Is this feasible?

[Shepard Tate]

We want to begin a web page for our high school dept. We have someone
at the school district who will help us get it up and running. I know
very little html myself, only the simple tags that you can use in a
blog, that sort of thing. I have not been successful learning
anything beyond the most elementary basics of html. I think some
people can get it and others just think differently or something.

We have wanted to do this for a few years, but no one was willing to
take it on so. So....I have volunteered to do the writing, updating
of event calendars etc. and to work with our helper at the school
district. Eventually I want to be able to add text, updates,
pictures, monthly calendars, etc. to the site myself. Also want to be
able to make changes to the content on the site. Will I be able to do
this sort of thing without becoming an html expert? If we depend on
the district employee for every little update or change, things won't
be kept up to date as he is very busy and stretched thin.

Someone told me that they thought there was software available that
would allow me to work on the pages on my PC and just upload revised
pages as needed to the site.

Any advice or comments on this?

Thanks - Sherrie Shepard

 

[Paul Furman]

We want to begin a web page for our high school dept. We have someone
at the school district who will help us get it up and running. I know
very little html myself, only the simple tags that you can use in a
blog, that sort of thing. I have not been successful learning
anything beyond the most elementary basics of html. I think some
people can get it and others just think differently or something.

We have wanted to do this for a few years, but no one was willing to
take it on so. So....I have volunteered to do the writing, updating
of event calendars etc. and to work with our helper at the school
district. Eventually I want to be able to add text, updates,
pictures, monthly calendars, etc. to the site myself. Also want to be
able to make changes to the content on the site. Will I be able to do
this sort of thing without becoming an html expert? If we depend on
the district employee for every little update or change, things won't
be kept up to date as he is very busy and stretched thin.

Someone told me that they thought there was software available that
would allow me to work on the pages on my PC and just upload revised
pages as needed to the site.

Any advice or comments on this?

Thanks - Sherrie Shepard

I think if you vow to keep it as simple as possible it should be no
problem. No tricky formatting till you understand it and there won't be
problems. Where people make a mess and get overwhelmed is trying to do
more than they understand.

<h1>This is a Header</h1>

<p>This is a paragraph.</p>

<ul>
<li> This is a list</li>
<li> This is a list</li>
</ul>

<a href="other-page.htm">
Link to another page
</a>

Don't add pictures till you know how to size them and compress them so
they download easily.

One step at a time. A basic text outline is fine to begin with and
actually easier to read than a big mess of tricks. See how each tag
works and just let them set the layout. You can adjust their behavior
later with a style sheet but for now just let them be and don't struggle
trying to make them something they aren't.

 

[mscir]

We want to begin a web page for our high school dept. We have someone
at the school district who will help us get it up and running. I know
very little html myself, only the simple tags that you can use in a
blog, that sort of thing. I have not been successful learning
anything beyond the most elementary basics of html. I think some
people can get it and others just think differently or something.

We have wanted to do this for a few years, but no one was willing to
take it on so. So....I have volunteered to do the writing, updating
of event calendars etc. and to work with our helper at the school
district. Eventually I want to be able to add text, updates,
pictures, monthly calendars, etc. to the site myself. Also want to be
able to make changes to the content on the site. Will I be able to do
this sort of thing without becoming an html expert? If we depend on
the district employee for every little update or change, things won't
be kept up to date as he is very busy and stretched thin.

Someone told me that they thought there was software available that
would allow me to work on the pages on my PC and just upload revised
pages as needed to the site.

I would check out a few books on HTML from your local library. There are
a lot of free html editors that you can use to make web pages, but it
would be really helpful to learn the basics first. I would also
recommend that you read a beginners book about CSS - cascading style
sheets, after you learn the basics of HTML.

Then if you decide to use an editor to make your web pages, you can
clean up or modify the html that it generates and understand what you're
doing. I started out making web pages with Microsoft FrontPage, but
after I read one book on html (sorry, can't recall the title) I found I
could shrink the page (file) size of many pages by 25% or more -
removing unnecessary html that FrontPage added for no apparent reason. I
do not recommend using FrontPage unless you are willing to clean up the
html afterwards.

Good Luck,
Mike

 

[Matthias Gutfeldt]

We want to begin a web page for our high school dept. We have someone
at the school district who will help us get it up and running. I know
very little html myself, only the simple tags that you can use in a
blog, that sort of thing. I have not been successful learning
anything beyond the most elementary basics of html. I think some
people can get it and others just think differently or something.

Nah, HTML is easy to learn, you just have to find the right approach.
Courses, books, online tutorials like
<http://www.w3schools.com/html/>... try them all and see what's the best
method for you.

We have wanted to do this for a few years, but no one was willing to
take it on so. So....I have volunteered to do the writing, updating
of event calendars etc. and to work with our helper at the school
district. Eventually I want to be able to add text, updates,
pictures, monthly calendars, etc. to the site myself. Also want to be
able to make changes to the content on the site. Will I be able to do
this sort of thing without becoming an html expert? If we depend on
the district employee for every little update or change, things won't
be kept up to date as he is very busy and stretched thin.

Sure. Take a look at Content Management Systems. A really simple tool is
e.g. Macromedia Contribute. I think it's good for basic site
maintenance. Or you could find someone who will install a light-weight
content management system on the server. Some people even use their blog
software.

The important thing for your kind of site is not the bells&whistles but
how current it is! Initially a start page with updated daily events,
stories, gossip, an occasional image etc. should be technically easy to
make, and fun and interesting for your visitors.

That said, why don't you use your blogging software? You're already
familiar with it and can probably get the system running in no time at all.


Matthias

 

[Trevor George]

Shepard Tate wrote in message ...

I have not been successful learning
anything beyond the most elementary basics of html.

This indicates to me that you want to work simply and not to be bothered
with learning HTML as you lead a busy life :~)

Someone told me that they thought there was software available that
would allow me to work on the pages on my PC and just upload revised
pages as needed to the site.

If you are familiar with using Microsoft 'Word' then I'd advise getting
hold of a copy of Microsoft 'Frontpage 2000' or preferably the newer
version, as it works in a similar way. Although Microsoft 'Word' can be
used for your HTLM creation, DO NOT use it as it takes ages to download all
the code for web pages.

I will get slated here for advising 'Frontpage', BUT many web designers use
it successfully and it's quick, it's easy, and you can upload to your
website from the program, as well as uploading any changes or additions you
wish to make.

 

[PeterL]

Shepard Tate wrote in message ...

Could I suggest you look around other similar sites and view source codes
etc. Then when you see something you like you can get a basic design and
the necessary markup and adapt according to your own needs. You may also be
able to get some practical help for others in a similar situation.


PeterL



========================================

Petes Page
http://leach01.co.uk

Jordanstown Schools website
http://jord.org.uk

 

[Paul Furman]

The important thing for your kind of site is not the bells&whistles but
how current it is! Initially a start page with updated daily events,
stories, gossip, an occasional image etc. should be technically easy to
make, and fun and interesting for your visitors.

That said, why don't you use your blogging software? You're already
familiar with it and can probably get the system running in no time at all.

If your hosting service can run PHP, it's not terribly hard to set up
some blog software like postNuke, then you've got a really slick site
that people can log into and add their stories and comments also if you
want to go that far.

 

[Leif K-Brooks]

I will get slated here for advising 'Frontpage', BUT many web designers use
it successfully

Or so they think. How will you know if someone leaves your site because
the loading time is too long or they can't use the inaccessible HTML
FrontPage produces?

and it's quick

In the short run, for you. Maintenance will take longer, and it will
take longer for users to load your page.

it's easy

Again, only for you in the short run. It will be harder disabled people
and people using more standards-compliant browsers to view your pages,
and maintenance will be a large headache. Not to mention how hard it
will be to pay for FrontPage.

and you can upload to your website from the program, as well as uploading
any changes or additions you wish to make.

Then get a nice text editor with an upload feature.

 

[Steve R.]

Leif K-Brooks wrote in message ...

How will you know if someone leaves your site because
the loading time is too long.

Everyone admits that Fronpage HTML is bloated, but it's not *that* bloated
to significantly prolong the download time of the HTML. The main reason for
long download times on 99% of websites is the use of badly web-optimised
gifs or jpegs and the use of lots of gif menu *buttons* when text links are
perfectly adequate.

or they can't use the inaccessible HTML
FrontPage produces?

As Frontpage is a Microsoft product you can be sure it *will* be accessible
to all those folk using IE as a browser, and I reckon that's got to be a
around 99% of all internet users. That's a pretty good percentage :~)

 

[Marco Bakker]

Leif K-Brooks wrote in message ...

Everyone admits that Fronpage HTML is bloated, but it's not *that* bloated
to significantly prolong the download time of the HTML. The main reason for
long download times on 99% of websites is the use of badly web-optimised
gifs or jpegs and the use of lots of gif menu *buttons* when text links are
perfectly adequate.


As Frontpage is a Microsoft product you can be sure it *will* be accessible
to all those folk using IE as a browser, and I reckon that's got to be a
around 99% of all internet users. That's a pretty good percentage :~)

Should the web only be accessible to Microsoft users?
Why? Do they own it? Is there a door policy? Get real.

 

[Steve R.]

Marco Bakker wrote in message ...

Should the web only be accessible to Microsoft users?
Why? Do they own it? Is there a door policy? Get real.

You have completely misread what I am stating. I did not say *only*, but
was referring to the compatibility of 'Frontpage' to the majority of
browsers used and in the case for the 'Original Poster' to see that
'Frontpage' may well be a good investment. It's as simple as that.

I'm being *real* in the sense that if I'm selling something as long as the
majority of *users* can see my product, I'm really not bothered about the
1% who can't see them. It just takes too much time and effort to make it
cost-effective to cater for the odd 1%.

 

[Marco Bakker]

Marco Bakker wrote in message ...

You have completely misread what I am stating. I did not say *only*, but
was referring to the compatibility of 'Frontpage' to the majority of
browsers used and in the case for the 'Original Poster' to see that
'Frontpage' may well be a good investment. It's as simple as that.

I'm being *real* in the sense that if I'm selling something as long as the
majority of *users* can see my product, I'm really not bothered about the
1% who can't see them. It just takes too much time and effort to make it
cost-effective to cater for the odd 1%.

If using Frontpage I believe you're right in saying that. It will
probably take a lot of time to create pages that are standards complaint
and work in every browser on this planet when using Frontpage. But it
should be a small effort to use a tool afterwards to clean up the HTML.
There are tools for doing just that, you know.

Oh well, just move on using frontpage. Microsoft broke the web on the
client side with their buggy browsers, now let's help them to break it
on the server side as well by serving crappy HTML created with
Frontpage.

I think I did not misread anything of what you were saying. You are not
interested in the other 1% of users. Which makes you a person who thinks
that it is good enough if the web is accessible for 99% of the people.
In my opinion it is rather useless to say 'My website should be
accessible to Microsoft users'. That is rather unprofessional. I don't
think Amazon would like it if they lose 1% of their buyers because of an
inaccessible webpage. Professional webdesign starts when you say that
you want your site to be accessible for 100% of your users.

Standards compliant webdesign saves you time and efforts. That is a fact
that a lot of people just don't seem to understand.

 

[Firas D.]

Professional webdesign starts when you say that
you want your site to be accessible for 100% of your users.

But the OP isn't a pro...

 

[Marco Bakker]

But the OP isn't a pro...

There are also a lot of things I don't do professionally. But that
doesn't imply I have to screw up in those areas.

 

[Whitecrest]

Should the web only be accessible to Microsoft users?
Why? Do they own it? Is there a door policy? Get real.

This is to both of you:

Making a site with frontpage and accessibility are not mutually
exclusive. As much as you would like it to, it does not put in code
that says "if this is opera or mozilla then don't work"

Accessibility is 100% on the part of the person coding no matter HOW
they create the page.

 

[Whitecrest]

Professional webdesign starts when you say that
you want your site to be accessible for 100% of your users.

That is not true at all. That is what YOU believe, but is not what all
professional web designers believe.

Standards compliant webdesign saves you time and efforts. That is a fact
that a lot of people just don't seem to understand.

Driving away customers that enjoy pizzazz is a fact you don't
understand.

 

[Marco Bakker]

That is not true at all. That is what YOU believe, but is not what all
professional web designers believe.

Yes that is what I believe. I didn't say anything about what others
might believe. What is your point?

Driving away customers that enjoy pizzazz is a fact you don't
understand.

Would a standards compliant website drive away customers that enjoy
pizza? Depends on the content, just as with any other website.

 

[Steve R.]

Marco Bakker wrote in message ...

There are also a lot of things I don't do professionally.
But that doesn't imply I have to screw up in those areas.

But if you are not a *pro* in those areas ...

How do *you* know you are NOT screwing up ?

Only a pro in *those* areas will know that :~)

 

[Whitecrest]

Yes that is what I believe. I didn't say anything about what others
might believe. What is your point?

Oh my bad, I assumed since you said "Professional web design" You were
referring to more than yourself.

Would a standards compliant website drive away customers that enjoy
pizza? Depends on the content, just as with any other website.

Can not agree more.

 

[Steve]

Sherrie, try using a ' what you see is what you get' website creation
program - I highly recommend Macromedia's Dreamweaver. If you can use a
newsgroup, your sure to be able to pick it up in no time.

Steve