Create Your Own Web Page
As part of each dial-up account, we provide 50-75 MB of webspace
to our customers (depending on which Internet account you have).
Making a web page can be both frustrating and rewarding -
it is not impossible. Anything you want to do CAN be done
as long as you are willing to put the time into it. (and it
does not go against our Acceptable Use Policy)
You can let the world know who you are, what you want to sell
them, how you want to help them, keep everyone up-to-date
on sports scores, or put som great pictures online for the
rest of the family to see. From Serious to Silly, a website
is exactly what YOU make it. RCI is here to host and to help
you along the way.
| Where to Begin? |
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Web pages work because of HTML, Hypertext Markup Launguage.
HTML is a formatting language that web browsers such as
Netscape Communicator or Microsoft's Internet Explorer
read then display your page on the screen.
There are a number of options to help you get started:
- Web site creation tools such as Microsoft's FrontPage
or Macromedia's Dreamweaver.
These programs are "WYSIWYG: What You See Is What
You Get" HTML tools with drag-and-drop features that
generate the HTML code for you.
- HTML editors, AceHTML 4 or BlueFish
(for you Linux buffs), are similar to the WYSIWYG
tools but do not have all the user-friendly features.
You will have to become somewhat familiar with the
HTML code in order to use these tools.
- For a challenge, learn the HTML language syntax
using web sites such as HTML Goodies or Webmonkey
or books like HTML
4 For Dummies and using the Notepad or any other
word processing program that comes with most operating
systems, you can create your very own web page.
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| Getting Started |
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Once the decision has been made as to which tool to
use, you must decide on how you want your page to look
and how you want people to navigate through it.
Suggestion: Put it down on paper! A rough draft
of where you want pictures to go, what text you want,
and the placement of any buttons or links will cut down
on the time it takes to put it all together. You will
reference it often, especially if you have several pages
linked together. |
| Some Tips |
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- Save your pages with a .htm or .html extension.
- Name your first (home page) file "index.htm" or
"index.html". Our servers are configured to display
index.html (or index.htm if the other is not present)
as your main home page.When you go to http://www.rivercityinternet.com/Internet/username
you are ACTUALLY going to http://www.rivercityinternet.com/Internet/username/index.htm.
- A word of caution: REMEMBER WHERE
YOU SAVED YOUR FILE!!!!! Yes, it sounds silly but
you cannot look at your page if you cannot find it.
- Keep track of all files associated with your web
page. Create a folder especially for Web Design and
put all of your HTML files, pictures, sounds, etc.
in that folder. It will save you from headaches down
the road.
- Case sensitivity in very important. if you call
img src="Photo.GIF" when the file's name is
actually "photo.gif", the image will show up
as broken.
- View Source can be your new best friend. If you
are having a hard time figuring out how someone has
done something on their web page, you can see how
they have done it by using your browser's View (Alt+V)
menu and click Page Source. Learning By Example!
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| What Next? |
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After you have created your Home Page or an entire web
site, you will need to know how to put
your files online via FTP. |
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