| Disclaimer: I know enough about HTML to be dangerous!! All my pages were created in geocities pagebuilder; an excellent click and drop application program at yahoo/geocities. However, the user friendly pagebuilder is limited in available fonts and gifs, so I've ventured way beyond the standard pickings of the program by taking advantage of many great sites that offer free stuff to would-be websteaders. I'll be including the links to the free-stuff web sites...take advantage of the other sites' generosity but don't forget to send them a thank you for their efforts! And of course, a link to their site (as I've done on the next page) will be especially appreciated. |
| www.yonderways.com/easyweb |
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| So, you want to create a web page..... |
| Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity. Ecclesiastes 1;2 |
| I've wrangled with my desire to 'share' since my first home page attempt over six years ago at angelfire, but not until our move to Mexico did I feel our family's activities were noteworthy...and yet, maybe they're still really not. None the less I've asked myself on more than one occassion how I justify this domain when I possess a fundamental aversion to vanity license plates (for how is a personal web site different from a personalized tag, if not MORE obnoxious?) I believe awareness of web presence and the owning of such will be progressively pursued over the next decade. Personal web pages and domains are the frontier of the new world, and are open to anyone willing to stake their claim. I foresee web presence becoming a status symbol; with many folks willing to spend any amount of money to own a tasteful and respectable web facade. Folks� web pages will in effect become the new front lawns of the World Wide Web frontier. This web site isn�t intended to meet the needs or status of the above mentioned�.but is rather a site dedicated to the DIY websteader in search of creating an authentic, simple (or magnificent!) presence. Whatever your reasons for websteading - welcome! I'll be showing you one simple FREE way to create home pages, but know that there are literally hundreds, if not thousands of applications available to the novice. My pages are proof that you needn't possess a "g" chromosome (geek) to successfully author a page. However, you will be best served with a second helpin' of patience. Also a fast computer with DSL connection would be a serious plus (but is by no means mandatory). |
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| So, are you ready? As I mentioned before I'm going to walk you through the process of opening a yahoo account (by the way, I am not being sponsored by yahoo), and then we'll proceed to getting your geocities web page account opened. Your first step will be to click on this link: This is the first step to acquiring your free web page. |
| BEFORE naming your account take into consideration that your web address will begin: www.geocities.com/ I suggest you consider a more direct and easily identifiable name. Such as "TheSmiths", or "SmithHome", or "PageSmith" or some such....or any fun, catchy word or phrase, but skip the obscure letters and omit numbers if possible in order that your site will be easily recalled by others. So - click on the link above, and follow the instructions for opening an acct. |
| So - now that you've opened your email account, and consequently followed the directions for opening your geocities acct let's get on with the business of creating your page. First, if you've not done so, a must read is the HELP PAGE - CLICK HERE The help page is designed to be an online tutor to help you through every process of your web page creation. Time spent learning the process will greatly enhance your design time (and limit your frustrations). If you should have trouble or a specific question, email me and I will do my best to help you. |
| For those of you who are really wet behind the ears CLICK HERE TO LEARN WEB SITE TERMINOLOGY. While you certainly don't NEED to know what words like HTML or FTP mean or stand for, you'll surely sound impressive at your next one-uppin' affair. |
| Some things to consider before creating your webpage (copied from Edmonton Public School Board website) |
| � Set reasonable goals for your Intranet page - Why does your site exist? � Define your audience - Whom are you trying to reach? � Identify what you want to say - will visitors easily find information they need? � Keep it fresh and interesting - will visitors come back again? � Provide a feedback mechanism for your visitors - will visitors be able to tell you what they think? Don't let the novelty of Web pages deter you from following the basic standards of graphic and editorial design � Keep the home page simple and appealing � Remember to keep dimensions to 640x480 pixels (viewing size) and design the home page with the working area at this size. This will ensure that the person with the smallest monitor will still be able to view the entire Web site without horizontal scrolling. � Make the home page a showcase so people know what they're going to be viewing. � Make sure navigation is consistent from page to page, beginning with the home page and that each page links back to the home page. � The home page should load in under 15 seconds. � Check links frequently to avoid dead links. |
| Now that you have successfully opened your yahoo and geocities accounts, decided on a purpose and plan for your site, and have heeded the good design advice offered for your site - it's time to add your personal touch (I'm reminded of the comedian, Jeff Foxworthy, who coined the phrase...."you might be a redneck if.....") |
| To read more suggested guidelines for writing and for placing graphics CLICK HERE |
| Links to fun items guaranteed to tacky up your web 'front lawn'!! |