Morgana, when you're reading the journal entrie on lj, there should be a navigation bar across the top of the screen. In the middle of the navigation panel it will say you're "viewing so-and-so's journal". Right below that should be an option to "view in my style." Clicky-clicky and you'll be reading it in your own journal's style. This will be your default setting for all journals after that unless you decide to change it back to "view in original style."

SailAweigh, thanks for the info. I checked, and under "You are viewing so-and-so's Journal," the only option I have is "Add them as a friend." I assumed something was missing from my navigation bar and went to the page where you can Customize Journal Style. There's a section there about the navigation bar, but it doesn't say anything about changing how a page is viewed. I have a free account; maybe that makes the difference?

Ah, if it's a free account I don't think you get that facility.

I have to say, I do appreciate it - I feel like knifing people who decide to set their journal to a teeny tiny font, or write in fucking light grey on a dark grey background or some idiotic thing.

I don't mean to judge you for reading, Plei. But I'm judging the writers somewhat.

I don't mean to judge you for reading, Plei. But I'm judging the writers somewhat.

Mostly, I just think they're *SO CUTE* writing political slash now that it's "cool" or something. Back in my day, we had to tinhat Gingrich (Newt)/Clinton (Bill), I tell you what.

Man, I should really find and finish that story. I could title it The One Where Monica's a Beard or something. I think I still have the outline. The only story I lost from my politicwip pile was the Kissinger/Bob Evans one. WHICH WAS TRAGIC, because it was AWESOME. Sigh.

I mean, seriously. I was doing this stuff 6-7 years ago when most of these kids were still dreaming of training bras. Of all the fandoms for me to be all BOFQ about, I never thought it would be this one.

Oh, there is an option to add "format=light" at the end of any page. And if you're in FF, you can add it as a toolbar link, and when I get home, I'll share with the class.

I know...I kind of thought of you. But not really, because the stories are bad. Maybe I could forgive the "sacrilege" a bit more if they weren't. As it was, and ironically, given the Rahm stories, I found myself thinking there ought to be a few more fast-food accidents.

there is an option to add "format=light" at the end of any page. And if you're in FF, you can add it as a toolbar link, and when I get home, I'll share with the class.

This made me excited, but... the page I'm trying to convert ends in html. So I tried pageaddress.html/format=light, and got the "Page Not Found" message. So then I tried pageaddress.html.format=light, and got the same "Page Not Found" message. Obviously I'm doing something wrong -- what punctuation/format/whatever should I be using to make this work?

If FF means Firefox, no, I'm using Internet Explorer.

Wait, wait, wait -- you were writing slash about Newt Gingrich? shudder just a world of No.

The thing you add to the end is ?format=light, to display the page in a stripped-down fashion. You can bookmark JS snippets (probably in IE as well, but I don't use that at home for LJ/DW) that will append that to the end of any LJ or LJ-based page.

you can also use ?style=mine, which is an option available to everyone if you append it yourself at the tail end of the URL.

Oh my goodness, thank you both. I tried the ?format=mine and ?style=mine options, and they both worked. I will definitely mark that down for the future. I don't know if it's a side effect of getting older, or just sheer general crankiness, but if I have to struggle to read a site I just don't bother any more.