the nudge".
 
If you are on Windows, you can make use of AutoHotKey. Configure it such that a certain key combination will paste these sentences with the necessary links. On Linux, you can use AutoKey.
 
Wrichik Basu said:
If you are on Windows, you can make use of AutoHotKey. Configure it such that a certain key combination will paste these sentences with the necessary links. On Linux, you can use AutoKey.
Thanks, I'll probably just configure my brain to stop worrying about it.
 
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erobz said:
Yeah, I was thinking in the header (maybe within the create a link icon).

The way I see it one can either tell the poster, "hey there is a link in the lower left corner of the reply box that shows how to learn Latex" I'm sure you've typed that sentence a few hundred times or so by now. Or, I like to be more direct and open the link, copy the address, and create a link directly in the body of the reply so it is practically inescapable that they do not find it, or consider it. I see others doing that as well.
You can copy the link from the lower left corner of the comment interface while writing your answer. It's even conveniently located right next to the text input. Right-click, copy link address (or similar), paste. Drag&Drop works, too.

https://www.physicsforums.com/help/latexhelp/
 
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mfb said:
You can copy the link from the lower left corner of the comment interface while writing your answer. It's even conveniently located right next to the text input. Right-click, copy link address (or similar), paste. Drag&Drop works, too.

https://www.physicsforums.com/help/latexhelp/
I didn't think of doing that. Drag and Drop solves the issue completely!

Thank You!
 
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