| Want to impress your friends/peers/associates | | | | You can spice up your MySpace profile page by |
| [choose one] with a classy MySpace layout? Here are | | | | posting images directly on it instead of just using your |
| 5 easy tips on how to do this: | | | | pics page. To do this simply upload your image(s) to a |
| 1) The Power of Paragraphs | | | | free image host like ImageShack or Photobucket, get |
| Since most MySpace users know very little about | | | | the image URL (web address of the image) and then |
| web design, what you'll often see on a MySpace page | | | | insert the following code in any text box on your 'Edit |
| is an 'About Me' section filled up with a huge unbroken | | | | Profile' screen: |
| block of text. No matter how captivating the writing is, | | | | |
| most will tire of reading this after the first four or five | | | | Simply replace URL_TO_IMAGE_GOES_HERE with |
| lines and especially so if it continues on for another 20 | | | | the web address of your uploaded image. |
| or 30 lines. You'll want to avoid making the same | | | | Presto. Pictures on your MySpace profile. |
| mistake of overwhelming your readers by putting your | | | | 4) Keep It Inside the Box |
| text into nice bite-size paragraphs. | | | | Another unfortunate hallmark of MySpace pages is a |
| Unfortunately for non-geeks, when you create | | | | layout that is so wide that it creates horizontal |
| paragraphs by hitting the Return key twice while typing | | | | scrollbars at the bottom of the user's web browser. |
| into any text box on your MySpace 'Edit Profile' | | | | This is considered a faux pas in professional web |
| screen, this will not result in paragraphs created on | | | | design as it forces the user to not only scroll up and |
| your MySpace page after you hit the 'Save All | | | | down but back and forth as well in order to view the |
| Changes' button and you view your profile page. To | | | | entire web page. To avoid 'spreading your layout' in |
| properly format your text into paragraphs on your | | | | this fashion you'll need to take care of two things:a. |
| MySpace page, you'll need to type in: ...every time you | | | | Don't post images wider than 400 pixels in any section |
| wish to start a new paragraph. Then when you click | | | | of your MySpace page.b. Don't allow friends to post |
| on the 'Save All Changes' button and view your profile, | | | | any images wider than 400 pixels to your Comments |
| you'll see your text formatted into paragraphs. That's it. | | | | section |
| That's all. Angle bracket, p, angle bracket. Three little | | | | To handle the second of the above, you'll need to |
| characters can mean the difference between | | | | either delete any comments with images that are too |
| someone reading everything you have to say or only | | | | wide or you can disable HTML in your Comments |
| reading the first few lines. | | | | section altogether (which will not allow the posting of |
| 2) Legible Text | | | | images to your Comments section at all). To disable |
| Many MySpace pages are styled using MySpace | | | | HTML in your Comments section, simply go to your |
| layouts which often use a background image to | | | | MySpace account home page, click on Account |
| enhance the display. But all too frequently, MySpace | | | | Settings >> Profile Settings and then click to clear |
| users fail to think through to the final result of someone | | | | 'Disable HTML Profile Comments'. |
| actually attempting to read certain colors and shades | | | | 5) Apply the KISS Principle |
| of text displayed over certain background images. The | | | | And finally, apply the KISS principle, i.e., Keep It Simple |
| result is quite often a text color that doesn't have | | | | Stupid. It's a shame that in some respects, MySpace |
| enough contrast with the color of the background | | | | has become a gigantic online club of abominable web |
| image in order to make the text legible. | | | | designers (and is subject to great ridicule because of |
| What you'll want to do to create a truly professional | | | | this). Just because you see other MySpace users load |
| and classy MySpace page is to carefully select a | | | | upwards of a dozen flash videos and 100 image files |
| layout in which the text is clearly legible. This means | | | | all on one page (and this is not an exaggeration) does |
| you'll need a light colored text displayed on a mostly | | | | not make this good web design. The best web pages |
| dark colored background image or vice versa. And this | | | | on the net are not those that are stuffed to the gills |
| also means that high contrast background images that | | | | with the most bells and whistles but rather those that |
| have a myriad of light and dark colors will make poor | | | | are user-friendly, color-coordinated and efficient at |
| backgrounds no matter what as there will always be | | | | getting their particular message across. If you want a |
| some part of the background that will make any text | | | | truly classy MySpace layout then keep in mind that |
| color difficult to read. | | | | sometimes less is more. |
| 3) A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words | | | | |