Is there an easy way to copy quotes from different posts to combine into the same response within a thread? I know how to create a quote box from scratch but it's a bit cumbersome. Also I don't know if building a quote box alerts the person being quoted the same way clicking the quote link does. Does it?

Yes.
1. Go to the first message and click "quote", just like you always do.
2. In a different tab or window, go to the second message and click "quote" just like you always do.
3. From the textbox labeled "Your message" of either quote, copy and paste the quote into the other textbox labeled "Your message" after (or before) the other quote.

When you copy/paste, be sure you include [ quote="nmoasis" ] and [ /quote ], without the spaces I have inserted here. You can delete any parts withing these two codes, but the codes must remain intact, and in order.

Each quote must stay separated from each other (no mixing or quote within a quote), unless you understand how the coding works.

If you were to quote me, I would not be alerted. And sorry, I see you already know a lot of this, but others won't.

Rick, I do know how the coding works, that's how I've been "building" quote boxes. Hadn't taken it to the next logical step of the cut&paste from a separate tab. Excellent. Thanks.

Using a separate tab to copy and paste is the only way I know how. 🤷🤷

For anyone who's running a recent version of Windows 10 , you can just copy all the different text snippets you wish to quote, build as many
"quote boxes" as you need by typing the BBCode bracket entries as outlined above in Leftwood's post, then open the Clipboard History by pressing Windows+V keys and paste the quotes where they belong. That seems to me a whole lot less cumbersome than opening new tabs/windows, etc.
This clipboard history thingy is also useful for selecting the relevant parts of a long post for inclusion in a single quote, instead of quoting the
whole thing, and then deleting the chaff.

I think clipboard history programs are available for just about any system.

Great advice!

I'll clarify.....I always use my mobile phone when on the NGA. I don't have a tablet, and I'll get on the laptop or the pc only if necessary. I understand many members use other devices, but that's why I open another tab to copy to the clipboard and paste in the first tab....bc I'm using my phone. 🤷🙂