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[mklotz]

An essential for me is a text processor (I use DocPad) that has a macro capability.

Writing the text of a post in a processor separate from the forum's processor makes one immune to possible glitches in the latter. Moreover, if your forum post vaporizes due to a Murphy-strike, your text is still preserved in the processor.

Macros give you the ability to save lots of time typing oft-recurring sequences. A few that I use frequently are...

automatically set up to put something in the html needed to make it appear in italics. (In proper English, foreign words/phrases and publication titles should be italicized). Hitting the macro generates and positions the cursor between the two markers, ready to type the word or title.

automatically change to uppercase the last word typed. No messing around with shift keys when typing acronyms.

automatically set up parens and quotes, e.g. create () or "" and position cursor between them.

duplicate the current line. It's often quicker to copy a line and change a few characters than to retype the line.