How to start a website

[computer_netwiz]

Hi

I'm all new to this and i was wondering if any one knew where i could go and find a Free Web site to start up. I have tried yahoo but it's too confusing.

thanks :N

[Jeff]

I'm not sure exactly what you're asking, but give Google a try:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=learn+html&btnG=Google+Search

or

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=basic+html+tutorial&btnG=Google+Search

[Jeff]

Also the AOTA tutorials are very good and you'll have lots of use for them later once you get started and have specific questions. But some are also on topic for your very first moves: http://www.aota.net/HTML/planning.php4 and http://www.aota.net/HTML/htmlcode.php4

P.S. And if you're looking for templates, search for html templates or web site templates in google and you'll find some, but consider creating your own first so your site will be unique.

[Wassercrats]

I bet computer_netwiz is looking for a free web host that provides templates and tools to make building a website easy, but I don't know what host to suggest.

[Andilinks]

free web host that provides templates and tools The only one I know about is http://www.bravenet.com/ and while I have no firsthand experience with them I know one person who has had a website there for more than a year and doesn't complain... Sort of a lukewarm recommendation, but better than none, Bravenet does have a big website with lots of resources.

Andi

[Jeff]

Without knowing your objectives, I still say if you're going to spend the time to do it, do it right from the start. Learn basic html and start learning to code, get a real hosting account, and build a site which will make people say "wow!" when they visit.

[computer_netwiz]

Hey there

thanks for the quick repsones for this topic. I should of explain more in the posts the stuff i want.

I'm after a site that is free and that provides templates and tools.

thanks :N

[Jeff]

39 different PageKits (free web templates)
http://www.elated.com/pagekits/

~300 free web site templates
http://www.freewebtemplates.com/

Jimworld's Free Website Templates
http://freesitetemplates.com/

Freelayouts
http://www.freelayouts.com/

There are literally thousands of templates, free and low cost, if you simply go to www.google.com and search for "free website templates" (the above are simply from the first page of results from google...)

[TVB]

Netwiz,

Often, ISPs offer some free personal webspace (not much..."some") along with templates to build from. You might try with your ISP if you only want simple as a learning point and don't need much support (famous last words....LOL...I fondly remember my first website. It's still up %) )

Betsy

[Jeff]

That's right - I remember a few years ago there used to be geocities.com, tripod.net, and homestead.com, but it looks like tripod.net is dead and homestead.com ditched all their free customers a while back... in my mind it's not worth it to save a few dollars to display all their ads all over your page, but maybe an option and there must be others...

[Wassercrats]

I got my start with Homestead. They were the best, but then they eliminated customer service for their free customers and I think they eliminated one of their services without warning, but I forgot which one. Maybe cgi. The one thing about them that I miss, which I've never found in another host, is that the size of the editing field in their control panel was adjustable. I've tried several hosts after Homestead, and I never even found one with a sufficiently large, nonadjustable text editor.

Well, now that I think of it, I remember one being too large for a 640 x 480 monitor, but that caused scrolling problems.

[TVB]

I started on earthlink. Then I wanted my own domain name... Then I wanted my space...

Eventually I moved up to what was their starter site, mostly because I wanted a domain name that was mine. I forget what the traffic allowances were, but then they upped it one day (I have no clue why or how) to something wild like 32 GBs traffic a month and like 500 Mbs storage. I still pay for it because it is $10/mo. I can't fathom giving up the space should I ever need it for that price. Ironically, it's always there when I take a peek (not often)

Betsy
--Hmmmm....I wonder if I could stream video out of it. The URL would be odd, but it could work.:hrmm:

[Andilinks]

If you already have an AOL account that is a good place to begin a free website, but they will mess with your code as you upload it, making odd changes.

AOL has an odd deal. I had a website there and cancelled the account that created that website at the end of May 2002. It is still up!!

http://members.aol.com/ALSAUX/ap7.html

I have not paid a dime on that account in over a year. I put my current web address on it before I quit and I still get referrals from it because it is indexed by Google! I think AOL has a datacenter somewhere happily whirring away but covered in cobwebs. Huge bureacracies are strange things indeed.

There's a javascript on the page that shows the correct date, but the year must be manually changed so today is rendered Saturday June 7, 2002.


Andi

[TVB]

Dear Andi,

Please send remittance today for 15 mos of hosting....

Yea...I bet AOL would do that one day.

Betsy


Shsssssssssssssssssss...Lest someone hit the right key on the billing machine...

[sheila]

I had an ISP called "Whole Earth" quite a few years back, and that was where I set up my first web site (the typical "included with your ISP package" type of thing...except a fair amount of space...)

Anyhow, when we changed ISPs (to get DSL service) I set my email address with them to forward to my new account. It continued to forward to me for well over a year. At some point, after their ISP was bought out for like the third time, someone sent me an email about my billing. LOL! I told them...uh...I cancelled the account xx months ago.

Anyhow, was just funny that they contacted me soooo many months (18 months?) after I'd quit with them. Was glad when they finally cancelled it, as the final year of that arrangement, that account forwarded nothing but spam to me. %)