Abandon Ship! Abandon Ship!

I've been here a while, and thought I ought to drop in and say hi, and give you a few useful links. Mostly related to layouts/themes.

So, you've got this new journal or community and the first thing you want to do is change it's look - make it yours. If you're from Live Journal, things are a little different. But once you get your hands under the hood, so to speak, it can also be fairly easy.

Here are some layout communities that can help you either choose new themes, or fix up your own.

grrliz runs dreamwidthlayouts, a place where designers can submit new designs that override Dreamwidth's current layouts/themes. That's the most active community.

Then in the help section, there's stylemakers, begun by 900degress to aid designers with their work, and to provide resources. Check it out. As well, there is the_style_kit where you can obtain a working copy of Tabula Rasa so you can work offline while you design. style_system is an official community to discuss the style system, as well as to to give tips and tricks on how to get the most out of your journal. Don't just look at the first few entries of all these communities - check them out fully.

stepps has a great list of links here, if you are so inclined. In includes communities you may want to check out, divided by use and interest. The WIKI is also a rich source of information, including lists of communities that have been added to Dreamwidth. zvi wrote a HOWTO use the styles wizard, but that may or may not already be in the FAQ already. Don't be afraid of the FAQ. It has been totally re-written from the ground up to make sense. Check it out and find out for yourself.

Aaaand: The Delicious Dreamwidth Tag is a great way to keep track of what people are, well, keeping track of.

Finally: Have fun, and tinker with your journal/communities. All styles are fully customizable with CSS and through the wizard.