No Screenshots

No Screenshots of Text (NST)

Please share copyable text, not images of text

The Problem

When you share a screenshot of text instead of the actual text, you create unnecessary barriers for everyone involved.

Example

Bad
S
Sarah2:45 PM

Hey Tom, did you get the server running?

T
Tom2:47 PM

No, I'm getting some weird error when I try to start it

👨
TomToday at 2:48 PM

Here is the error

📸

[Screenshot of error message]

Can't select, copy, or search this text

Good
B
Bob2:45 PM

Alice, how's the deployment going?

A
Alice2:47 PM

Running into an issue with a missing dependency

👩
AliceToday at 2:48 PM

Here is the error

Error: Cannot find module 'express'
Require stack:
- /home/alice/project/server.js
- /home/alice/project/index.js
at Function.Module._resolveFilename (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1145:15)
at Function.Module._load (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:986:27)
at Module.require (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1233:19)

Now everyone can search the error, copy parts of it, and Alice's message is accessible to screen readers. Tom's screenshot requires people to manually retype everything.

Why This Matters

Text is searchable

People can search for specific terms or error codes

Text is copyable

Others can copy parts they need without retyping

Text is accessible

Screen readers can't read text in images

Text is indexable

Search engines can find and index actual text

Text is editable

It can be highlighted, annotated, or formatted

Text is smaller

Takes less bandwidth and storage space

Text works everywhere

No need to zoom, download, or open in another app

How to Share Text Properly

For error messages

Copy the error text directly from the console or log file.

Select the error message with your mouse, press Ctrl+C (or Cmd+C on Mac), then paste it into your chat or issue. Include the full stack trace when possible.

For code

Use code blocks with syntax highlighting.

In Markdown, wrap your code with triple backticks:

```javascript
function hello() {
  console.log("Hello, World!");
}
```

You can also specify the language for syntax highlighting: ````python, ```java, ```html, etc.

For long documents

Share the original file or use a paste service.

For files or very long text, use GitHub Gist (gist.github.com), Pastebin (pastebin.com), or your team's preferred paste service. These services make it easy to share and syntax-highlight code while keeping chats clean.

For terminal output

Select and copy text directly from your terminal.

Windows/Linux: Select text with your mouse, then press Ctrl+Shift+C or right-click and choose "Copy"

Mac: Select text with your mouse, then press Cmd+C or right-click and choose "Copy"

Most modern terminals support standard copy/paste. If selection doesn't work, check your terminal's settings or documentation.

Exceptions

Sometimes you really can't copy text. Maybe it's on a screen you don't control, a physical printout, or a system that won't let you select anything. In those rare cases, a screenshot is fine. But 99% of the time, if you can click and drag to select the text, just copy it.

Got suggestions or creative ideas to enhance the page?

Inspired by nohello.co • nohello.net • dontasktoask.com

Made by denisxd7.dev