Help needed building a web site.

[John]

I am not sure if this is the right forum to put this in but there doesn't seem a forum that this catergory fits into.

Anyway, I have always wanted to have my own web site but to be honest I haven't a clue how to go about it. I haven't any mates that know how to do it either so that is a no no as well.

Now that I have started doing DSLR photography it would be good if I can start having both my digiscoping and DSLR images placed in a web site so giving direct comparisons between the two disciplines. I also have a few European trip Reports, together with photos, that I would like to place there as well. In fact there are a lot of things I would like to do with a web site once I had one up and running.

I have an excellent looking program by Serif called WebPlus 8 that has quite a few templates on starting your own web site designs. Unfortunately I don't know how to use it.

I would love it if someone local to Coventry could spare the time and come and sit with me at my house and help show me how to use this programme. On top of that I would need advice on getting it onto the Internet. If anyone could it would mean that in the end I would have one designed and on the net. I can assure you also that WAB would get its banner on there somehow, something else I would have to be shown how to do it.

So, is there anyone out there that could help me please.

John

[lewisa]

I dont live near coventry but will be glad to help through the forum.

First and most important, because your main aim is for a gallery, you will be better off using an off the shelf gallery package rather than WebPlus.

The reason for this is that on an ongoing basis it will be infinitely easier to maintain, add images to, recieve comments, etc than a (most likely static) website you build yourself.

There are many free gallery packages available, the best (easiest to install, setup and maintain) in my opinion is Plogger.

The only issue with packages such as Plogger is that they are database driven (similar to this forum for example) so you will need to get a hosting package that supports this. You will sturggle getting this level of hosting for free (Im not aware of it anywhere on the web)


So in a nutshell - if you (or any other forum members for that matter) want their own gallery on their own website and are happy to pay about £100 a year to an ISP to cover the domain registration and hosting fees, then I will gladly provide detailed step by step guides on how to get everything up and running.

[lewisa]

Originally Posted by John

In fact there are a lot of things I would like to do with a web site once I had one up and running.

A quick note on this, there are free open source packages that cover virtually any aspect of content management, providing you have the database support with your ISP - this is the critical bit that on first ipression sounds complicated and scary, but in reality makes life a whole lot easier and isnt that difficult to work with

[John]

Originally Posted by lewisa

A quick note on this, there are free open source packages that cover virtually any aspect of content management,

What does that actually mean.

Originally Posted by lewisa

providing you have the database support with your ISP

My ISP is NTLWorld if that helps.

Originally Posted by lewisa

- this is the critical bit that on first ipression sounds complicated and scary, but in reality makes life a whole lot easier and isnt that difficult to work with

To me it does sound scary and to be honest actually means nothing to me, that is why I need someone to sit down with me to go through everything.

I have no clue about the terminolgy surrounding web sites so a lot of what you, and other members, say goes over my head. That is the major problem with me, grasping what anyone says in the written word and me then deciphering it into language I understand.

John

[lewisa]

What does this mean?

Content Management - software packages that you install onto a webserver to make the management of the content on the website easier. This forum is a very big content management system. The forum software makes it easy for you to post comments, moderate, etc. Once you have a database gallery package installed, adding images and maintaining it will be a very similar process to making a post on this forum.

Open Source - Software where the source code is open, and the package is freely distributed. Free software made in the open basically - in a sense the opposite of commercial.

So an open source content management system is a free piece of software that makes m managing content on a website easier.

My ISP is NTL

There are different types of ISPs.

NTL is your ISP who provides your home internet connectoin, they wont necessarily be the ISP that provides you web hosting and domain registration (although they probably can, I wouldnt recommend using them).

As a beginner, I would recommend using 1&1 Internet Ltd. for hosting and domains. There are better ISPs out there, but 1and1 probably make the first step into running you own website easier than any other ISPs. Their online management console is brilliant for beginners basically.

To me it does sound scary and to be honest actually means nothing to me, that is why I need someone to sit down with me to go through everything.

I have no clue about the terminolgy surrounding web sites so a lot of what you, and other members, say goes over my head. That is the major problem with me, grasping what anyone says in the written word and me then deciphering it into language I understand.

I wouldnt worry John. As long as you are willing to learn and put a little work in you will get there.

Dont get me wrong, you will not turn into a webdesigner overnight, and there will be lots to learn, but Im a firm believer that anyone can do it if shown and given some pointers.

As for 'sitting down and going through everything', thats difficult - I could install a gallery package and you could be adding images to it within about 20 minutes I reckon, but for me to get you to a level where you can do that yourself will not happen during a couple of Sunday afternoons.

If you (or anyone else) wants to go for it an try, you should view is a medium to long term thing, say getting the thing installed and working withing a couple of weeks, then having laying a design over it so it looks the way you want another couple of weeks, maybe even a couple of months.

In a worst case scenario, if you were to spend the money on hosting and a domain and after a couple of months of trying were still struggling, Id install a gallery for you myself.

[Beryl]

There are books on how to build a web site John. Firstly if you need your own web space. That , your servise provider may be able to help you with ,then you can use your package to build it page by page.
It's a little like word. you make a page and when you have built it you call it INDEX once launched other pages can have any title you like.
tiscali provide me with webspace in with my deal with them. I use Macromedia Dreamweaver to build and upload all my pages to my site. But I'm sure your Serrif will be just as good. As I said it might be a good idea to buy a book on How to Build A Web Site
Beryl

[John]

Originally Posted by Beryl

There are books on how to build a web site John. Firstly if you need your own web space. That , your servise provider may be able to help you with ,then you can use your package to build it page by page.
It's a little like word. you make a page and when you have built it you call it INDEX once launched other pages can have any title you like.
tiscali provide me with webspace in with my deal with them. I use Macromedia Dreamweaver to build and upload all my pages to my site. But I'm sure your Serrif will be just as good. As I said it might be a good idea to buy a book on How to Build A Web Site
Beryl

This is going to show you just how much of a duffer I am. I have got a book called Learn to use Web Sites. It is supposed to be a simple guide to mastering the art of building web sites. Great but I don't understand it. Mind you this book was published in the year 2000.

John

[Boddie]

Originally Posted by John

This is going to show you just how much of a duffer I am. I have got a book called Learn to use Web Sites. It is supposed to be a simple guide to mastering the art of building web sites. Great but I don't understand it. Mind you this book was published in the year 2000.

John

Throw it in the bin John. Its out of date. So will be the one published in 2005

[John]

Originally Posted by Boddie

Throw it in the bin John. Its out of date. So will be the one published in 2005

I couldn't understand it when I bought in 2000 so what chance have i got.

John

[lewisa]

Originally Posted by Boddie

Throw it in the bin John. Its out of date. So will be the one published in 2005

I dont think that necessarily holds true. For basic web design, i.e. page layout and formatting, the standard has barely changed since the HTML 4 specification was released in December 1998. Probably the onlysignificant change since 1998 was the intorduciton of CSS.

While the standard has been updated with HTML 4.01 and more recently XHTML, it isnt really necessary to strictly adhere to the minor changes made in the XHTML standard (although of course it is good practice to do so)

[Beryl]

Originally Posted by John

This is going to show you just how much of a duffer I am. I have got a book called Learn to use Web Sites. It is supposed to be a simple guide to mastering the art of building web sites. Great but I don't understand it. Mind you this book was published in the year 2000.

John

My youngest son (sofware Engineer by trade) bought me a book. 'Buld you own Web Site in a Week-End' Borrowed it a week later, I haven't seen it since. Then my second (Middle) son Technical IT consultanrt sent me a little book Called 'Dremweave An Introduction. with in a day I had my web site up and running. The book is a small DK called 'Dremweave An Introduction by Brian Cooper ISBN 0-7513-3359-X. (No software) It's a littl beauty.
I can't even read properly mind you maths and computers is a bit different to
Beryl

[John]

Originally Posted by Beryl

My youngest son (sofware Engineer by trade) bought me a book. 'Buld you own Web Site in a Week-End' Borrowed it a week later, I haven't seen it since. Then my second (Middle) son Technical IT consultanrt sent me a little book Called 'Dremweave An Introduction. with in a day I had my web site up and running. The book is a small DK called 'Dremweave An Introduction by Brian Cooper ISBN 0-7513-3359-X. (No software) It's a littl beauty.
I can't even read properly mind you maths and computers is a bit different to
Beryl

Did you have a dreamweaver programme though to use. I looked at the prices of that programme and it is very expensive to buy.

John

[Beryl]

Originally Posted by John

Did you have a dreamweaver programme though to use. I looked at the prices of that programme and it is very expensive to buy.

John

Yes. I have Macromedia studeo MX 2004 I also Hve the latest suit 9. I prefer to use MX2004 as I find changes difficult. Only costs £500 well worth the money though.

[lewisa]

Before you spend a fortune on Dreamweaver, Id try using Notepad for a while and hand coding very basic pages. Learn a little about how a page is put together, and then decide whether or not you need to spend the money on a serious package.

Books are good, but the web offers a better set of tutorials for the absolute beginner I reckon. There is a myriad of online tutorials. Proabably the most famous and best respected is HTML Goodies.

From the very top - Basic HTML: Introduction

They are pretty good for total beginners guide to HTML, work through them (full list of primers here) and you will be a long way towards achieving what you want.

[eeyore]

Originally Posted by Beryl

Yes. I have Macromedia studeo MX 2004 I also Hve the latest suit 9. I prefer to use MX2004 as I find changes difficult. Only costs £500 well worth the money though.

if you do use dreamweaver or similar the thing to remember is that sometimes less is more - understated and proffesional is the image you are looking for - you see way too many amateur built websites where the designer has used every effect going , lurid colours , strange fonts , rotating icons, trailing things linked to the cursor , you name it. But if you look at a well designed site it will be simple , nicely laid out, and only use one or two fonts and colours across all the pages.

a good move is to look at other websites and see what you like. for instance Oy has a nice one , as does Kev Lewis.

[speckled wood]

Originally Posted by eeyore

you can probably get a pirate copy off of bit comet or somewhere ( but thats very naughty and not something I'd ever condone )

if you do use dreamweaver or similar the thing to remember is that sometimes less is more - understated and proffesional is the image you are looking for - you see way too many amateur built websites where the designer has used every effect going , lurid colours , strange fonts , rotating icons, trailing things linked to the cursor , you name it. But if you look at a well designed site it will be simple , nicely laid out, and only use one or two fonts and colours across all the pages.

a good move is to look at other websites and see what you like. for instance Oy has a nice one , as does Kev Lewis.

As Eeyore says keep it simple only thing I will add is to make it load quickly too many sites that I have been to take 20 seconds or more to load usually I simply don't bother if it takes more than 5 to10 seconds.

[cherrybee]

Originally Posted by eeyore

if you do use dreamweaver or similar the thing to remember is that sometimes less is more - understated and proffesional is the image you are looking for - you see way too many amateur built websites where the designer has used every effect going , lurid colours , strange fonts , rotating icons, trailing things linked to the cursor , you name it. But if you look at a well designed site it will be simple , nicely laid out, and only use one or two fonts and colours across all the pages.

a good move is to look at other websites and see what you like. for instance Oy has a nice one , as does Kev Lewis.

I use Front page which comes with office.I didnt use a book just tried it out and played with it until I understood it.I am afraid my site has trailing cursers and flashing Titles but i like it and many others too.But mine is not professional it is my personal site about my home town.It has a lot of photos and some info on it.It needs updating with my newer better photos really but I am on here so much I havent got around to it.
Front page works and looks like Word so is pretty easy to use.I have a package with 1&1 which costs me £4.99 a month.You can use their website builder or build your own with a package.You dont have to learn HTML either with front page you just insert text,and pictures the same way as Word.Also 1&1 have introduced a page where you can upload straight to your web the same way we do it here.front Page also creates folders in My documents especially for web pages you create and folders for your photos.You can create folders for each page with the relevent photos in them the same way as you catalogue your own photos

[Beryl]

Front Page is fine if you ISP can use the Front page extention. tiscali is my ISP and it just won't handke Front Page.
Dream weaver works and looks like word too. But I guess it is up to the individual really

[Jane_Russell]

I use frontpage too and have my sites hosted with pobox.co.uk and they are really helpful, downtime is minimal and emails are quickly responded to. I have coppermine for managing photos although I don't really use it as much as I should and I was charged £30 to have it "installed".

I find dreamweaver quite difficult to use. I have it on my computer but use frontpage and notepad. I imagine my coding is not up to snuff -- but the sites work fine

It looks as though you'll get loads of help on here so good luck If I can help too, I will.

Jane

[DaiTheDragon]

John, first of all ignore hand coding. Get your self some web space and a domain name. You will have buy a domain name which will be the name of your site, but some company’s that you buy your web site off will give it free,
Get your self Dreamveaver my any means possible.
The place where I bought my web space also has something called Fantastico (free) that has loads of programs that you can put on your site such as a photo gallery with just a couple of clicks.
The place where I bought my site is
http://www.ukhost4u.com/
And I got the advanced package.

When you have done all that we can start building you a web site.

Dai

[Boddie]

What are you going to call your site John? I have thought about registering a domain name before now, just for the sake of it, but always got stuck at the name stage

[John]

Originally Posted by DaiTheDragon

When you have done all that we can start building you a web site.

Dai

Hi Dai

I have sent you a PM

John