Preparing for the Web

I read chapter one in the class' text book Creating Web Sites. The Missing Manual by Matthew MacDonald. Chapter one focuses upon "Preparing for the Web". I learned about the history of the Internet which I found extremely interesting because it was used expressly for exchange files for academics and the government. That is exactly when I first encountered the Internet myself in an academic setting. In 1989 when I began attending The State University of New York at Buffalo (UB) a friend, who was an engineering major, recommended that I should set up an email account so that I could keep in touch with other students and friends at other universities. I really loved being able to email. They also instant messaging at the university which I thought was really cool. I met other people at the university that way. One friend even met her husband on a chat group from another university in New York.

I never really thought about the difference between the Web and the Internet. Now I realize that I have been using the Internet long before I surfed the Web. That the connections I utilized at the computer labs at UB and then at the State University of New York at Binghamton (SUNY Binghamton) were a new and exciting way to share information with other people at other computers at my universities as well as other universities. Searching the world wide web did not come into play until I used my computer to sign on with the service provider AOL in 1994 or 1995. Back then I found going online so much fun that I would spend hours just exploring.

I read about web browsers used to navigate web pages. One thing that really made an impression upon me is the need to test out web sites that you have created in numerous types of browsers to ensure that your site looks relatively the same in each browser; that a web designer needs to focus upon how the user is able to view the site properly. This differs from say, creating print materials for an organization where it is very clear how a page looks and will look the same to everyone.

The standard web browser is Internet Explorer however some other popular browsers include Firefox and Opera. Unfortunately Netscape Navigator, which I remember using quite often in the mid 1990s, has been fazed out.

I learned how using a web server is used to host a web creators web site so that others can view the site. This is very important since otherwise nobody can view your web site.

The different types of web sites were then described:

• Personal Web sites- about yourself
• Blogs- which are online diaries and I am currently using one.
• Resume sites- to showcase your job skills and pass along to possible employers.
• Topical sites- focusing upon subjects of interest to one such a writers forum and guides to book discussions.
• Event sites- which are temporary sites for a specific event like a wedding. Many of my friends and family have done this for upcoming weddings. They list things such as gift registry information and directions to the wedding ceremony and reception.
• Promotional sites: which are used to publicize a product or service.
• Small Business (e-commerce sites): to make money from a product or service. This is more of a small scale venture.

I noted how it is very important to know exactly the purpose of your web site, so that you can best design your site for its intended audience.

When designing the site I learned it is important to take into consideration that computer monitors differ in terms of resolution. This creates problems for users with smaller screen resolutions since portions of the site can be cut off for these viewers. Also, colors can be reinterpreted by monitors unable to support certain colors creating an unappealing color on your site. Non-standard fonts many be substituted on a users screen creating a look that is unintended by you as web designer. Larger graphics may take a really long time for users who are using slower connections to the web. Plug-ins, movies, and browser-specific limit who can view your site and benefit from it. As much as I like being creative, I really need to keep these facts in mind when I begin my web site.

I learned that I need to stay simple when creating a web page. It needs to be easily readable for others, logical in that is remain consistent in its layout and suitable to the needs of the intended audience.