HOW I CREATE POSTS TO SHARE ON BBHF
A Step-By-Step Guide
(Updated January 2022)

============ INTRODUCTION

Most shares on BBHF consist of nothing more than a couple of sentences (incoherent ones, at that!) and the MAGIC BUTTON download link.

Many share posts don't even employ the MAGIC BUTTON code, so the product download links are out in the open, so the links may show up for anyone --- BBHF member or not --- who searches Google using the product's (or the marketer's) name! And this is one reason why posted links get removed so quickly.

There are lots of rules on BBHF about what is and isn't allowed to post but sadly, there is very little information to help members understand how to create a post to share stuff.

The good news is this: You can be as detailed as you want when sharing. That means you can also do a bare-bones version with links to the long-winded stuff.

For example, some people include screen-shots (images) of the product so you can see a representation of what you're downloading. Others omit images altogether.

Some people include image shots of the product's sales page that might run the length of the thread. Others will post a link where you can go to the marketer's site to read about it.

Be that as it may, there are some KEY pieces you should always include in a post.

In this tutorial, I cover how I create posts. You can take from this whatever you need to learn. Still, this doesn't mean you have to follow every step.

=================== WHAT GOES IN A POST

Your post should include, at a minimum, the following parts or pieces...

  • TITLE - Your contribution will not go public until you put a title description in the form at the top of the forum's text editor.
  • DESCRIPTION - You should put as little (or as much) information as you like to tell members about the product or whatever you're sharing. Many members have limited storage capacity on your computers and knowing what a share is comes in handy for them to make a download decision.
  • MAGIC BUTTON - This is the most important part of the share. It is where you drop the download link(s). There are special html code tags you use to create this enclosure. I'll talk about that in a moment.
  • VIRUS TOTAL - This is the second most important piece in a share post. Nobody wants to download something that will compromise their computer's operation and security and you should do the responsible thing and run the download through an online system of anti-virus programs called Virus Total (https://virustotal.com) and include some form of the report with a link to it as part of the share.

And that, my friends, is all you need to include.

Now, I just said that the virus scan is the second most important piece to a share (second only to the download links) but there are circumstances and situations where you can omit the virus scan completely.

One is where the file size is too large for Virus Total to handle. There is a file size limit for that site and if you attempt to run the file and get the error message that the file is too large, you can post that.

Secondly, if you share a series of links that are too large in total or are too cumbersome to compile and virus-scan, you can omit the VT scan.

However, in that situation, your post should always include a statement like this:

VIRUS TOTAL: Total size exceeds VT's file size limit. Please run a local scan before using these files.

This alerts readers of your post why you did not include a VT scan and reminds them to use their computer's resident A-V program to check the files before they install or open or access any of the files you're sharing.

If you include the four key pieces I just covered in each of your shares, you're doing it the right way.

Remember, no one expects your posts to be the "spittin' image" of someone else's; however, you should include certain key features in a post to keep from having them monitored, getting links blocked or ultimately, getting yourself banned.

It is my hope that after reading this tutorial, you will understand how to create a post to share stuff on BBHF. Or that you will try to share something for the very first time if you've never done that before.

All-in-all, this tutorial shows you how easy it is to create a visually attractive share that follows forum rules --- without having to pull out your hair by its roots!

====================== SO, LET'S GET STARTED!

So, with that said, here are the steps I follow to find good-quality files then prepare a post to share it on BBHF:

1 - Decide what you want to share: You can share a file from your computer, something you downloaded from elsewhere or a product you purchased.

You can also use the search engines to find existing download links, such as on free course and e-book download sites or other forums.

Lastly, you can check out the REQ (request) threads on BBHF to see what other people are looking for. That is a great way to share something that already has a following and build up your reputation (REP) on BBHF because people usually add reps (ex: click the +Rep button) to add anywhere from 1 to 5 points for your help.

2 - Search the forum to be sure it hasn't already been shared: Once you decide on something to share, you'll need to search BBHF to be sure it has not already been shared.

That's pretty easy to do but the results can be iffy. Let me explain:

To search BBHF for what you intend to share, type the name of the product or the marketer's name in the SEARCH TITLES and the SEARCH POST areas in the upper section of the forum header. In my experience, you need to search in both areas.

There have been times where I doggedly searched the SEARCH TITLES and did not find what I was about to share. However, upon posting the share, I learned from other readers that it, indeed, had been shared already. So, be sure to put the keywords for the title or marketer in both areas.

You can still share an item that has already been shared if:

  • the thread is old (dated 6 months or more from current date);
  • the links on the thread are dead and/or re-ups or mirrors are being asked for;
    and/or...
  • you have a newly updated version of the product that was originally shared.

3 - Create a Post: Use the forum's text editor to post a brand new thread if the existing share is on a very aged thread.

Go back to the REQ thread. Highlight the URL in the browser address bar on the REQ thread, right-click and copy it. Then paste that link at the start of your post to show that you are responding to an item being requested.

4 - Upload your share to a file share app: You need to upload or transfer the files you want to share to a website or a cloud app that creates a link for others to download them.

This is usually as easy as going to the site, searching your computer for the files inside of the app's user interface, and then clicking a button to transfer a copy of the file to their host server. The file share app then creates a link that others can use to download the file to their own device.

Some of the most popularly accepted places to upload your file(s) include:

Here is a link where you can read about more file share site options, both free and paid:

FILE SHARE SITE OPTIONS
https://www.guru99.com/file-sharing-sites.html

Check them out. Be sure to read the user terms of service. Some may require you to create an account.

======================
Common File extensions

  • .7z - one or more files zipped with the 7zip archiver
    -.pdf - e-books, magazines and other documents
    -.epub - e-books
    -.mobi e-books
    -.txt - plain text documents such as Readme.txt and instruction files
    -.rar - files archived with Winrar or other rar file archiver
    -.zip - one or more files zipped with Winzip or other zip file archiver
    ======================

Go to the file share site of your choice (ex: mediafire.com, zippyshare.com, mega.nz) and use the uploader feature to transfer the file to the server.

What's the Difference Between
A Rar and A Zip File?
.
https://www.diffen.com/difference/RAR_vs_ZIP

How to Zip A File With Winrar
.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRRQZUAuwQ4

How to Upload a File to
A File Share Site
.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCxbEQo3Zhg
.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1VOpstuUN4

How to Create An Encrypted
Password Protected Zip File
.
https://staff.bnc.ox.ac.uk/guides/security/zipfiles/
.
NOTE: The forum requires all member-uploaded files that use a password to use the forum's offical password.
And if you don't know the password, you're probably not a member. That password is required on everything you share that is not a direct link from another site.

When I share direct links that come from other sites, I explain that the BBHF's password will not work on direct links from other sources. When you share links with a non-BBHF password, you should indicate the password or remind readers to note the password on the download page. Otherwise, you will be lots of frustrated and angry posts from people unable to access the files after downloading them.

How to Convert a Rar File
Into a Zip File Without Software
.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMtEt_4m_bs
.
https://www.remosoftware.com/info/convert-rar-zip-files-using-winrar

How to Compress Files
.
https://www.easytechguides.com/compress-files/
.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wjTygBz-to

4 - Generate a download link. After your file(s) have been uploaded to the file share site, you will see the title of the file in the window inside the uploader user interface. Depending on which file share site you use, you will either see a notification that the file has been uploaded (ex: mediafire) or you will need to click on the elipse symbol (...) next to the title of the file and select the Get Link option (ex: mega.nz).

How to Generate A
Download Link:

Mediafire.com
.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrBr9eCnkiY
.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6tFfmlgHH0
.
https://www.mediafire.com/

Mega.nz
.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMU9brPD-ls
.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmlB6cVr1dw
.
https://mega.io/help/client/webclient/getting-started/how-do-i-upload-files-to-mega-57885ea9886688d1468b45af

Zippyshare.com
.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6J49syX79c8
.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKPagY_ivhc
.
https://www.zippyshare.com/

There are other file share sites. You can do a Google search for file share sites + tutorials to learn more about using them.

5 - Prepare your forum post. Ideally, you will work in a text editor on your computer to create the first draft. It is easier to work on your computer for the first draft than in the forum's text editor because with its formatting features, you may be tempted to stop and format text as you go, which can delay the process. It is far easier to compose all the text on your computer and then select it all, copy and paste it into the forum's text editor when you are done.

The parts of a [share] forum post - The forum post offering a share is called the original post or OP. It has these parts, some of which are not required (optional):

  • Header [Required]: This is the headline title and although some posts appear without a designated header, you must put some text in the forum post title area or the post will not be published. Try to keep the title information you put in the It describes what is being shared and is usually the title of an ebook, course or other product. It could also include the name of the marketer who's product it is. Headers usually appear in bolded, large text centered in the middle of the post. So, after putting all of your post text into the forum's text editor, use the formatting features (B for bold, I for italics, etc.) to apply whatever formatting you want to this text.
  • Subheader [Optional]: This is the subtitle or any additional information you want the forum reader to see. You can use the sub-title of a book as the subheader of your post but a subheader is not required.
  • Image [Optional]: The image is a picture or other graphic that shows the product being shared but it could also be something generic, such as images you find in a Google search or some image file from your computer. Images should be centered beneath the Header and Subheader in your post, so you will need to use the "center" formatting inside the forum's text editor, along with the image tags: [img]http://image-name.png goes here[/img] to position the image on the screen.

For image grabs, I use a product called TechSmith Capture. It is a paid tool and I pay a one-time annual cost. You get an online account you register and log in using your email address and a password. What Capture does is enables you to capture or grab image snippets or record video that can be uploaded to an online site via a web URL the software generates for you.

So, if I see a picture I want to use in my forum post (share), I can pull it up on the web and use my screencast product (formerly Jing), and grab whatever portion of the image I can by clicking my mouse on the screen and dragging it across and down the screen until I capture the dimensions or areas I want. Then when satisfied, I can click again and a pop-up appears showing me the dimensions across and down the image size. I then have the option to make minor edits like adding arrows to point to certain areas of the image, use callouts for emphasis, etc. and to colorize them. NOTE: You cannot re-color the image but you can re-color the little arrows, call-outs, etc. that are available. Lastly, I click another button to UPLOAD the image to my TechSmith account. After a few seconds, a web link to the image on TechSmith's server tied to my account is generated. I simply copy that screencast URL and paste it into a web browser. The image I just captured appears in the browser. To grab an image URL I need to put inside my forum post text, I right-click anywhere on the image itself in the browser and select the option to Copy Image Location. The link should always end in a proper image extension such as .png, .jpg --- and that is the link I place between the image opening and closing image tags [img] and [/img] in my post. I can also select the entire length of the text and click the CENTER formatting option in the forum's text editor to get the image appear centered in my post.

Read more about your options for free Screen Capture software below.

FREE SCREEN CAPTURE SOFTWARE:
https://democreator.wondershare.com/screen-recorder/free-screen-capture-software.html#:~:text=Apowersoft,based%20free%20video%20capture%20software.

  • Body of the post: This is the "meat-and-potatoes" of the post. You should include any information or details that reveals more about the item you're sharing. That could include:
  • product description
  • sales page link
  • copyright date or the volume number or date a course or software was published
  • Download area: The download area in a BBHF share is called the MAGIC BUTTON. This is an enclosed area that protects the download from appearing openly on the forum thread. To create the MAGIC BUTTON, you use code tags.

Grab the download link from the file share site you uploaded the file to or any direct download link you found to a marketer's sales page, etc.

Put that link in between these html tags that open and close the MAGIC BUTTON:

[hide][code]
.
https://download-link-goes-here.pdf (This is an example. Put the actual download link between the tags as shown)
.
[/code][/hide]

NOTE: I put a dot/period (.) before and after the download link, inside the html tags in the MAGIC BUTTON to create a little space. You don't have to do that if you choose not to.

  • Virus Total Scan [Required]: This is required of most shares. An antivirus scan ensures that the file you are sharing is safe from malware, adware, viruses and other exploits that can harm the downloader's computer system. At VirusTotal.com, some 60 virus engines are used to scan your document and generate a report. You should always run a Virus Total (VT) scan for anything you share, as per the forum rules. I have seen files shared without VT scans all the time and nobody makes a big deal of it but there are times when you cannot run a VT scan.

Virus Total has a file size limit and if you are sharing files that are very large, you cannot run it through Virus Total. When this happens, I always try to include language to show that the file size limit is the reason I do not show a VT scan. Thereby, the onus is not on you --- the file is simply too large and you should suggest that downloaders run a local scan on their computer using whatever anti-virus program they have. Here is the standard language I use when I cannot run a VT scan due to the file size being over VT's limit:

VIRUS TOTAL: File size prohibits a VT scan; please run a local scan on the individual file parts.

Another reason you may choose not to run a VT scan is when you are using direct download links you find on someone's site, such as a link to a marketer's download page. Let's say you have a link to a download page for a course with a dozen video tutorials, a dozen PDF documents, several audio files, mindmaps, etc. That's a lot of files. And instead of you downloading everything to your computer then uploading to mediafire, mega or other file share host, you decide to provide the direct link to the sales page. Then you cannot provide a Virus Total scan because all of the files are not archived (collected into a package or all-in-one download) so you will need to virus-scan each individual file. Here is the standard language I use when I provide direct download links and therefore, no VT scan:

VIRUS TOTAL: These are direct links; please run a local scan on anything you decide to download.

This tells the downloader that the onus of ensuring that the files are safe rests with them; although anything downloaded directly from a marketer's site will very likely be clean.

To run a Virus Total scan:

  • Go to the Virus Total site: https://virustotal.com
  • Click the Choose File button in the middle of the screen and browse your computer in the pop-up window for the location where the file you want to share is located
  • Click the OPEN button to upload the file to Virus Total
  • Click the CONFIRM UPLOAD button and wait while the status bar shows the file(s) being uploaded
  • The results screen will load. You should capture the URL address and post it into your text document. I like to show the other details, too, such as the file name, file size, detection ratio and analysis date. I do this in the event people don't want to link to the site to see the results to save them time but this isn't required. Like I said, most people don't bother to include a VT scan with their shares.
  • Close the screen with the VT scan after all the details you want to include in your post have been captured and pasted into the text editor.

==================== ANONYMIZE YOUR LINKS

When using direct download links, such as ones that go to marketer's product download page, use an anonymizer tool. An anonymizer site is one where you can input a website URL address (ex: link to a product's download area or member's download area), click a button and have a new link instantly generated that will cloak the original website link so that visitors to the site using this cloaked link cannot be tracked back to their source. So, forums like BBHF use these cloaked links to keep marketers from tracing traffic back to the black-hat site.

A good anonymizer site is:

https://anonymizer.com

Paste the download link into the text editor in Notepad++ or other text editor.

Another anonymizer is:

https://href.li/

6 - Signature block: For most people, when their share runs out of words, that signals that the post has ended. Others may want to give a courteous little sign-off. It's entirely up to you.

I like to use the text code for the little Thank You icon (thankssmile) and I always put it just above my forum username, formatted to run flush with the left margin.

=================== FUN WITH FORMATTING

I want to stress this one point: It's fun to format your document. Once you dump all the plain text from your Notepad++ or other text editor into the forum's text editor, you can start formatting. But don't over-do it.

Formatting adds html tags and code to your plain text so that it will do what you want it to do when the post goes live. But if something looks strange, it can be daunting to go back into all that "code" and find out what went wrong. I have had numerous headaches trying to "undo" something I did while messing around with formatting.

It's gotten to the point now that I can pretty much "hone in" on the area with the problem; that's how comfortable I have become in my 7 years on BBHF in creating posts. But it wasn't always like that.

If you are new to all this, keep your posts simple, plain and basic. Just put a few sentences in the body, include a download link and the virus total scan. An image, if you're up to it.

You can always look at one of my posts to see what it looks like. I keep most of my post looking the same. This is standard for my posts:

TITLE: [size=xx-large][b][align=center]bolded text for the title goes here[/b][/size][/align]
SUBHEADER: [size=x-large][b][align=center]bolded, centered text for the subheader goes here[/size][/b][/align]
an image centered with the [img]https://image-link.png[/img]
BODY TEXT: body [size=xl]all body text goes here[/size]
VIRUS TOTAL: link to scan results on VirusTotal.com along with the results (in case someone doesn't want to go to the site to see the results). I include the file name, file size, detection ratio and analysis date details.
Ownership designation: Early on when I came to BBHF, I found my shares all over the web and was told that it could be helpful to put an ownership designation on my shares, such as "Created by Layna61524" or some reference to bestblackhatforum.com. I've done that and, to date, I don't see nearly as many of my things bandied about elsewhere but I don't know that this helps. But here's my standard designations statement:

If you're seeing this post anywhere other than bestblackhatforum.com
or being shared by anyone other than Layna61524, then that's where/who
THEY TOOK IT FROM!

This means that MY POST as shown in BBHF is for use there and nowhere else. If someone should see it elsewhere, that means someone took it from me or from the BBHF site to use as they wanted.

I've come to believe that you can't really do much about these things and I've had to laugh at my frustration surrounding this issue when we, black-hatters, are pilfering the products right out from under the noses of their rightful creator's, which is
more serious than some dweeb who likes the way I write stealing my stuff to pass off as his (or her) own. Such is life!

So, if this little tutorial helps in any regard, I am happy.

Some of this may be confusing so if you have questions of any kind, let me know. I'll do my best to clarify things. Also, I'm sure I did not cover everything single thing that is involved in creating a post to share a product. If a detail seems lacking, point it out to me in a PM and I will do my best to fill in any missing pieces.

Best regards,
Layna61524

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Pub: 10 May 2024 16:10 UTC
Update: 10 May 2024 16:17 UTC
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