Make your own MySpace Profile

Home Page Themes

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Home page themes are themes that alter the style and look of your MySpace homepage. There are currently 18 to choose from, from ice-cream themes to army patterns.

To select a new theme simply click the "Page Themes" link at the top right corner of the home page.

A small section should open up displaying the themes. You can then browse through the themes clicking the arrows at the bottom. To preview the theme just click on the thumbnail and then press "Save" if it's the one you want.

Image Hosting

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To place a picture in your MySpace profile, but not in your albums, you need the help of an image hosting website. These websites convert picture files from your computer into html code which allows you to put them on MySpace. Some also allow you to change the size of the picture, create albums with all uploaded photos and browse through all images uploaded onto that website. These sites are fairly easy to use and most load quite quick, however larger and more detailed images take longer to load.

Websites range from simple sites that allow you to upload and resize (www.picoodle.com) to sites that you must create an account for but offer more features (www.photobucket.com).

Once you're at the uploading form all you have to do is browse your computer for the image you want and choose whether or not you want to resize it.

Then click "Upload". It will then load for a bit before giving you the codes.

To put the picture onto your MySpace profile go into 'edit mode' and paste the code where you want the picture to appear.

Adsense on MySpace?

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You cannot put advertising on your MySpace using Google's Adsense feature. Firstly, it's against MySpace's terms and conditions and secondly Adsense uses Javascript, which isn't compatible with MySpace.

YouTube embedding

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Embedding YouTube videos onto your Myspace profile is easy! All you have to do is when watching the video on YouTube, copy (right click then Copy) the embed code from the text box on the right hand side of the page.

Then go back to your Myspace homepage. Click "Edit Profile" then paste (right click then Paste) the code where you want it to appear.

You can change the size of the video by editing the width and height numbers in the code. Make sure you keep the same ratio though or else you will have large black areas on the sides of your video.

Bulletins

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Bulletins are messages that are sent to all of the people on your friends list. Instead of receiving notifications that they have received a bulletin, it will appear on the bulletin board on their homepage along with your name, the date and time you posted it and the title of the bulletin. All of your and your friends bulletins will appear on your bulletin board and to read them simply click on their title.

To post a new bulletin just click the "post bulletin" link in the bottom right corner of the bulletin board. You can delete bulletins you have posted by viewing it then clicking the "Delete" button at the bottom of the bulletin. You can also minimize the bulletin board on your homepage by clicking the "-" symbol in the top right corner.

MySpace: The Movie

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A funny parody of MySpace from Vendetta Studios.

Font Generating- interactimage.com

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Want to make great looking headings? Well you've come to the right place.

interactimage.com is a font generator website that allows you to create headings and interesting text. There is a large variety of fonts to choose from and you can pick any colour or size.

Some text made using the generator:

To make a heading, select which font group you want to choose the font from using the dropdown menu in the top right of the box.

Then press the "Font Finder" button to view all the fonts in that group. Select the font you wish to use or change font groups to view other styles.

When you've chosen the font you like, choose a colour from the colour wheel and a background colour if you'd like one. Then just decide on a size and click "Create"!

If it didn't turn out as expected simply go back and change your preferences.

To turn it into a picture that you can put onto MySpace, 'Copy and Paste' the heading into MS Paint. Trim the white area around the text until all you have left is the desired heading. Then save the picture and use an image hosting site to get a code that's compatible with MySpace.

Hope you like your results!

Is MySpace safe?

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Many people have a bad view of MySpace and other social networking sites, mainly due to negative media publicity about stalkers and sexual abuse. However, the stories forget to mention that these victims were irresponsible users and many broke MySpace's conditions of use.

MySpace is as safe as they can make it and it is up to you, the user, to be responsible and aware of the dangers you face if you aren't cautious on the Internet. By following these tips, you can use MySpace safely and eliminate most dangers. It may look like a long list but many of the tips are common sense.

Keep your profile private. this way only people you add or accept can view your profile. By doing this you can keep out any unwanted visitors.
Don't sign up for MySpace if you're under 14. If you do, you're violating the terms of use and are more vunerable to predators.
Don't write personal details on your profile such as your address, phone number, bank details or school. No one should be able to track you down if you don't give away anything to personal.
Don't join your school group. MySpace allows you to add your school (not as a contact) as a type of group. If you add your school it makes it mush easier for strangers to find you.
Don't add or talk to random strangers as you don't know who they are in real life. Photos can be found anywhere and information is easy to forge.
If somebody sends you a friend request or a message, find out who they are before you accept or reply. This doesn't mean you have to change your settings to only allow messages from friends or so that it asks for your email address or surname when they add you, just make sure you know them.
Make sure your display picture isn't to detailed and you can't easily identify you by it.

Many parents think MySpace is inapropriate for their children, and they could be right. Make sure you are mature and ready to follow these tips before you make an account.

Home-made backgrounds!

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Personally, I think home-made backgrounds are fantastic. They are easy to make on MS Paint and other programs and you can show your style through them. The most common ones you'll find are the ones with photos of the person and their friends, or of things they like.They add another aspect to your profile and you can tell p

eople your interests without taking up room on your page.

The easiest way to make a background is by drawing a simple pattern (stripes, dots, etc) on Paint then saving the file. Use an image hosting website to upload the picture then "Copy" the "direct link to image". Open MySpace Profile Editor by clicking "Edit Profile" on the homepage. Then click "Profile Themes" at the top right corner and "Edit Theme" tab at the top of the pop-up window.

You then "Paste" the "direct link to image" into the "Image Location:" box. Then click "Add Image" and decide if you want it to repeat across your background.

Save and Publish you new background and you're finished!

Playing around with the Prfoile Editor is a good idea too, as you can change preferences for text, images, links, backgrounds and modules.

Profile tips

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Here are some tips that can help you make your MySpace page reflect your personality and also make it interesting for viewers. These are just guidelines, NOT RULES! :)

Don't clutter your page with too many photos and/or YouTube (or other) videos. If you have more than one or two videos on your page the chances are people won't bother watching them, especially if they're long.

Don't write too much about yourself! People won't read it if it's in a huge chunk. Break it up into lists (such as like and dislike) or paragraphs.

In your photos, try not to have too many albums. If you have more than, say five, albums, people won't look through them. Don't make albums for one or two photos, and don't have two photos that are almost exactly the same. Simplify your photos in each album so that you don't have more than one page.

If your layout has advertising for the website you got it from you can remove it by clicking "Edit Profile" and highlighting the layout code. Press Ctrl+F and type in some of the advertising words that are appearing on your site. Then delete the text between the two quotation marks ("ADVERT").

Consider centering pictures, videos and text. This can make your page look much better.

Use correct spelling/grammar on your page. You don't have to use any Caps but correct English makes your MySpace look less scrappy.

Choose your layout and song carefully. Sometimes flashing layouts hurt peoples eyes, tempting them to leave your page.

Be creative with your page. Make it different to other peoples. You could use font generators to make a heading (http://www.interactiveimage.com/) or put your text on a TV screen image in Paint.

Have some interactive features on your page such as a video, a game, or a flash toy. Don't load up your page with these as too many just look tacky.

And last of all, keep your page relatively simple and neat looking. You can still have a lot of content, just keep it looking good. Scrollers can help with this.

Have fun!

Symbols™

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Many MySpace users use symbols in their names on on their pages. These can make a name look more exciting and show emotions through what you wrote next to it. The most common symbols include love hearts, trademarks symbols, copyright symbols, peace signs, clubs and daggers.

To put these symbols on your page or in your name you can either copy and paste them (the best way) or type in the code and add a semi colon (;) to the end. Here are some of the more useful symbols and their corresponding codes.

If you are using the code remember to add a semi colon (;) to the end of it or else it WILL NOT WORK!

Symbol- Code
♥ - &hearts©- &copy®- &reg™- &trade
†- &dagger♣- &clubs♠ - &spades♦ - &diams∈- &isinΔ - &Delta∝- &prop∩- &cap∀- &forall
← - &larrl
↑ - &uarr→ - &rarr↓ - &darr↔ - &harr And a few more for you to copy and paste.
☀☂☆☮☯♂♀♪☠✡✓✗

Simple coding

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These codes are to be placed at the start and end of the text and/or objects with the selcted content in between. They are simple codes which if you use enough should be memorisable. They all use the same format with the code that is placed at the start a word/letter between two outward facing arrows while the code at the end is the same but with a forward slash in front of the word/letter. There are a few different variations of each code but all have the same result. They can also be used on other websites including Blogger.

Centre- this code centres all information and objects that it covers.
Bold- this code makes all included text bold.

Italic- this code makes the text slanted, or in italics.

Underline- this code underlines the text.~~Strikeout-~~ a line runs through the text when you use strikeout.

^Superscript- this effect makes the text smaller and higher than normal.

_Subscript- the same as superscript but the text is placed lower than usual.

Font size- this code allows you to change the size of your text. Enter in the size you wish it to be.

Font type- this code lets you change the font of your writing.

Font colour- this code changes the colour of the selected text. You can find colour codes and colour charts on many websites, simply type in "myspace colour chart" or "myspace colour codes" into a search engine then select your colour.

Hyperlink text- this code links text to another webpage. When you click on the writing your web browser will take you to your selected site. This text is linked to this site.

Differences...

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For those who didn't know, there is a difference between uploading photos into your MySpace albums and adding photos onto your profile page.

Adding a photo to your MySpace page requires you to get a code for it using an image hosting website, such as Photobucket or Picoodle.

These websites allow you to browse folders on your computer until you find the photos you want. They will then upload the photo onto their database and give you a code which lets you put the picture on your profile. Most uploading websites give you the option of keeping your photo private and also changing the picture size.

To put the photo on your profile you copy the code and then paste it into the section and place you want it to appear in. You can access the edit page by clicking the "Edit profile" link above your display picture.

The main benefit of having a photo on your profile rather than in an album is that people can see it as soon as they look at your page and it can improve the 'look' of your page.

Uploading a photo onto MySpace places it into your selected album, which is accessable to other viewers from your profile, either by clicking on your dp, or by pressing the View my: "pics" link underneath it.

You can enter captions for these pictures and also 'tag' other people who are in them just after you upload them or while editing them later on.

By uploading them on MySpace you can organise the pictures into albums and therefore have lots of photos without taking up space on your profile. People can also post comments about your pictures.

MySpace will alert you whenever you receive a new picture comment.

A good mix of pictures both in albums and on your profile can make your page interesting to browse and good to look at!

The Basics

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When you first create a MySpace account it can seem like a very daunting task. The Html code can be very confusing at first and the huge amount of features to experiment with can be overwhelming. This is a simple guide created to assist you in making a good MySpace account.

How to begin in 8 easy steps-

http://www.myspace.com/

1. After creating your account and logging in, confirm your email address. By clicking on a link that should be in the top centre of your home page, MySpace should send you an email to your selected email address requesting confirmation. You may then check your email inbox for the email and press on the link contained in the message. This should confirm your email.

2. Fill out these forms with information about you after clicking on the "Edit profile" button above your display picture (top left corner).

To leave an enter space type in this code, but without the full stops in between. <.b.r. .>. Or in words, the less than symbol, the letter b, the letter r, a space and the greater than symbol.

Then press "Save All Changes" and fill out the Captcha*

3. If you have a photo or photos of you stored on your computer you can upload them to your MySpace. One photo will do to start as a display picture is very important. It is shown when you update your mood, send a message, leave a comment, are visited on your profile and in many more places! Press the "Upload" link located under your currently blank display picture.

This will take you to a screen where you are able to select photos from folders in your computer. Choose your desired photos that you wish to upload and the album you want them to be in. You can either create a new album or add them to your "My Photos" album. It will then give you the choice of adding captions to your photos and tagging** them. Fill in the captions but come back to the tagging* later when you have added your friends. Then press "Done editing" and view the photo. Click on the "Edit photos" link while viewing the photo and press "Set as default". You now have a 'dp'!

4. Adding a song to your profile is easy but you may not always get the one you want. In the search box above the navigation bar*** you can type in the artist's name and then select "Music" in the dropdown menu to the right. Hit the "Enter" key. You may need to choose what country they're from if they aren't appearing. Also check the spelling of your terms. there are amny fake MySpaces out there for celebrities so remember to check if you are wanting their official page.

Once on their profile they should have a large music player with certain songs in it. Select the song you want and press the "Add" link. It will then ask you if you're sure you want to add the song to your profile. If you are, hit "Yes", if not, "No".

What it looks like on your profile:

5. Changing the 'look' or 'layout' of your profile is one of the more complicated but interesting things about MySpace. There are two ways to do this but you can use a combination of both (but be careful as this can cause problems).

a) Using MySpace's own profile editor you can change the colours of your background and of different modules, the borders around modules, text font, colour and size, navigation bar*** colour and the rotation of sections in your profile. You can also set a picture (in a selected position or tiled) as your background. It is quite easy to use and can be found by pressing the "Edit Profile" link then the "Profile Editor" link in the top right hand corner of that screen.

b) The second way to change the way your profile looks is by copying and pasting a html code from a website that offers MySpace layouts into one of your modules in edit mode. These websites can be found by using a search engine (type in words like "myspace layouts", myspace backgrounds" or "myspace layout codes"). You can browse the websites looking at the previews of the layouts until you find one that you like. By using a layout off another website a small amount advertising may appear in one of the top corners of your profile. This can be deleted by changing the code however this could be against the site that you got it off's terms of use.

6. Adding friends to your profile is usually easy if you know their first name (and depending on their settings, their surname or email address).

There are a few ways to find people you know on MySpace. Here are some common ways.

a) Searching their first and last names in the search box at the top of all MySpace pages and selecting the profile you think is theirs. You can refine your search using the box on the right hand side of the screen after your first search.

b) Browsing through other people's (that you know) profiles then adding their friends.

c) Using a feature that easily allows you to add your AOL, Hotmail, Gmail and Yahoo! contacts on MySpace.

d) Asking others if they have a particular person added.

e) Asking the person their URL link when you see them in real life.

Once you reach their profile, whether it's public or private, you have different ways of adding them.

a) On public and private profiles you can add them using the "Shortcuts" drop-down menu to the left of the search box and selecting the "Add to friends" option.

b) You can also add them using their contact table, available on both public and private profiles. This table can be hidden in which case you would use the method above.

c) Sometimes on public profiles the contact table is hidden and replaced by buttons elsewhere on the profile. The add to friends button generally has "add", "add me" or a plus symbol "+" on it. If you cannot find a contact table or these buttons use the "Shortcuts" dropdown menu.

Once you have added them it will send them a "Friend Request". If they accept you you will be added to their friends list and vice versa. You can manage your friend requests in the "Mail" dropdown menu in the navigation bar*** on any page.

7. Commenting and messaging are two simple but extremely important features on MySpace. You can comment people by visiting their profile and adding a comment in their comment box or via the "Add Comment" link. If they have commented you, you can view your comments then click the "Comment Back" link.

Messaging is another form of communication which operates like an email account. You can access your inbox by clicking on the "Mail" link (not under it in the dropdown menu) in the navigation bar***. In the "Mail" dropdown menu there are links that allow you to compose a new email and view your sent and saved mail.

8. Updating your mood and status is a very simple task consisting of four extremely simple steps. Firstly you click "Update" in the status and mood module on your home page. You then type in your status in the form provided. Then by using the drop-down menu, select a mood that shows best how you are feeling. You can also type in your own mood and choose any smiley face that represents how you are feeling. Click the "Done" button and you're finished!

*A "captcha" is a picture of warped letters and numbers which allows MySpace to decipher if you're a computer or a person by you filling out a form with the same characters displayed in the picture. This has helped to reduce the amount of spam to zero in the past months. You do not need to enter spaces and if you can't read the text then refresh the picture using the button to it's right.

**Tagging is when you 'tag' someone who is in one of your photos. A square box will appear around the selected area when people hover their mouses over the photo. You can add and remove tags at any time.

***The navigation bar is the bar at the top of all pages on MySpace containing links to pages such as Home, Mail, Profile etc. It's style, colour and shape etc can be different depending on the theme or layout of the profile you are viewing. On your home page it can change colour depending on you theme.

There are many other useful and fun MySpace features that are not included in this guide, but should be covered in future posts. These include bulletins, blogs, home page themes and many more! Hope you found it useful!

All images hosted by Picoodle.com.