Customize Your LiveJournal

With so many people crazy about Facebook and MySpace, LiveJournal users are sometimes forgotten. Viewed by many as the intellectual option in social networking, LiveJournal is about more than text entries. LiveJournal may well prioritize thoughts and observations over twinkly comments and automatically-played embedded songs, but this site is still a lot of fun. Half social network, half blogging tool, LiveJournal includes custom avatars, mood indicators, and customization options that allow users to express themselves easily. The recently added "Customize Journal Area" raises the bar even further in this regard.

The brand new Customize Journal Area offers users hundreds of ready-made themes that they can apply to their journal, controlling all aspects of the journal's appearance. Background colors and textures, column layout, text font and size, imagery, and sidebar options can now be changed at the touch of a single button, and with a growing library of themes, there's something that will appeal strongly to nearly every user. From basic color, handwritten journal, or book layouts to elegant themes including pictures and animations, the Customize Journal Area has something to revitalize your journal, and shake things up a little.

The LiveJournal old guard need not worry. The Customize Journal Area is simply an option, and no users will be forced to change the look and feel of their journals at this time. Plus level accounts, Paid Accounts, and Custom Avatars (including the number of avatars available) will be remaining the same at this time. For those new to LiveJournal, or operating at the basic level, these existing customization options are things that you should really be taking advantage of, in order to get the most from your journal. Here's the scoop:

LiveJournal accounts are absolutely free. They won't spam you with emails, ads, or info. The basic free user gets 6 user pictures, or avatars, which are shown at the beginning of each post. Avatars add a lot to your posts in terms of mood, intent, and entertainment value, and the more you have, the more expressive you can be, right from the first line of each post. Plus level accounts are also available to everyone, free of charge. A plus level account more than doubles the number of LiveJournal avatars you can use to fifteen, total. Plus level users consent to have targeted advertisements placed on each of their journal entries in exchange for the additional account features. Paid accounts can be had for just twenty bucks a year, increasing your available avatars to 30, and for an additional ten bucks a year, you get 100! For the price, this is a pretty great option for folks wishing to avoid commercializing their journal.

Many social networking sites are drowning in bells and whistles, clearly targeting the low attention span and love of all that glitters that is So prevalent today. While LiveJournal keeps things a little simpler, and values relationships, thoughts, and observations over pictures, movies, and self-aggrandizement, it does offer some pretty great ways to make your journal unique. Don't miss out on these options.