Webmastering 101
All webpages on the Internet use a programming language called HTML, or hypertext markup language.
Webmasters use html because many different kinds of computer operating systems can understand the programming language -- what cybernerds call "cross platform." However, some systems see html a little differently than others, so it's a good idea to preview your web pages on different computers with different kinds of browsers to make sure that your jazzy rust colored background for the Austin football page doesn't look pink on a Mac computer that uses Internet ExplorerŽ as a browser. More on this later in the tutorial.Hypertext: Information technology consisting of individual blocks of text, or lexias, and the electronic links that join them (definition courtesy of George Landow).
You don't have to learn how to program in html to put together spiffy web pages (although you may eventually want to learn it). Microsoft FrontpageŽ or Adobe DreamweaverŽ will write the programming code for you. You DO have to learn how to use the program, however. While this tutorial presently guides you through setting up a web page using Frontpage (mostly because it's a lot like Word, which almost everybody knows how to use), Microsoft, in its infinite wisdom, has decided to stop selling or supporting Frontpage now that Office 2007 has been introduced. By next fall, this tutorial will explain how to design a web page using Dreamweaver.
Creating successful web pages requires you to use all the skills you've learned in English, in art, in music, and in math (!). Your audience will find your message less reliable if your text contains spelling and grammatical errors. They'll lose interest if your text is unclear. They'll be confused if your graphics, color schemes, and font types don't relate to what you're talking about. They feel safe if there's some consistency to all the pages on your web site.
So pick a project for your first web page, organize your notes, and begin your exploration!
Last update 2/24/07