Actually, Firefox has an add-on (LJHook) that allows you among other things to randomize icons by clicking a button (repeatedly if you don't like what it comes up with the first time) - unfortunately, it doesn't work with the new comment pages ("view in own style" and "enable custom comment pages" are my friends).

THANK YOU FOR SAVING MY LIFE!!! (Okay, exaggeration, but I still spend a shite-ton of time on LJ, so anything that makes it a better experience improves my quality of virtual life.) I recently switched back to Firefox (I love the bookmark setup) and am a stickler for viewing most LJ pages in my style (clearly I like my style or I wouldn't be using it).

I shall go get this LJHook right away! Now I'm extra glad that I finally posted it. :D

(Also, I haven't seen you in a long while. Hello!)

(Hello! The universe has decided to troll me with an unholy combo of health issues and overwork. Ugh.)

Another useful LJ gizmo is LiveJournal Addons - it can be a little finicky to configure, but comes in very useful (free LJNotes and some other nifty stuff ahoy!). Also Adblock Plus (which also works for pesky ads all over the internet and annoying LJ icons) and Killfile + LJ Killfile For Friendlist (for all the dipshits on LJ that drive me up the wall. Yes, I'm getting cranky in my old age and I'm not ashamed.)

Basically, all the Greasemonkey coders have gone NUTS after the last LJ fail release (it was only the second time ever that I joined the crowds who complained, the first time was over the privacy and crossposting shenanigans - people, when I and many others get a migraine from reading your site, it is freaking broken! Plus my nifty Killfiles didn't work - although that was rendered moot after my computer got nuked from orbit earlier this month, but since it takes only one click to block stupid it's not that much of a big deal.) If you google Greasemonkey and get into the addons site, there are tons of LJ utilities - some of the older ones don't work any more because of all LJ's code tweaks, but most of the old standards work just fine.

A lot of the "paid" LJ functionality can also be reached with GM scripts, and they have added ability to edit to all accounts - so now the only reason to have a paid account is really for the extra userpics, LOL.

Ugh at unholy health issues and overwork. *Shakes fist at universe.*

Just installed LiveJournjal Addons, so I'll see how that works once I've re-started Firefox. The LJNotes thing sounds interesting. I believe I already have Adbock Plus, so I'm set there. :D I don't think I've noticed much dipshitery on my Flist to have a Killfile for it (and I've not heard of a Killfile before, anyway, so I'd have to go look that up :B). I'm not too technological, so I'll have to go explore Greasemonkey when I have the brainpower for it, haha.

That's pretty funny, since just about the only thing I have a paid LJ for is the icons! (Though I just configured my phone again, so perhaps some voiceposts in the vague time-frame of 'someday'.)

Thanks for the helpful tips!

No problem - after all, I AM the (usually) friendly neighbourhood tech support!

Killfiles are mostly for when you're watching an otherwise interesting/ fun / informative community and there is that. one. commenter. that. gets. on. your. nerves. (and that other moron) (and that third troll) (oh and let's not forget those rabid stans from ONTD) (and that one guy whose posts give you a headache and wouldn't know punctuation if it bit them in the ass) (and those hypocritical social justice warriors) (and creepy ass/ batshit RPers) (etc etc).

Sometimes you just do NOT want to see anything they have to say, ever - when a passive aggressive little note isn't enough, time to nuke it from orbit. With a passive aggressive little note reminding you why. Best of all it's all linked to your browser, not your account, so block/ note them once from Firefox and the job's done. (On the other hand, if there's a snafu with your browser or your computer you have to start over, but assholes tend to remain assholes and are generally easily identified.)

I guess I tend to overuse it and I can be petty, but I figure with millions of users on LJ there are plenty more fish in the sea and I can live without these people. Since LJ doesn't come with a "block" function for people who trigger me, piss me off, drive me nuts, give me a stupidity induced headache or annoy me, the Killfile scripts are the next best thing. I can pick who I have on my friendslist, but unfortunately I can't pick who posts in some of the communities I'm a member of, if you see what I mean. So that's where it comes in handy.

Testing, testing...

And it's a go! Yaaaay!

(Although at the moment, the randomiser is quite fond of shoes.)

(I can't blame you, randomiser, not one bit.)

Ummm...

Weren't you already kind of random?

In a good way, of course...

;)
L

Yes, I was already random--precisely why I wanted LJ to cater to my needs of randomosity! If I want to make a comment about a sloth, not pick my icon, and gleefully post it with an icon of an elephant, then LJ should let me do that!

And now I can. :D I hit a little button up at the top of my comment and it chooses an icon for me. It keeps right on choosin' until I agree, too, which is pretty nifty.

*Is a content Kiwi.*

What people said about the firefox add on...

the thing is it used to serve up say my laughing Holmes icon to a post about someone's dead cat.

It's not wise.

the thing is it used to serve up say my laughing Holmes icon to a post about someone's dead cat. / It's not wise.

While I can see that certainly being a problem, one of the great things about the Firefox randomising do-hickey is that I can get trigger happy with it. I can keep clicking and clicking until something strikes my fancy. It isn't really less effort than opening up the window with the thumbnails of all my icons and scrolling, but my mouse does less moving, so I'm tricking myself into thinking it is.

I have lots of icons but always end up using the same one :P