Building a Personal Blog

Much like Shimmer™ is both a floor wax and a dessert topping, Hiptop Nation is not only a communal weblog for the hiptop masses — it can also serve as your personal weblog. Here's how to build a link that will show only your entries:

Step 1: Click the [°|°] located in the header area of one of your entries.

Done! Bookmark that page or copy the URL in the location bar and send it along to friends. Note that the number found in the header area of an entry will link to just that entry, and present links that will display all of your entries or all of Hiptop Nation.

Although that is all you have to do, you can also alter the appearance of your personal weblog with alternate stylesheets.

Using Alternate Stylesheets

Following the process above creates your personal blog with the default color scheme, or "theme". There are several alternate themes available (click to see each in action):

• Blue-Green Algae (style_5.css)
• Sunburned Zebra (style_1.css)
• Real Greeen Dress, That's Cruel (style_2.css)
• Pretty in Pink (style_3.css)
• Fauve (style_4.css)

To use one of the alternates, add this to the end of your personal blog URL:

&STYLE=style_x.css

Replace x with the number of the style you like. So, for example, a full URL using the Sunburned Zebra theme would look something like this:

http://hiptop.bedope.com/index.php?FILTER=zvxr@gevny.qnatre.pbz&STYLE=style_1.css

(except all on one line)

Creating Alternate Stylesheets

If you want a different look, but don't like any of the alternate themes listed above, you can create your own. Because everything is controlled by stylesheets, you can alter the colors, fonts, spacing, borders, link decoration, etc. After you create your stylesheet, send it to me and I will add it here. You can grab the default sytlesheet for the format and class names, and view the source of the main page to see where and how they are used.

How can I contact you with questions not covered here?
The best way is to email me - mike {at} bedope ° com
You can also IM me (AOL IM: drjellyfish) and I'll answer if I can. I am not a CSS expert though, so if you have technical questions about stylesheets you are better off asking someone else :)