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WEB PAGE DESIGN: In case any of you were wondering (which I'm sure you weren't) I don't use any fancy schmancy software to build my web pages. I write all of it myself in HTML using plain old regular notepad. (Although I admit I do pinch the occasional bit of javascript from here and there to do some of the neat stuff - like the fixed background images or having the main page display a different quote for each day of the month.) I know this may seem like an unneccessarily complicated option but the whole reason that I make web pages is that I just love writing HTML. It's kind of like doing a crossword puzzle - at least I think it works the same kind of brain muscles!! It's a challenge and you have to just keep on fiddling with it until you get it right. And it's so satisfying in the end when you do!
I first started messing around with HTML and web sites in '98 or '99 (can't remember exactly when). We hadn't had Internet at home for all that long and I was looking at some arb person's home page one day when it occured to me that anyone must be able to make a site if they really want to. (I'd seen some pretty useless looking sites so I figured it didn't exactly take a genius to get started.) So I got onto Yahoo and looked up how to make web sites! I started off by printing out a couple of very basic HTML tutorials that I found and then just kept on experimenting.
The basics of writing HTML are really really easy but it took me a while to get the hang of using tables to get a decent page layout. (I still struggle with that!!) Anyway, I'm quite chuffed with how far I've come (you should've seen the first few pages I ever wrote!!) but I've still got masses to learn. I want to try and get started learning javascript at some stage as well as how to use style sheets and stuff like that.
If any of you are interested in getting started, or just want to pick up some extra tips, you must check out this site: www.htmlgoodies.com. It's got absolutely everything you might ever want to know about HTML, javascript, perl, cascading style sheets etc, etc, etc. And their tutorials are very clear and easy to follow.
If you're not at all keen on writing HTML but still want to build your own site then there are a bunch of different software tools you can use to just drag & drop stuff onto a page. (You can even use Word!) A good option is to visit Yahoo Geocities (where my site is hosted).
They offer free web hosting (you just have to put up with the annoying popup ads at the top of the page) and they have an online tool called Pagebuilder that you can use to design your pages in a WYSIWYG (what-you-see-is-what-you-get) environment. (Sorry - couldn't resist - I just love that acronym!!)
It's a great hobby - if you're interested in computer-related stuff at all, try it ... you might enjoy it.
meHappy
© 2004, by Robs