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Getting Started
The web
is constantly growing with new pages coming up all
the time. Why not have your own then? Here's where
we'll get started getting you or your youth group on
the web. Experienced HTML'ers can skip this section.
Assuming
you already know why you want a website, you already
have an idea of what you want to do. You'll want to
find free web space ,which is very easy to do. Take a
look at the Free Webspace section.
You've
found a place to store your site...you're ready to
start creating. Web pages are "coded" in a
language called HTML, or Hyper Text Markup Language.
It's a fairly simple language to learn, but for some,
it can be combersome. Because of this, you can use a
page builder. Many places that offer free web space
offer these programs as well, including AOL,
geocities, etc. If you have Windows 98, you'll find
FrontPage Express on your computer, which is an
excellent choice. These editors let you concentrate
on designing the look and feel for your site, without
all of the coding worries. Whether you're using the
page builder or coding the HTML yourself, you'll find
many of the resources you'll need for learning these
tools here in the Tutorial section.
Now we
have a good start on how to code and work the
editors, so let's start thinking of design. You'll
want to treat it somewhat like a school report, with
more creative freedom. Have a heading, a body, and an
ending. Say what you like to do, hobbies, clubs
you're in, whatever else you want. One sure way to
get your friends to come is to have a "My
Friends" section with their names and
personality descriptions. People love coming to a
site and seeing their name! For youth group sites, a
popular option is to include your member's names
(first is fine), along with a couple-sentence
"description." Whatever else you want to
do, do it...it's an artistic outlet...try to make it
creative.
You've
now done most of the work...now you want graphics!
So, either you can download a free graphics program
like Paint Shop Pro and make your own (check out the
tutorial section for tips on graphics creation), or
find some good-looking free, graphics. You can find
links to great free graphic sites in the Free
Graphics section. Either way, try not to load your
pages with huge graphics...you want them to look
good, load fast, and have a purpose.
The
site has stuff all about you and your friends, nice
looking graphics, but no one is coming to see it. No
one knows it exists! One way is to tell your friends
about it. Other ways include submitting your site to
the search engines, trading links with other people's
sites, banner trades, including the web address to
your site in your e-mail signature, and the list goes
on. Check out the Promotion section, and you're on
your way to webmasterin'!
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