Nodelets are boxes that appear in the sidebar on the right of every page, each with a different function.
The 'nodelet settings' page linked from the Epicenter nodelet allows you to turn most of these nodelets off, add new ones or change the order in which they appear.
A few of the nodelets will have menus that you can turn on or off with '+' and '-' signs. For the most part these nodelets are self-explanatory, click around Epicenter and Vitals for the most commonly used features and documents on E2.
The default settings will have the following nodelets in the following order.
- Epicenter - Contains indispensible links to Everything2 Help, your own home node and your personal settings. This nodelet cannot be turned off.
- Chatterbox - The primary means of communication on the site, including a public chat area and private messages. If you remove this nodelet, Chatterlight is a regular node which duplicates its functionality, while Message Inbox offers more advanced personal messaging functions. If you don't keep this nodelet on all the time please check your Message Inbox from time to time to keep up.
- Other Users - A list of the other users currently logged in. If you choose to remove this nodelet, you can visit Everything Finger to get this information.
- New Writeups - Lists the latest writeups added to the database. Configurable to display from 1 to 40 writeups. If you remove this nodelet, Writeups By Type serves the same purpose, along with some more advanced options.
- ReadThis - Recent cool writeups and nodes, and site news
- Vitals - A link for title edits, deletion requests and assorted important documents and references.
In your nodelet settings you can add the following nodelets if you wish:
- Notifications -
Keeps track of writeups posted by your favourite noders, front-page news, writeups of yours that have been cooled and so on.
- Statistics - A bunch of numbers that have something to do with writeups and votes and things. If you remove this nodelet, Lies, damn lies is a regular node which provides the same information.
- Current User Poll -
Always shows the current Everything User Poll. If you choose to disable this nodelet, Everything User Poll is a regular node which does the same thing.
- Personal Links - A nodelet for you to store a list of your favorite links here. Similar to "User Bookmarks" on your home node, except these are private.
- Recent Nodes - Keeps a trail of where you've been lately on the site
- Usergroup Writeups -
Lists writeups submitted to any usergroup you are in. If you choose to disable this nodelet, visit any usergroup's node to see the individual lists.
- Log Nodelet -
Shows the latest writeups of type log, mostly day logs. Writeups by Type is a regular node which duplicates its functionality.
- Dream Nodelet -
Shows the latest writeups of type dream. Writeups by Type is a regular node which duplicates its functionality.
- notelet nodelet - Keep notes for yourself, or add scripts and things
- Quick Reference -
Find more on the current node topic using Google, Wikipedia or Wiktionary.
- E2 Zeitgeist - Lists what Guest Users have been looking at recently.
- Ads - For those who are entertained by possibly-relevant adverts
- Everything Developer - For people interested in helping to develop the site, or just finding out how it works
- Cool Staff Picks - Random nodes which have received editor endorsement
- Random Nodes - Completely random nodes... updates every ten minutes or so