MySpace Graphics
One of the most basic ways to make your page fun is by using Myspace graphics. What are Myspace graphics? Well, they're
just what they say they are: all different kinds of graphics that you can paste on your page. Although Myspace graphics are
not necessarily glitter graphics, the principles for using them are similar.
There are lots of different kinds of Myspace graphics available. But today, we'll talk about four of the most popular ones:
backgrounds, words, icons and animated pictures.
Since the background you choose (if you want one) will be a major factor in choosing your other Myspace graphics, let's start
with them:
1) Backgrounds give the overall feel to your page. Generally speaking, they consist of a general background color, with
contrasting graphics interspersed throughout. Some examples are glittery stars on a dark blue or black background, birds and
rainbows on a light blue or yellow background, or black and red cars on a grey background. The main thing to keep in mind
when choosing a background is your text. The background should complement the text on your page, not obscure it. So before
you make your choice, always preview to see if all the stuff you've written will still come through clearly. If it doesn't,
choose a different background!!
2) Word-graphics. These are great for headers or for words that you want to emphasize. They can be stationary, or sometimes
you can choose a scroll option. Either way, be careful not to overuse them. One of Laurie's friends got so carried away
with word-graphics that she filled her page with them, and then she wanted to know why she was getting so few Myspace
visitors. I took one look at her page, and realized that it was impossible to look at it for more than five seconds because
the word-graphics made your eyes flutter. After she toned it down, people started visiting her page.
3) Icons. Icons are little pictures, usually enclosed in a box-like border. They generally have some motif to them, which
makes them cute and full of personality. You can put one or two at the top of your page; this will set a tone for your page
and give it a definite feel. Be careful, though. Since icons are designed to reflect something about the person using them,
avoid the ones that are either violent or explicit. It's true that they can be great attention-grabbers. However, that
might not be the kind of attention you really want to get. Although I hate to dwell on the dark side of the Net, this bears
repeating: Websites like Myspace are perfect opportunities for cyberstalkers (and worse) to find easy targets, and they look
for teenagers whose pages send the kind of messages they want to hear. I'm not just quoting statistics, by the way. One of
Laurie's friends put up an explicit graphic, and she got cyberstalked so badly that she called the police. So please, do
yourself a favor and use other attention-grabbers to bring more visitors to your page.
4) That said, let's go on to my personal favorite: animated pictures. I admit it - I love cartoons. I've put everyone
from Minnie Mouse to Winnie the Pooh to the Pink Panther on my page. But animated pictures don't have to be actual cartoon
characters. There are beautiful pictures of all kinds of things – cats, dogs, cars, rainbows, you name it – that you can
paste on your page, and they come in all different sizes. You can put a big picture at the top or the middle of your page,
or – always my personal recommendation – use small ones placed in interesting locations. Always preview, though; some
graphics have a lot of detail that gets lost in a small size. If you see something that you think will be just perfect for
your page but you can only use it in full size, go ahead! Just tone down the graphics on the rest of your page so that it
won't be cluttered. Also, like always, make sure that the graphics color-coordinate with your background and text colors.
And if you use a combination of icons and pictures, don't go overboard. Remember that you can always change your page; if
there are a few pictures that you absolutely love, make a list with the URL's and save it. In a couple of weeks or so, you
can change graphics – which will just make your page an even more interesting place to visit!