Help: I'm going to make my own web site.

Oerdin · February 10, 2003, 19:53

For the better part of ten years now I've been saying I'd get around to making my own web site but... well... I nhaven't actually got off my keyster and done it. Before I was always to busy but due to a recent lay off at work I now have a great deal of spare time on my hands and have decided to finally design my own web site.

My question to you is which utilities are best for designing a web site and which hosting company would any of you recomend. I would prefer to use a free service to a pay service but if the quality was much better then I'd consider looking at a service which charged a slight monthly fee. Does anyone have any suggestions?

orange · February 10, 2003, 20:19

do you have a reason to have your own website?

Velociryx · February 10, 2003, 21:10

Question:

Do you know HTML? If not, then to start with, I'd recommend getting a free Angelfire site. Their webtools (webshell, webmonkey, and others) make designing your first page a snap. From there, you can examine the HTML to see how it's doing what it's doing, and begin to branch out.

-=Vel=-

Oerdin · February 10, 2003, 22:44

Quote:

Originally posted by orange
do you have a reason to have your own website?

It will mostly be a personal vanity web site but I'd like to have a page examining world propoganda ads. I spent six years in the U.S. Army as a Psychological Opporations Specialist so I think I have a few things to say about propoganda and it might even be interesting for a few other people to read. Also geneology is a pet hobby so I'd like to post my family tree plus a few links to other geneology web sites.

A doubt anyone else will be interested in my site but you never know.

Oerdin · February 10, 2003, 22:45

Quote:

Originally posted by Velociryx
Question:

Do you know HTML? If not, then to start with, I'd recommend getting a free Angelfire site. Their webtools (webshell, webmonkey, and others) make designing your first page a snap. From there, you can examine the HTML to see how it's doing what it's doing, and begin to branch out.

-=Vel=-

I know HTML about as well as I know Latin; which is to say not at all.

Bereta_Eder · February 10, 2003, 22:47

I found cool page VERY easy to use.
But don't use it because it is not free OR shareware and it will stop working after the test date expires and keep causing trouble in your web site.

In the thread about apolyton software utilities there is a suggestion about a web designer which is free.

Urban Ranger · February 10, 2003, 22:48

There are lots of websites with tutorials and tips on HTML. Learn the newest incarnation, XHTML.

Nubclear · February 11, 2003, 00:07

Oooh, propagfanda

Adagio · February 11, 2003, 06:22

Quote:

Originally posted by Oerdin
For the better part of ten years now I've been saying I'd get around to making my own web site but... well... I nhaven't actually got off my keyster and done it. Before I was always to busy but due to a recent lay off at work I now have a great deal of spare time on my hands and have decided to finally design my own web site.

My question to you is which utilities are best for designing a web site and which hosting company would any of you recomend. I would prefer to use a free service to a pay service but if the quality was much better then I'd consider looking at a service which charged a slight monthly fee. Does anyone have any suggestions?

I use cuteSite builder (30 days trial), to make my site... it's extremely easy to use... I know nothing about html, but I still managed to get a nice site running

To have a look at my site, to see what it's capable to do, go here:
http://www27.brinkster.com/zcollection/db/index.htm

If you need a place, to store the website, goto www.brinkster.com They don't have any banners/popups/etc, so you'll have a clean site (And it's free)

Ari Rahikkala · February 11, 2003, 06:25

Quote:

It will mostly be a personal vanity web site but I'd like to have a page examining world propoganda ads.

In that case just remember: Put what people might be interested in - the world propaganda ad stuff - up front, and have only a link for those interested in you to click leading to the personal vanity site and genealogy stuff.

As for the actual creation of the website... hm, [brag]I used cat with shell redirection to build my last site, so I don't think I can be very helpful in picking a WIMP environment to build a site

....[/brag]

Oerdin · February 11, 2003, 09:48

ADG: I like that blue marble background you have going on your site. I'm going to take a look brinkstar and I'll probably Urbane Ranger's advice and see about picking up a XHTML book.

Adagio · February 11, 2003, 10:03

The background was included in cuteSite builder (as with many other themes)

Adagio · February 11, 2003, 10:03

Btw, on brinkster.com you can only upload through their site, unless you wants to pay...

Kaak · February 11, 2003, 10:04

okay, here's my advice..don't play around, do it right. You can get a domain name from http://godaddy.com for $9 a year or less, and you can get a host on e-bay for $4 a year.

as for creation, i like home site, or just use note pad. Browse around, find something you like, then view the source on that page to see how they did it. You can get a lot of good stuff at http://dynamicdrive.com for menus, and other scripts.

also, use lot's of tables. If you have access to photoshop, play with it, and make your own imgs. basically, just have fun with it.

oh, and another thing that is important: you should check it in multiple browsers to make sure that everything renders the same. Use IE, netscape, and opera anyway...

Kaak · February 11, 2003, 10:06

oh, and check it on different resolitions...at least from 800x600 to 1280x1024 (cough cough ADG

)

Oerdin · February 11, 2003, 10:10

That's good advice Kaak. I'm definately going to register my own domain name and I hadn't even thought about checking for server space on ebay. The has to be a ton of companies trying to lease out their spare server space.

alva · February 11, 2003, 10:13

And if you use pics, try to keep them easy to download(appear). (cough cough ADG

)

Oerdin · February 11, 2003, 10:18

I hadn't thought about picture size. That probably would be very important especially for people with dial up access. The problem is my site is most likely going to be graphics heavy since I'm going to be posting examples of propoganda through the ages.

Adagio · February 11, 2003, 10:20

Quote:

Originally posted by Kaak
oh, and check it on different resolitions...at least from 800x600 to 1280x1024 (cough cough ADG

)

I know, I haven't done that much checking on that... yet, I just started making the website less than a week ago (And haven't had that much time to check it out...)

Quote:

Originally posted by alva
And if you use pics, try to keep them easy to download(appear). (cough cough ADG

)

Not sure what you mean?

Adagio · February 11, 2003, 10:27

Quote:

Originally posted by Kaak
oh, and check it on different resolitions...at least from 800x600 to 1280x1024 (cough cough ADG

)

Looks fine in 800x600 here

Sure, the pictures are large, but that's more or less the point of the site...

Oerdin · February 11, 2003, 18:36

Hey, we're supposed to be talking about my web site not yours.

Adagio · February 12, 2003, 06:39

At least we didn't go too far off topic

a web site is a web site

Kaak · February 12, 2003, 07:15

ADG, it was the high resolution...the marble BG on the left doesn't go all the way down

Adagio · February 12, 2003, 07:52

I know, but it was included with cuteSite builder, and I can't make graphics myself...

I'm using 1280x1024 myself, and I barely notices...

Goingonit · February 12, 2003, 08:03

For pictures, what you can do is link to pctures rather than embed them (or embed thumbnails which link to expanded pics). That way, they can be seen by those who want to, but they don't take up time just for reading the text.

Adagio · February 12, 2003, 10:54

Well... I could, but the site is not much about reading the text, but to see the pictures...