We are all familiar with custom icons for the webpages that we surf. These icons are shown in the address bar, in tab that shows the page (in Firefox) and in bookmarks. However, i haven't seen a single java.net community, blog or project page that features such an icon (save for the one in the comments :). The reason remains obscure, as all you have to do is a simple one-file upload to your CVS repository.

1. Create a file named favicon.ico. It must be 16*16 pixels, preferably with transparent background to allow it blend nicely with custom themed browser. You can use an excellent IrfanView free tool to convert an existing JPG / GIF / PNG to ICO.
2. Upload the favicon.ico to the www directory of your CVS repository.
3. Browse to your main page or one of the sub-pages. You should see something like:
   

A few tips on creating icons:

• Don't use more than two letters (see ebay, cnn or imdb for negative examples).
• Don't use too many details (see battle.net for negative examples)
• Provide transparent background (see cnn for negative example).
• Make it simple (see jroller, amazon or google for positive examples).

The last thing - did you know that aliens really exist? :)

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