How to Customize Your Slashdot

Many Slashdot users choose to customize their account settings to control the number and appearance of news stories on their homepage, and to control other users' ability to communicate with them. Depending on your preferences, you can also modify your advanced settings to inhibit bandwidth overuse and advertising displays.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Internet access
• Computer
• Slashdot account

Access Your Slashdot Preferences

1. Open Slashdot's homepage (see Resources below) and log in using your username and password. You will be redirected to your Slashdot account's homepage.
2. Select "Preferences" on your homepage.

Add Your User Information

3. Click the "User" link found in your Preferences menu.
4. Provide the URL of your personal Web site, your AIM, ICQ and Yahoo! screen names, as well as your Jabber or Public Calendar, if desired.
5. Save the information you entered by clicking the "Save User" button.

Customize Your Slashdot Homepage

6. Find the "Homepage" button in the Preferences menu and click on it.
7. Choose your page design, specify the number and layout of news stories displayed on your homepage and customize the Slashboxes associated with your account.
8. Store the changes by clicking the "Save" button.

Personalize Your Comments

9. Click on the "Comments" button in the Preferences menu.
10. Customize the appearance of your comments and the default settings used to evaluate other users' comments on your stories and postings.
11. Click "Save" to save your choices, or "Restore Defaults" if you want to start again.
12. Consult the FAQ page (see Resources below) if you have any questions about personalizing the "Comments" section. Customizing this section is by far the most technical of any of the Preferences options.

Configure Your Messages

13. Click the "Messages" link in the Preferences menu.
14. Choose whether to receive messages via email, on the Web through your Slashdot account or not at all. Repeat this process for each of the message types.
15. Point and click on the "Save Prefs" button when you're finished.

Select Your Journal Options

16. Click on the "Journal" link in the Preferences menu.
17. Choose whether you want other users' comments to be enabled or whether you'd prefer the "Comments Disabled" option.
18. Click the "Change" button when you're done.

Edit Your Miscellaneous Preferences

19. Locate the "Misc" button on the Preferences menu and click it.
20. Decide whether you want the OSTG Navbar to be on (displayed) or off (hidden).
21. Click "Save" when you've made your choice.

Set Your Subscription Settings

22. Click the "Subscription" button in the Preferences menu.
23. Buy a subscription for yourself if you want to purchase ad-free pages on Slashdot.
24. Purchase a gift subscription for someone else by selecting "Buy Gift Subscription For UID." Enter the nickname of the person you're buying the subscription for in the indicated field.
25. Select "PayPal" to pay through your PayPal account, or click on "Credit Card Payments" to pay by credit card.
26. Specify the quantity of pages you want to buy.
27. Click on the "Continue" button to proceed to the next screen, where you will be prompted to enter your PayPal or credit card account information.

Change Your Slashdot Password

28. Choose the "Password" link from the Preferences menu.
29. Change your password by entering your current password in the indicated field, then entering your desired new password twice, as specified.
30. Decide whether you want your session to expire when you close the browser, or continue until you log out.
31. Opt for your session to follow you everywhere, move within a subnet or never move.
32. Finalize your changes by clicking the "Change Login Prefs" button.

Finish Up: Tags or No Tags?

33. Find and click the "Tags" button in the Preferences menu.
34. Choose "On" to accept tags or "Off" to ignore them.
35. Click "Save" when you're finished. You're now done customizing your Slashdot account!

Tips & Warnings

• Look up any terms you don't understand by accessing Slashdot's Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) pages (see Resources below).
• Ensure your Slashdot account's privacy by remembering to log out when your session has expired, especially if you're on a public or shared computer.
• Check the "Public Terminal" box if you're at a public or shared computer. This activates enhanced security features to protect your personal information from others who use the computer after you finish.
• Protect your PayPal or credit card information by clearing your web browser's cache after you complete your transaction.
• Bear in mind that, unless otherwise specified, the information you enter will be visible to other Slashdot users. Choose carefully when considering which fields to fill in and which fields to leave blank.
• Remember that web-based Slashdot messages will be deleted after 15 days, no matter which preferences you choose.

Who Can Help: