To create websites first you must understand the basics.
When you look at a web page with your browser you see a page with colors, text and pictures layed out in some order.
The web browser you use (example Internet Explorer, Netscape and Firefox) goes to a web server, requests a web page
and interprets the computer language the web page is made of. In turn you see the website the way someone has designed it to look on your browser.
To get an understanding what code looks like, use your mouse and right click on a web page. A menu will come up, click on "view source". Or in your toolbar
click on the "view" button, then click on "source". A new window will open up. What you see is the code someone has used to make their site look the way it does.
Like humans, computers have different languages too. What language a person uses to make their site depends on preference, what they need it to do and the type of server.
In truth there are options if you think this is too much for you to take on. A blog is one option. There are many servers that offer
free places to put your blog. Blog stands for Web Log, and is defined as a web page that serves as a publicly accessible
personal journal. Blogs are very user friendly. Requiring no knowledge about computer codes (which probably explains their growing popularity).
You simply type in the information you want to add. You can add pictures, links to other sites or whatever you want using a premade format supplied by the server. It's as simple as sending an email.
In fact I thought one of the main blog site (myspace) looked exactly like composing an email...simple enough.
Blogs have limitations though. For example your usually confined to one page, content may be restricted along with how much storage space you have. Free sites often place ads on your page (which
is what allows them to offer the service for free).
Another free option is servers that offer free website space that use templates, just as user friendly to use as the blog forms.
Sites like Angelfire offer free blogs, photo albums and websites that use tools that do the coding for you. The major downside
again is the small size your allotted. For example, the photos on this site would need about 5 Angelfire free websites to fit on.
They also have a lot of ads (including popup ads which most people find very annoying).
Many pay sites (meaning servers you pay to host your website) now offer
website making tools that make it easy to put a site together, without knowing how to code. The downside to this is you have minimal control over what your site looks like. Think of it as a paint by numbers picture.
The server supplies the picture your going to paint, you decide what colors you want to use. Where if you design your own site you not only decide what colors to use but what the picture is.
This is the only option for someone who wants something that stands out, a unique website. This would be especially important
to me if I had a business website, or something else dependent on the amount of web traffic my site received.
Decide what your site is for, ie the content. Is it a place for you to post personal photos or videos? Maybe all you need is a free photo/video hosting server.
Is it a place for you to let friends and family know that little Johnny got his first tooth? Maybe all you need is a free blog space.
Or maybe it's a business site with specific needs. Once you decide what you want, then you would decide where to put it. What server you choose will be based on your needs. If
more than one server can meet those needs then it will probably come down to price.
If you decide you don't want a cookie cutter website, you have options. You could pay someone to make one for you or learn to do it yourself.
If you decide to take this on there are many sites that offer help on the topic.
On my "Web Links" page I have many links to help you begin. There are links to free video/photo hosting sites, links to
programs such as Crimson Editor and Filezilla (which are tools for the physical part of website making). Many links to tutorials.
Links if your looking for art to add to your site. Be aware of copyright and licensing issues when using art obtained online. Usually this isn't a problem for personal use but you should always double check. Links if you want to add a forum or music to your site.
There are also books available on the topic, people willing to offer guidance on forums (or maybe even people you know offline).
There's also looking at code source to try and figure out how someone coded something. Don't use viewing source to copy someone's site, not only may it be illegal (if it's copyrighted, licensed or trademarked material)
it's disrespectful to the designer. It's like plagiarizing an author. There are also links to templates if you plan to go that route.
Most free templates offered online can be used for personal use (with the requirement that you credit the designer on your site). However it's always best to double check that there are no other issues.
ARTWORK:
You may find that you want to add pictures to your site.
If your looking for clip art (this is any non-animated ready to use illustration) and your using Windows, one place to look is Microsoft Works. They
have many pictures stored for use in the craft section. I'm including a folder of "old fashioned" looking clip art. These could be used online or printed for crafting with.
Even though these pictures are available for personal use, keep in mind most artwork will require licensing to use commercially.
Old Fashioned Clip Art Gallery
I'm adding some gifs I've collected over time. Some are animated others are still. Gif simply refers to the type of file the picture is. Gifs are
often used online because of their lower resolution that takes up less storage space.
Same as the clip art be aware that some of these images are copyrighted and require licensing to use.
Gif Collection Gallery
Check out my Web Links page for links to more pictures and picture related sites.
You'll find links to some of my friends artwork.
Web Design/Art: