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Learn to build your own Web pages
May 22, 1997
Web posted at: 10:02 p.m. EDT (0202 GMT)From CNN Interactive Writer David Mandeville
It's on television. It's in all the magazines. If you want to be somebody these days, you have to be on the Internet.
You've got a service provider, but how do you build a page? Do you have to go to an expensive class? Do you want to hire a $100-an-hour contractor to put pictures from your last vacation up on your home page? Does your business need to hire consultants, or can you do it yourselves?
Here are some sites that can teach you how to build Web pages, and give you the information you'll need to make decisions about what to do next on the Net.
Getting your feet wet
Before you can jump into things, you'll need to know some jargon. Like every other facet of life, the Web has a set of acronyms and phrases, but may not know what they mean. So make your first stop the ILC Glossary of Internet Terms from the Internet Literacy Consultants. It's an A-to-Z collection of technical terms and user slang that will give you a leg up when you want to learn more about how the Internet works.
Next, visit the ultimate guide to the Web -- the World Wide Web Consortium. Here you can find the latest developments in interface technology, architecture, hosting and their effects on the social climate of the Web. Thankfully, they've split it into easy to navigate categories.
Start by going to the HTML reference page. Here you'll find an explanation of what Hypertext Markup Language is and what it does. You'll also find links to more reference material, like Sandia Labs' HTML Reference Manual, and to various Web tools, including HTML editing applications.
Lowering yourself into the water
Now that you know what HTML is and how it works, it's time to find a tutorial and build your first page. Many educational sites and service providers offer HTML primers to the public. The UCLA Economics Department's Help section has a good example of a beginner's guide. It covers the basics of HTML, text, images, links and more, with simple explanations and examples.
Diving into the deep end
You've mastered the basics, now on to the fun part. Justin Weber's Computing Center is a great place to further your knowledge. The site's Pocket Guide to HTML 3.0 gives more detailed descriptions of what you've already covered and takes you to the next level with examples and explanations for more complicated tags like tables, frames, Java applets and image maps.
While you're here, you can take a look at available software and reference links for your computer. No one gets left out, because these are available for UNIX, Macintosh, DOS, Windows 3.1, 95, NT and OS/2. You can also post questions to the site's Get Help bulletin board for specific information about your system.
Now it's time to invite a few million friends over to see your page. Most search sites offer you the ability to add your site to their search indexes. Take the time to add your site and hope your service provider doesn't charge by volume of hits.
Related sites:
ILC Glossary of Internet Terms - glossary of terms commonly used in reference to the Internet and World Wide Web
Internet Literacy Consultants - an Internet technologies consulting firm
The World Wide Web Consortium - an organization dedicated to developing common protocols for the World Wide Web
Sandia Labs' HTML Reference Manual - an extensive reference manual for HTML developed for Sandia National Labs, part of the Department of Energy
A Beginner's Guide to HTML - from the UCLA Economics Departments web site
Pocket Guide to HTML 3.0 - a more in-depth tutorial for HTML, including tables, frames, Java applets, and Javascripting information from Justin Webers Computing Center
Some search sites that allow you to add the URL of your page to their serache index: Alta Vista, Big Yellow, Infoseek, Yahoo
See previous site seer reviews.
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