Electronic Media
Published: 05-06-96


NUTS & BOLTS;BUILDING A WEB PAGE NOT AS HARD AS IT MAY SEEM        


By - Joe Fedele 


In March, I gave you an Internet primer. This month, I'll tell 

you what you need to know to set up your own World Wide Web 

sites.


Making your own Web page doesn't require any real high-priced 

equipment.  Most of what you see on the Web can be put together 

on a laptop computer.


The first step is to get an account with an Internet 

provider-and no, I don't mean Compuserve or Prodigy.


While companies such as Compuserve will give you access to the 

Internet, they are not the place to store your Web pages.


Internet providers generally offer you an e-mail address and a 

set amount of disk space on their system for you to store and 

access your information.


My site, for instance, costs me $25 per month. This includes 10 

megabytes of disk space, an e-mail address and access to the 

Internet.


Your station or business, however, may require more space. Most 

Internet providers will provide you with a rate card detailing a 

range of options.


The next thing you will need is HTML  editing software. HTML 

(which stands for hyper text markup language) is the common 

language used in programming text and graphics on the World Wide 

Web.


Aside from your local computer store, some of the best software 

on the market can be found and downloaded directly  from the 

Internet.


In fact, many software companies will allow you to use their 

software on a free trial basis. Look on the Internet at 

www.shareware.com for software.


Finding an HTML editor is very much like choosing a word 

processor-each has its own pros and cons. My advice is to 

download several and see what's right for you.


Now comes the hard part: designing the look of your page. Some 

budding graphic artists may think that this is the easiest part. 

But remember that too many graphics can work against you.


One of the biggest complaints I hear from people surfing the 

Internet is that they have to wait too long for graphics to 

download.


I personally avoid, and surf right past, graphics-intensive 

pages. So my advice is not to discourage anyone from browsing 

your Web page by adding graphics that serve no real purpose.


If you intend to use photographs, you will have to either 

purchase a scanner or pay to have them scanned. Most graphics 

can be made using simple paint programs.


The good news is that you don't need a degree in computer 

science to make your own Web page.


The bad news is that it takes a lot of time and a great deal of 

patience to fully master the process.


If this sounds like too much hassle, don't fret. There are 

plenty of Internet consultants out there who will charge you 

upward of $3,000 to do the dirty work.


Still need more information? Just drop me an e-mail. 

Advice-generally-is free!