101 Ways to Help Dreamwidth Grow

This page is about ways someone can help Dreamwidth grow and thrive, without volunteering. This is not meant to be a tasklist; some of these things will work for some people but not others.

Your journal

• Customize your journal's style, even if it's nothing more than customizing your colors. Look at a place like ColourLovers for inspiration if needed. You can also select a journal style you like better in the style selection area. You can also find something you like in dreamwidthlayouts or mintyapple.
• Fill out your profile's bio. Your bio helps people who are browsing know who you are.
• Fill out your profile's interests. They also help people know who you are, and then you'll show up in interest searches.
• Upload an icon... or even fill up all your icon slots. Icons are a great way to add flair and personality to what you write.
• Make a post to your journal.
• Make a public post to your journal. People who are just browsing but don't have access will be able to read it! You'll show up in people's network pages and (if you haven't disallowed it) the latest posts page.
• If you are crossposting, make sure to set up a footer so people on LiveJournal know you're posting to Dreamwidth, too.
• Respond to a comment made in your journal. Interacting with others makes the site feel more alive!
• Read dw_news to make sure you keep updated on the site and what's going on. Lots of important things are announce there. If you want to be really on top of things, read the_dw_herald--this unofficial community keeps track of pretty much every change to the site, even the tiny ones!
• Know your journal's capabilities! Read the FAQs. The more you know about what your journal can do, the better you can put it to use!
• Fill out all the description (used as alt text) and comment fields for your icons. The description helps people using screen readers enjoy your icons, too.
• Tag your posts. This helps people who use filters based on tags. It also helps people who are interested in a certain topic easily find all you've written about it.
• Create or subscribe to a feed account. All users can create feed accounts, and it's a great way to keep on top of any site that has an RSS or ATOM feed.
• Add an interest that no one else has.
• Add an interest someone else has that looks lonely.
• Make a custom icon for yourself.

Your circle

• Read your reading page.
• Comment on a post on your reading page.
• Respond to someone's comment on a post on your reading page.
• Find someone interesting and subscribe to them.
• Recommend some content on DW you think would be interesting to someone in your circle.

Helping others

Here are ways you can help other people use Dreamwidth.

• Answer someone's technical question if you know the answer, or direct them to Support if you don't.
• Make an icon for someone.
• Help someone else with their layout.
• Respond to Dreamwidth questions/concerns on Twitter.

Outreach

Internal

It's good to let people on Dreamwidth find content that interests them, and you might be that content. You could also know about content that other people might be interested in.

• Allow your posts to show up on the latest posts page. This page isn't indexed by search engines.
• If you've blocked outside search engines from indexing your journal, consider using the privacy settings to allow your posts to show up in Dreamwidth's search engine. Dreamwidth's search engine can only be accessed by logged in users.
• If you have a journal that's okay to be public, allow search engines to index it. You might get more random viewers that way, if that's what you're seeking.
• If you want more readers or people to read, you can post to dreamchasers or add_me.
• Link other users to posts or communities or journals you think they might like to read! Some people do something called "follow friday" where every Friday they recommend other journals and communities in a post to their journal.

External

Dreamwidth can't grow if other people don't find out about it!

• Tell someone about DW who doesn't already know about it.
• Give out an invite to someone who asks.
• Offer an invite to a friend.
• Give out an invite on dw_codesharing.
• Give out an invite on Twitter.
• Link someone not on DW to a post you think might be interesting to them.
• Post about DW on another website, if it's on topic or you think people might be interested. Don't spam or nag, though!

Communities

Healthy communities are important to Dreamwidth's success.

Participating

• Join and subscribe to an interesting community.
• Make a post to a community you are a member of.
• Comment on a post made to a community you are a member of.
• Watch dw_community_promo for new communities you might like, or someone you know might like.
• Recommend a community to someone who might like it.
• Quote someone who said something clever or funny on metaquotes (with their permission)!

Creating

• Create a community that you think fills a need or interest.
• Make an appropriate icon for your community.
• Customize your community's style, whether it's just changing the colors or choosing a new style layout. You can also find something custom in dreamwidthlayouts or mintyapple.
• Fill out your community's bio.
• Fill out your community's interests.
• Fill out your commmunity's description.
• Post about your community on dw_community_promo.
• Tag entries in your community.

Feedback

• Vote on suggestions in dw_suggestions.
• Make a suggestion to dw_suggestions.
• Send a cool report to dw_coolhunters.
• Comment in dw_news.

Funding

Dreamwidth depends on money from people like you to keep running.

• Buy a paid account for yourself.
• Buy a paid account for someone in your circle.
• Buy a paid account for a community that you think would be nice to search.
• Sponsor a random user.

Paid User

Paid and premium/seed accounts receive additional perks and features as a thank you for supporting Dreamwidth.