Well, I Learned Something

I made a complaint submitted a help ticket to Typepad asking why, when I put in the HTML to center stuff, it shows all nice and centered in my preview, but then it's NEVER, EVER centered.  Well, not NEVER.  Sometimes yes, most of the time no, which makes it all the more frustrating.

This is the response I got from very nice, very helpful Jen:

The code you are using to center items in your post is outdated and does not work with all applications.

On the Edit Post page, click on the Edit HTML tab and add
the following code so that it brackets the parts of post
you want to center:

<p style="text-align: center">Text & Image</p> 

(Norma's Note:  It took me a while to realize that one should substitute one's ACTUAL text and one's ACTUAL image for the words "Text & Image" in the code. WTF.)

We'll be looking at adding this function to the Rich Text
editor so it won't have to be coded by hand. Thank you for
letting us know you'd find that helpful.

I've never been much of a squeaky wheel, but I am beginning to see the advantages to being one.  Aside from the fact that the HTML I'm using is outdated -- but they are the ones who gave it to me, I am quite sure -- because otherwise I know I would have no other place from which to get it, the question does pop to mind, "How could they not have thought we would like that feature?" It's even standard in Word now.  But whatever. It'll be very nice when we get it.  I responded that it'll be lovely, and that I despise HTML with the heat of a thousand suns (well, ok, I left out the hyperbole), and that's indeed why I use Typepad, so, yes, thank you very much, I would like that feature.

*deep bow*

You may all line up to kiss my ring later.  Well, the Typepad users, anyway.  Everyone else might not be that impressed.  Shit.  I'll have to work another angle for that. 

I have watched all of Season 2 of LOST on DVD. The disappointing fact is that out of all of Season 2, it turns out there were only two (possibly only one, but at least the 2nd one was fuzzy in my memory) that I had missed.  All that waiting and worrying for nothing! WTF? But they have been almost as good the second time around - especially the final episode -- and they have been good for another thing:  I have been knitting on something and making great progress. It's almost time to share with you. 

Comments

[Cookie]

I always go to the edit HTML page to center my images. No, not like they told you. *L* I'm such a rebel.

Oh, and 6Apart, parent company of TypePad, sucks. That's why they have not bothered to do anything about it. Just be thankful you're not at live journal where things are really bad.

*cough*

*kiss The Norma & runs like hell*

[Cookie]

* No, not the ring

/flees

[molly]

Thank you! SO good to know! I had been wondering about this for a long time too, and had essentially given up on centering anything, ever, in Typepad. Wheeeeeee!

[Mary-Lou]

Oh that is so useful, thanks for the tip! Do we all need to e-mail Typepad (like with Grumperina and the need for pointier Addis), so they'll realise what we want, and do something about it?

[Debi]

I don't mind the HTML so I'll help if you need me but keep squeaking!

[sandy]

Kiss your ring. As if.
:)
heh.
squeak.

[Dave Daniels]

Did you at least WASH the ring between smooches? It's not like there aren't a slew of diseases out there.
But, yeah, kiss kiss. Whatever.

[Teresa C]

I think an air kiss on either side of the ring. Mwah! Mwah!

Waiting for the knitting.

[Kathleen]

Huh? You liked the finale? Really. Gawd...I was so disappointed with Season 2. Just as Prison Break Season 2 is not as great as the first. Sigh. It's not me--I swear. I loved The Empire Strikes Back.

[Judy]

works for me. Is this the 'outdated" html?

[Vicki]

You have a really great squeak. I have been pretty happy, overall, with Typepad's response to my problems -- they may not alway have the answer I want right away, but they've been excellent about responding and that's BIG.

Now, I can't wait to center something! Waiting for the knitting, too. ; )

[margene]

You da bomb...but kiss your ring? NOT!

[Beth]

For me, the outdated code still seems to work in plain text mode. Never getting it to work in rich text is what keeps me hiding back there, afraid to come out where you can easily add colors. So, consider me in line to kiss the ring.

[Elizabeth]

Yah, I've gotten good responses from Typepad. Figuring out some of this stuff is so frustrating.
I thank you profusely for the tip in lieu of ring kissing.
*deep bow back at ya*

[keri]

Sweet! I've been wanting that feature for a long time.

[jessica~]

I love HTML [and all code, for that matter] but figure that if they were going to use 'updated' code for such an in-demand feature they should have added it to the rich text first!

Thanks you, Queen Norma, for once again snappin' typepad into place!

[Roxie]

You are solving problems I didn't even know existed. You are like a demi-goddess or something. Go Norma! Squeak until you are thouroughly greased!

[Dorothy]

wow, you watched a lot of Lost. we got season two the same time you did and have only watched four episodes. but since we watched none of them on the air, they've all been experiences.

mostly leading to discussions of entertainment that's meant to be intense. Would all the dramatic music and fancy jerky camera work and the short scenes still be needed if the plot and dialogue were good enough to be intense on their own? books don't need fancy special effects to be an intense experience, could TV do the same? oh, sorry, just rambling on and on. husband and son just tell me to hush and watch the show.

[rock chick]

The last time I kissed a ring...nah, nevermind.

[Kelly]

Sometimes it pays to speak up and being a tyepad user I thank you very much! Only a few more weeks and the new lost will be on!

[Carrie]

Tease.

[Isela]

heck--I a have been a bit pissed at them lately. I wish they had an automatic "saving" post, and I hate when my photographs just shift position on their own when I publish...and why don't they do something fun with their comments, like the Haloscan users, and we need new fun templates.
But, I do use them for their ease and the no-html knowledge necessary, they just need to get on the ball a bit more.

[Laura]

1. I need to see if I can rent those Lost Season 1&2 DVDs.

2. Thank you for being the warrior of common sense for us Typepad users. *ring kiss*

[Stephanie]

I have serious "lost" issues. My rental place had all but the last four episodes of the first season. The suspense is killing me.

[--Deb]

That's our Norma . . . squeaky-wheeling for the masses!

[Christine]

Ah, Typepad sweet Typepad. Thanks for the info and for being the squeaky wheel! I certainly use the info. I'm with Isela and the need for new templates. I tried making my own and that was disastrous and when actually tried to apply it Typepad wouldn't let me, so then Typepad applied it to my blog a WEEK later. All of sudden my settings had changed. Indeed a WTF moment.

[Kim]

You are a Goddess!!! I have been struggling with the center thingie for sooooo long. Obviously I have been using the same outdated code.

I look forward to them just adding a center button! Thanks for squeaking!