Using the vertical line instead of the colon

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   CatherineGiordanoposted 9 years ago

   How do I create this vertical line.  I don't see it on the keyboard. Also, what is it called?

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      bBereanposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      It's called a vertical bar and located above the \.  Although appears as two upright dashes on the keyboard it doesn't usually display that way:  |
      
      Tip of the day:  In many search engines the vertical bar works as "or", so "green | red" would give results including either.

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         CatherineGiordanoposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         Thank you. It appears as two lines on top of each other with a break in between them on my computer so I didn't realize what it was.

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            jansharesposted 9 years agoin reply to this

            It took me over a year to find it, Catherine.

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               The Examiner-1posted 9 years agoin reply to this

               Where is yours Jan?

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                  jansharesposted 9 years agoin reply to this

                  Same as bBerean.

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      The Examiner-1posted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Mine appears on the keyboard as a solid line. It is just above the Enter key with my \ as you say.

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         bBereanposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         Interesting.  I will have to check my other computers to see.  I probably have some like that too.  I didn't recall seeing anything but the 2 vertical dashes but my touch typing includes that key so I never noticed.  Now I'm curious. 

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            The Examiner-1posted 9 years agoin reply to this

            Do you have Apple, Windows, or other? Maybe the keyboards are different. I only have one desktop so I cannot check others.

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               bBereanposted 9 years agoin reply to this

               I regularly use several computers, all Windows based with various OS.  Currently I am only near 2, both desktops, older running Win 7 and they have the 2 vertical dashes.  I have 2 laptops, a desktop and 2 tablets with keyboards I can check at home.

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                  The Examiner-1posted 9 years agoin reply to this

                  I have one Win. desktop at home that I bought at Off. Max. The board is e-Machines. I found another keyboard (Labtech), packed away, that shows a line on the board. Maybe newer ones do and older ones do not.

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      easylearningwebposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      I have noticed some hubbers using the little vertical line in their titles. I wondered if this made a difference with search engines. I have seen it used on Webpages too. It would be helpful to know if anyone has any tips...I see some helpful info below.
      
      Catherine, on my laptop it's on the key above the Enter key so use the Shift key plus the key to get the pipe symbol to display.
      
      I looked on my Android phone keyboard when texting and it's located under the no. 4 key.
      
      I posted photos below. Hope this helps.
      
      
      
      
      
      

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         jansharesposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         Yes, easylearningweb, I did see an increase in hubscores of some hubs after changing my titles to include | where appropriate. I guess that translates into increased searchability but it's all relative when there are HP site changes, QAP/algorithm adjustments, and Pandas going on. By the way, was reminded that the | symbol is in a totally different place on my Kindle Fire keyboard: hit numbers key, then •+- key, it's on the middle row above the trademark symbol.

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            easylearningwebposted 9 years agoin reply to this

            Thanks janshares. I'm not if it should or shouldn't be used but it's worth a shot so maybe I'll try in a couple hubs. Thanks again!

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      peachpurpleposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      What vertical line? What is it for?

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   rebekahELLEposted 9 years ago

   It is also referred to as a 'pipe'.  It can be used as a separator, but isn't considered punctuation.  Sometimes I use a colon, but I also use the pipe in certain titles.  I think it's more about user readability and eye appeal, does the title stand out more one way or another?

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      bBereanposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      I knew it as a "pipe" also but haven't heard it referred to as that for some time, so I figured the term either fell from grace among the masses, or never went much beyond coding vernacular in the first place.  Then again, it doesn't get talked about that much in any case. 
      
      Perhaps if Rodney Dangerfield had a symbol on the keyboard...

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         rebekahELLEposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         I don't think it has too much impact in regard to how search engines now read titles.  The important part is that our content 'answers' the title and a search query.  I think it was intended to tell a search engine that words on either side of a pipe are of equal importance.  I don't know if that's still relevant in seo since google implemented the hummingbird algorithm which works more on figuring out reader intent and deciding if content matches the query.

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            bBereanposted 9 years agoin reply to this

            Agreed.  Utilizing a pipe in a title should have no impact on the title as a potential target of a search.  I just meant it is a useful tool when searching, particularly for items on retail or classified websites where two or more features are of equal importance to you, yet you want to eliminate others, (color being a prime example).

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         CatherineGiordanoposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         You made me laugh.

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            CatherineGiordanoposted 9 years agoin reply to this

            It was bBerean who made me laugh with his Rodney Dangerfield remark.  The responses ended up in a place I did not expect.

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   gitachudposted 9 years ago

   If you do not have it on your keyboard - while holding the ALT key, type 179.

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   Robert Allanposted 9 years ago

   I create a p[ipe by holding down the key above the righthand ctrl and backward slash key at the same time

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   Robert Allanposted 9 years ago

   sorry got that slightly wrong  -  lefthand ctrl key and the key dfirectly avove it at the same time

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      The Examiner-1posted 9 years agoin reply to this

      The 'avove' key? Did you mean the above key; the arrow key or something else?

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   Dressage Husbandposted 9 years ago

   I think he meant the shift key! The Pipe is Shift \ like this | | |

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      The Examiner-1posted 9 years agoin reply to this

      That was why I asked about that one first.

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   Venkatachari Mposted 9 years ago

   It is the vertical line or pipe as you may call it. That is okay. But it is not used in place of colon. The function of colon is different from this function of the pipe symbol. Colon is used when you are narrating something. But this pipe is used to separate two or more elements or qualities of something.

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   Beaddoodlerposted 9 years ago

   Do you see the back slash just above the enter key?  Hold shift and press it.

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   PinoyMomposted 9 years ago

   It's also called:  Pipe or Broken vertical bar
   On my keyboard, using Microsoft Word, I could display it by pressing the following buttons on the keyboard one by one
   shift and \ makes |

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      The Examiner-1posted 9 years agoin reply to this

      In Word it can also be found, broken or solid, in Insert  - Symbols on about the fifth and sixth lines from the top in the Symbols box.

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