<b> – Bold
Makes text bold – heavy and dark, for words that should jump out.
How to write it
This is <b>bold</b> text.What it looks like
This is bold text.
Basic HTML
Agora 🌐 lets you dress up your words with a little HTML – the same language the very first web pages were written in, back in 1991. It's old, and that's half the charm: a bit retro-futuristic, and nobody needs to be an expert to use it. This page lists every tag Agora allows, what each one does, and exactly how to write it.
Where it works
Your Bio 🙂, Wall posts, comments and Dialogs 📨 – anywhere on Agora 🌐 that says “You can use basic HTML”. Each of those can be up to 9,999 characters long, tags included.
How a tag works
Most tags come in pairs: an opening tag like
<b> where the effect starts, and a closing tag with a
slash, like </b>, where it stops. Whatever sits between them
gets the effect. Tags can go inside each other – just close them in the reverse
order you opened them:
<b><i>bold and italic</i></b>Anything that isn't on the list below is quietly removed when your text is shown, so a typo can't break the page. The list grows every month or two, and when a new tag is added, every bio and post that already used it lights up on its own.
Every allowed tag
<b> <strong> <i> <em> <u> <br> <p> <a> <ul> <ol> <li> <blockquote> <img>
<strong> – Strong
Also bold, but it means “this is important” – screen readers stress it. Use it for warnings and key points.
How to write it
<strong>Don’t forget:</strong> the meeting is at noon.What it looks like
Don’t forget: the meeting is at noon.
<i> – Italic
Slants text. Good for titles of films and books, foreign words, or a thought in your head.
How to write it
We watched <i>Metropolis</i> (1927).What it looks like
We watched Metropolis (1927).
<em> – Emphasis
Also italic, but it means “say this word with stress” – it can change a sentence’s meaning.
How to write it
I <em>did</em> read your post.What it looks like
I did read your post.
<u> – Underline
Draws a line under text. Use it sparingly – on the web, underlined text usually looks like a link.
How to write it
Please <u>double-check</u> your spelling.What it looks like
Please double-check your spelling.
<br> – Line break
Starts a new line, right where you put it. It has no closing tag – it’s just <br> on its own.
How to write it
Roses are red,<br>violets are blue.What it looks like
Roses are red,
violets are blue.
violets are blue.
<p> – Paragraph
Wraps a paragraph, with a little space above and below.
How to write it
<p>First paragraph.</p><p>Second paragraph.</p>What it looks like
First paragraph.
Second paragraph.
<a> – Link
Makes clickable text that goes somewhere. The address goes inside href="…" – it’s the only attribute Agora allows.
How to write it
Visit <a href="https://www.virtuamakers.com">VirtuaMakers</a>!What it looks like
Visit VirtuaMakers!
<ul> – Bulleted list
An unordered list – each item gets a bullet point. Put each item inside its own <li>.
How to write it
<ul><li>Bread</li><li>Milk</li><li>Melons</li></ul>What it looks like
- Bread
- Milk
- Melons
<ol> – Numbered list
An ordered list – items are numbered 1, 2, 3… automatically. Each item goes inside <li>.
How to write it
<ol><li>Sign up</li><li>Make a profile</li><li>Say hello</li></ol>What it looks like
- Sign up
- Make a profile
- Say hello
<li> – List item
One item in a <ul> or <ol> list. It only works inside one of those two.
How to write it
<ul><li>One item</li></ul>What it looks like
- One item
<blockquote> – Quotation
Sets off a quote from someone else, indented on its own.
How to write it
<blockquote>Let there be symbiosis!</blockquote>What it looks like
Let there be symbiosis!
<img> – Picture
Shows a picture. The picture's address goes inside src="…", and a short
description of it goes inside alt="…" (read aloud to people who can't see
it, and shown if the picture can't load). It has no closing tag. For everyone's
safety, pictures only work from Agora 🌐 itself and the seven trusted image sites
listed below – a picture from anywhere else is simply left out.
How to write it
<img src="https://www.virtuamakers.com/Agora/assets/agora-logo.png" alt="The Agora logo">What it looks like
Where pictures can come from
To use a picture from one of these sites, open the picture
itself (on most sites: right-click it and choose “Copy image address”) and paste
that address into src="…". Agora 🌐 will host more of members' own
pictures in the future, and this list can grow too.
Try it
Type some HTML below and see exactly how Agora 🌐 will show it – this uses the same filter as the real thing. Nothing here is saved or posted.
Preview
Not allowed (yet)
Colours, fonts, tables, scripts and styles aren't on the list. Some may join it later; scripts and styles never will, because they could be used to harm other members' browsers. Pictures from sites outside the trusted list above are left out for the same reason – an unknown site can quietly record who looks at its pictures.