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Xerpi is so simple, you might not realize that you can change it. But hidden within a Xerpi view are over a dozen ways to customize what you see.

Here's a handy checklist.

• Add a New Block

  This is the heart of Xerpi. At the upper right of the page is the "Add Content" hyperlink. It gives you six choices for adding useful new Blocks into your Xerpi view.

  New link block.	Type in a title, click add - and it appears in your view, ready for adding favorites.
  Add a Friends Block.	Now you can love your friends' favorite links too!
  Dictionary.com block.	Type in a word, get its definition -- and a dictionary page!
  Google maps block.	Enter an address for maps, driving directions, or local businesses. (More info here!)

  And most importantly...

  Add a tags link block.

  Xerpi finds fresh links matching your interests.

  Enter a tag, and this block will display links from other Xerpi users that match it!

There's an even easier way to add links to your Xerpi home page. The "Add Content" pane also lets you install special buttons into your browser! One button sends new favorites straight to your Xerpi home page from any page on the web. And the other button lets you return to Xerpi with just one click. (I use it to see how my new links look!)

But even beyond adding new blocks -- there's lots of other ways to customize your Xerpi view.

• Display More Links in Tag and Friend Blocks

  By default Xerpi displays five links in a "Tags" or "Friends" block -- but it's fun to see more. Just click the edit icon and select a different number from the dropdown menu.

  And by entering new tags, you can also filter the displayed links to just those matching your own interests!

• Drag the links around

  Reading your links in the same order every day? Why not move your favorite links to the top of the block. Just click and drag them!

• Drag the blocks around.

  Some blocks get used more than others. So why not put your favorite block at the top of the page? A crosshair appears when your mouse is over the block's title. Then just click it and drag. (And keep on dragging things around until you're satisfied.)

• Adding and Deleting Links

  They're your favorites. Add new favorites by clicking the green circle with a plus sign at the top of the link block. (And get rid of old favorites by clicking the red circle next to them.)

  You can delete an entire block of links by clicking the red circle at the top of the block.

• Re-naming

  The newspaper may be called The New York Times -- but on Xerpi you can call it whatever you want. Click on the pencil icon to type in a fun new name for a link (or a new title for the block of links!)

• Shrink the Link Block

  All your links are displayed -- but maybe you don't want them all at once. Another way to get space is to "shrink the links" -- click the white circle to display just the title of a block. This fits more link blocks onto the top of the page, to be expanded whenever you're ready for them. (Just click the circle again!)

• Create a New View

  Collect another set of link blocks -- and stash them on a separate tab! (Just click the "New View" tab at the top of the page.)

• Follow Your Links Away

  Xerpi opens a new browser windows to display your favorites -- by default. But if you'd rather follow your links away from Xerpi -- hitting your browser's "Back" button to return -- there's that option. Click the pencil icon for the link block, and use the checkbox to record your preference.

Xerpi can be whatever you want it to be. It's your favorites, and your view of your favorites.

Knock yourself out!