Page Builder lets you create your own customized, unique Web page with its own Web address — and you don't need to know any HTML to do it. This month, we'll cover the basics of Page Builder, as well as instructions on adding photos, making changes to your Web page, and sharing your page once it's finished.


Getting started
You can reach Page Builder from your MSN TV home page; the link to the feature should appear either on the left-hand side menu, or in the More… menu at the bottom left of the page. When you visit Page Builder for the first time, you'll see a short intro, and we'll ask you to review and accept the Page Builder terms of use. Once you've accepted, you'll be on your way.

The first step in creating a page is choosing a background. There are six pages of background patterns and themes to select from; use the + and - buttons on the screen to move from one page to the next. Once you see a background you like, choose it to move on to the next step. (You can change your background — or any other part of your Web page — at any time, even after you've published your page.)

Next, create a title for your page. Your title lets others know what the page is about; it also appears in the list of Web pages you've created with Page Builder.

Once you have a title, you're ready to start adding stuff to your page. Choose Add an item on the main page to see what you can add: a picture, text, links, a list, a page break, or a heading. On the Add an item menu page, choose the type of item you want to add to see step-by-step instructions on how to add it.

You can add as many items to your page as you'd like. Each time you add something, you'll see a notice about where it will appear on your page, and you'll have the chance to move it up or down on the page. This is helpful because it means you don't have to add things in order, and you can make changes to your page at any time.

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Adding photos to your page
Your Web page is a great way to share pictures with others. You can get pictures from three different sources: a video camera or VCR, if you have one connected to your MSN TV box; your MSN TV scrapbook; or the Page Builder Art Gallery.

The Art Gallery features a wide variety of images in themes from holidays to travel to animals. You can browse through the pictures in the Art Gallery to find ones you like, and then can add them to your Web page.

Your scrapbook lets you store photos from e-mail, TV, a VCR, a video camera, a scanner, or other Web pages. For more information on storing pictures in your scrapbook, as well as adding pictures from your scrapbook to a Web page you create, choose this link: Scrapbook Help

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Previewing and publishing
When you're done adding stuff to your page, you'll probably want to take a sneak peek. To do so, choose Preview from the main Page Builder page. You'll see what your Web page will look like. If you like what you see, you're ready to publish; if not, you can keep making changes until you're happy with your creation.

Ready to release your page to the world? Choose Publish. You'll get the chance to change your page title, if you want, and to add a description of what your Web page is about. Finally, you'll confirm that you're ready to publish your masterpiece.

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Sharing your Web page
After you publish, you'll see a page letting you know your page's Web address, or URL. On that page, there are links that help you send an e-mail to friends and family announcing your page or add your page's Web address to your e-mail signature. Either of these methods is a good way of getting the word out about your Web page.

Anyone you share your Web page's address with can visit the page, whether or not they're an MSN TV user.

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Changing your Web page after it's published
You can make changes to your Web page at any time, even after you publish it. Changing your page helps you keep it up-to-date, and lets you add or remove items whenever you want.

When you come back to Page Builder after you've created and published a page, you'll see on the Index page a snapshot and description of your Web page (or pages, if you have more than one). To make changes, choose your page; you'll see a list of things you can do, including changing, unpublishing, or discarding your page.

Choose what you want to do with your page, and then follow the instructions you see on screen. When you make changes to your page, you'll be able to preview and publish it, just as you did earlier.

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Learning more about Page Builder
If you're new to Page Builder, or if you've used it before but want a refresher course, check out Page Builder Help, where you'll find instructions on everything from adding simple text to creating page breaks to moving items around on your page.

You may also want to check out MSN TV's newsgroups and the New2MSNTV chat room, where your fellow MSN TV-ites may have great tips, tricks, and insights on making the most of Page Builder.

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