Using the

The Crunchland Voodoo Editor gives you a great opportunity to change the content of your existing user pages and create new ones. This is just a walkthrough of the basic commands you'll use to make and save changes. Have fun!

  1. To log in, use the same alias and password you use for the message base.
  2. When you're logged in, you'll see your home directory, which includes all the files you originally submitted to DSF for your user bio page -- your photos, the graphics DSF added to the page (such as the famous Crunchland cow gif) and your user bio. You'll see that each file has an icon to the left of its name. If you see a pen nib icon, it means that you can edit the file with the Voodoo editor. These files will also have an "Edit" option next to their names on the right side of the screen. Click on "Edit" to open the file to be edited.
  3. WARNING: Clicking on the "Delete" icon (the big "X") will instantly (and completely) erase this file from your directory, without prompting you along the lines of "Are you sure you want to delete this file?"
  4. On the bottom of the page are other options you can use to upload and create new files and directories.

a. "Create A New File" will create a new editable file in the directory you have open. Simply type in the name you want for the file (i.e., "foo.htm").

b. "Upload A File" will allow you to upload new text or graphic files to your directory. Be sure to follow the instructions and type in only the filename in the first field ("foo.htm") and then the drive, directory, and filename where the file is located on your computer ("c:\windows\foo.htm") in the second box. The program will tell you when the file is finished uploading.

c. "Create A New Directory" will create new subdirectories in your account where you can store graphic files or text files; it can help to keep your directories more organized.

  1. EDITING A FILE: Clicking on "Edit" will take you to a screen which contains the HTML coding for that page. You may need to use the scroll bars that run along the side and bottom of the Voodoo editor (and of your browser screen) to move around and get a full view of the content of your page.

    In this screen, you can enter and change text and/or graphics on your pages. If you're totally clueless about HTML coding, now's a good time to start learning about it! There are many HTML files and programs available on the Web. A great site that offers a wide range of tutorials for people with varying degrees of HTML knowledge is The HTML Goodies site. I've been teaching myself the low-tech way by using "HTML for Dummies".

  2. When you're done editing the file, click on "Save Document" to save the changes. Or, if you've screwed everything up beyond redemption, click on "Cancel Changes and DON'T Save This Document." I use the "Alternate Filename" option if I want to test how an effect (or some other change I've made) works without replacing the entire page, in case the effect doesn't work.
  3. When you've saved your changes, you will be returned to the main Account Manager page. At this point, you can see how your new page looks by clicking on the "View" icon (the eye) that's on the right side of the filename. The Voodoo editor will tell you that you may need to hit the "Reload" or "Refresh" option on your browser to see the changes you've made. You can also test any links you've added.

Well, that's pretty much it. If you haven't already given this a try, what are you waiting for? It's a lot easier than I probably made it sound here, and believe me, if a goof like me can turn out a web page that's halfway readable, anyone can.

Any feedback from critics out there? Please let me know. [THANKS, REDHEAD!   DSF]