Italics

[RoperTrace]

I recently saw how you code Italics in the Lit. com story box after you've posted your story in there. I can't find that post. I thought it was something along the line of inserting an <I> at the beginning and ending of the phrase you wanted to be italicized?

Any other codes in the Lit. story box would be appreciated. I also remember that you can't indent in that story box either.

Thanks for any help. RT

 

[PennameWombat]

Per the other discussions, if you’re submitting your story using the New Story page and pasting or writing text in, you enclose your text in HTML italics <i> and </i> tags (can use upper or lower case i).
<i> - starts italicised section
</i> - ends italicised section
Be careful to not leave out the end tag, otherwise all subsequent text will be italicised.

Also mentioned was the HTML emphasis tag.
<em> - start emphasised section
</em> - end emphasised section
Note: by default browsers display <em></em> sections as italics, but this can be overridden to do something else (bold, change font, etc.) So, if you want italics, use the <i></i> tags to be certain.

There is also “keyboard” indicator. This will tell the browser to use a ‘computer code like’ font, generally whatever monospace font is the default.
<kbd> - start ‘keyboard’ section
</kbd> - end ‘keyboard’ section

As you might guess, the forward slash (/) is what HTML end tags use.

It also works if you create your file using a word processor and save as a .doc file (Word 2003 format), and use italics or bolds. Don’t use the HTML tags in this case, just save the file with the formatting in place. You then upload the file instead of pasting the story text in. I’ve never had an issue doing it this way. Others seem incredibly paranoid about it. YMMV.

Final note. The Literotica Android app ignores all of this. So if you view a story using a browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Opera) on any platform I’ve seen mentioned, you’ll see the italics. But if you view the same story using the Android app you won’t see italics or any other special formatting.

 

[Bramblethorn]

Per the other discussions, if you’re submitting your story using the New Story page and pasting or writing text in, you enclose your text in HTML italics <i> and </i> tags (can use upper or lower case i).
<i> - starts italicised section
</i> - ends italicised section
Be careful to not leave out the end tag, otherwise all subsequent text will be italicised.

Also mentioned was the HTML emphasis tag.
<em> - start emphasised section
</em> - end emphasised section
Note: by default browsers display <em></em> sections as italics, but this can be overridden to do something else (bold, change font, etc.) So, if you want italics, use the <i></i> tags to be certain.

Not sure, but I think Literotica may convert <i> to <em> during the submissions process anyway?

 

[RoperTrace]

Many Thanks to All! My feeble attempts using the search and advanced search were sending me down a rabbit hole.

 

[TadOverdon]

This is older (remember Palm Pilots? Say "yes" or I start drinking early), but it's still true and may be of importance to you.

"Bold" is a style - when you say "bold a word", people basically know that it means to add more, let's say "ink", around the letters until they stand out more amongst the rest of the letters.

That, unfortunately, means nothing to a blind person. On mobile phones and other PDAs, text is already bold because screen resolution is very small. You can't bold a bold without screwing something up.

<b> is a style - we know what "bold" is supposed to look like.

<strong> however is an indication of how something should be understood. "Strong" could (and often does) mean "bold" in a browser, but it could also mean a lower tone for a speaking program like Jaws (for blind people) or be represented by an underline (since you can't bold a bold) on a Palm Pilot.

The same is true for <i> and <em>.

https://stackoverflow.com/questions/271743/whats-the-difference-between-b-and-strong-i-and-em

I know some folks think the answer is not to use italics. That's not the answer.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

I recently saw how you code Italics in the Lit. com story box after you've posted your story in there. I can't find that post. I thought it was something along the line of inserting an <I> at the beginning and ending of the phrase you wanted to be italicized?

Any other codes in the Lit. story box would be appreciated. I also remember that you can't indent in that story box either.

Thanks for any help. RT

You can type the html tags in the story as you go. I use word and it doesn't flag them. I then copy and paste the story into the text submission box.

<i>italic text</i>

You always have to end the tags or all the text from the <i> will be italics.

Others are ...

<b>bold text</b>
<u>underline text</u>

There are others that I don't normally use.

ETA: You can also center text - <center>text to center</center> Even though the center tag is no longer used, Lit. will accept it and convert it to the current tag for aligning text. One problem is that the new tag put an extra line feed after the centered text. So if you don't want it stuff to look wonky start the next line after the center tab without a line of white space.

<center>Title of the Story</center>
The story continues here.

It will come out looking like...

Title of the Story​

The story continues here.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

This is older (remember Palm Pilots? Say "yes" or I start drinking early), but it's still true and may be of importance to you.

Palm Pilot? Uh... damn that was along time ago.

 

[ElectricBlue]

I know some folks think the answer is not to use italics. That's not the answer.

The wisdom is to know that html, when it does go wrong, can go spectacularly wrong.

I have half a dozen stories where I thought I was being oh so clever - some clever bastard had shown me html - but got it wrong (but couldn't be bothered fixing them). I had one story where the entire second page inadvertently switched to italics (got caught by a Lit page break) which became my first ever EDIT, to fix it.

They're now a reminder to myself to be wise, not clever.

 

[Brutal_One]

Main format tags

I have used these recently to good effect. I would also make a note in submission notes you would like provided formatting to remain.

Bold - use the tag pairs <b> and </b> at start and end of text block.

For italics use <i> and </i> tag pair.

For underline use <u> and /u tag pair.

Brutal One

 

[PennameWombat]

This is older (remember Palm Pilots? Say "yes" or I start drinking early), but it's still true and may be of importance to you.
<snip>

Palm Pilot? Uh... damn that was along time ago.

Palm Pilot? Really? Talk about Johnny-come-lately tech.

Now... Sharp Wizard OZ-7000. That was tech! I had one of these bad boys.

 

[stickygirl]

Sorry old thread but on checking the FAQ page it definitely shows a lower case square bracket like this[B - with an upper case letter followed by the close bracket style ] then the usual closing sequence using /.

So it isn't as illustrated in this thread <b>bold</b>

Is my conclusion correct? [THING] not <thing>

 

[DarkRaven13]

I'm not sure at all about the html codes ... but the hint I got for turning in a story and keeping the format was to write it in Word, but later save it and turn it in with an .rtf extension (RIch Text Format).

When its done that way, the Lit editors save your formatting. I did it for my last story and it worked. All the formatting I set up, (bold, italics, line spacing) seemed to be left in.

By the way, I should give @MillieDynamite the credit. She is the one that gave me that wonderful advice.

 

[KeithD]

Sorry old thread but on checking the FAQ page it definitely shows a lower case square bracket like this[B - with an upper case letter followed by the close bracket style ] then the usual closing sequence using /.

So it isn't as illustrated in this thread <b>bold</b>

Is my conclusion correct? [THING] not <thing>

No. The brackets [ and ] are for use here on the discussion board. The <b> and </b> are for use in the stories. And it doesn't matter in either case if the b/B is upper or lower case.

 

[stickygirl]

Cheers! So long as it's kept simple huh?!
I can see where I screwed up once before getting those mixed up.

 

[NikkiSparrow]

Does the <br/> tag still work? I would love to be able to adjust linespace between paragraphs in certain places.

Does the <kbd> tag affect space between paragraphs at all?

 

[gunhilltrain]

Does the <br/> tag still work? I would love to be able to adjust linespace between paragraphs in certain places.

Does the <kbd> tag affect space between paragraphs at all?

The <br/> should work, but there is limited use for it here. Mostly it would be used when quoting song lyrics or poetry, but we seem to be discouraged by Lit from doing that too extensively. Maybe somebody else knows the Lit guidelines; I know that topic has been discussed here before. Is it two lines only? I used to get away with a lot more than that.

The <kbd> tag works when I used it in a test document within the submission box (preview mode). I've never used it in a published story, so I don't know what will happen there.

One definition: "The <kbd> tag is used to define keyboard input. The content inside is displayed in the browser's default monospace font." I guess it might be used to show a text message or some other document within the story if you find that necessary.

 

[MillieDynamite]

The <br/> should work, but there is limited use for it here. Mostly it would be used when quoting song lyrics or poetry, but we seem to be discouraged by Lit from doing that too extensively. Maybe somebody else knows the Lit guidelines; I know that topic has been discussed here before. Is it two lines only? I used to get away with a lot more than that.

The <kbd> tag works when I used it in a test document within the submission box (preview mode). I've never used it in a published story, so I don't know what will happen there.

One definition: "The <kbd> tag is used to define keyboard input. The content inside is displayed in the browser's default monospace font." I guess it might be used to show a text message or some other document within the story if you find that necessary.

Quoting from songs is a tricky business. There appears to be less "fair use" leeway. Stephen King advises you to obtain permission to use even one line from a song from the copyright holder rather than risk a lawsuit.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Sorry old thread but on checking the FAQ page it definitely shows a lower case square bracket like this[B - with an upper case letter followed by the close bracket style ] then the usual closing sequence using /.

So it isn't as illustrated in this thread <b>bold</b>

Is my conclusion correct? [THING] not <thing>

It's square brackets in the forums [ ] and chevrons in the story text < >

 

[ElectricBlue]

Quoting from songs is a tricky business. There appears to be less "fair use" leeway. Stephen King advises you to obtain permission to use even one line from a song from the copyright holder rather than risk a lawsuit.

Here at Lit you can easily get away with one or two lines from a song, and nobody gets sued. Fair use and Stephen King are both red herrings, this is Lit.

I tried to quote a poem in one of my stories - after a couple of passes, Laurel allowed every second stanza (so, 50%) which was better than nothing, but spoiled the point.

 

[Bramblethorn]

Sorry old thread but on checking the FAQ page it definitely shows a lower case square bracket like this[B - with an upper case letter followed by the close bracket style ] then the usual closing sequence using /.

So it isn't as illustrated in this thread <b>bold</b>

Is my conclusion correct? [THING] not <thing>

That was the formatting for the old version of the forums, not for the story side AFAIK. Forums used BBCode with the square brackets, stories use HTML with angle brackets.

 

[stickygirl]

Here at Lit you can easily get away with one or two lines from a song, and nobody gets sued. Fair use and Stephen King are both red herrings, this is Lit.

I tried to quote a poem in one of my stories - after a couple of passes, Laurel allowed every second stanza (so, 50%) which was better than nothing, but spoiled the point.

Pleased to hear that as I've used a couple of lines in my latest. I was going to post a link but one html problem at a time and I'm not going back now

 

[stickygirl]

That was the formatting for the old version of the forums, not for the story side AFAIK. Forums used BBCode with the square brackets, stories use HTML with angle brackets.

Ah, the Old Matrix.... when we needed silver bullets in our guns

 

[gunhilltrain]

Quoting from songs is a tricky business. There appears to be less "fair use" leeway. Stephen King advises you to obtain permission to use even one line from a song from the copyright holder rather than risk a lawsuit.

Near the beginning of my time I here I quoted, without thinking much about it, about two verses of a song by Paul Simon and I think another two from a song by Midnight Oil. I wouldn't do it again, but l think it's unlikely that either Simon or Peter Garrett (the front man for Midnight Oil) are combing through erotic literature sites looking for their songs. I guess it's possible that someone they know could stumble upon them. "Hey Pete, do you think it's worth suing this site in America that is owned by two people?"

 

[gunhilltrain]

I just remembered that we had a thread here recently where we posted dozens of songs from YouTube videos. Are they even legally on YouTube in the first place? Or has YouTube worked out financial arrangements with the recording companies? It's hard to find a song that isn't on YouTube.

I know YouTube has guidelines about posting content from television shows - recent ones from the streaming services I mean. I don't know the exact details, but they will allow some dialogue but most of the visuals have to be in a "freeze-frame."

 

[Bramblethorn]

Near the beginning of my time I here I quoted, without thinking much about it, about two verses of a song by Paul Simon and I think another two from a song by Midnight Oil. I wouldn't do it again, but l think it's unlikely that either Simon or Peter Garrett (the front man for Midnight Oil) are combing through erotic literature sites looking for their songs. I guess it's possible that someone they know could stumble upon them. "Hey Pete, do you think it's worth suing this site in America that is owned by two people?"

It wouldn't be Paul Simon searching for lyrics, it'd be his label. So far nobody seems to have taken an interest in policing lyrics copyrights in Literotica stories but automated copyright enforcement has become a thing in recent years so it's possible that could change.

I just remembered that we had a thread here recently where we posted dozens of songs from YouTube videos. Are they even legally on YouTube in the first place? Or has YouTube worked out financial arrangements with the recording companies? It's hard to find a song that isn't on YouTube.

YouTube has a range of licensing arrangements. Major copyright owners (record companies etc.) upload a set of digital "fingerprints" for the work they own; YT checks uploaded content against that for matches, and when it detects a match it gives rights owners a choice of how they deal with it. They can require it to be taken down, or they can monetise it (i.e. YT shows ads on the video and the money goes to the rights owner, not to the person who uploaded it), or they can just keep an eye on it.

(This gets problematic with older music: even when the original composition is out of copyright, a particular recording may still be in copyright, and if somebody else's recording sounds similar that can lead to false matches.)

If you're not a major copyright owner, you don't get access to that automated fingerprinting service, but if you do become aware of a violation of your copyright you can still report it and get the same options. This gets abused; some folk have figured out that they can harass small-scale musicians etc. into letting them monetise a video rather than fight a bogus copyright claim.

Different owners take different positions on YT stuff. Some bands are pretty liberal with fan uploads, seeing it as a form of promotion, others fight it. It comes up especially with reaction videos where somebody will add their own commentary to somebody else's work ("watch as this vocal coach explains what the singer's doing in this song" kind of thing) since by necessity that contains a large chunk if not the whole of the original video.