Building your own bass fishing webpage

[Dan]

I have looked at a number of your web pages that you have for fishing and they look great. What programs have you found that are easy to use and do a good job. I have just been using an old manual and writing html code. I know there are easier and better ways and need to do some learning and spruce up my site.

[Cheetam]

What type of webserver are you using?  Depending on the server type, you have some cheap and/or FREE resources you can be using.

[djkimmel]

I started out ugly and have been slowly getting better as I learn more ways to customize and do specific things with html, php and java. I was using MS Word for building tables and graphical placement, but it is very 'expensive' in html code conversion.

Lately, I've been using a free open source product called Nvu that is graphical with an easy switch to html mode. I use the graphical and html mode quite a bit. It is an early program yet and it doesn't like some of the things I'm doing with my advertising links, but I've been able to work around it.

It's a much more economical program than Word, that's for sure. I've finally wised up and started using CSS files to streamline formats which provides even smaller files that load faster and use less overhead (bandwidth).

This forum is from SMF (http://www.simplemachines.org) and is in PHP (requires a MySQL database). It uses CSS, which helped me get familiar with the concept (along with an html programmer I work with - thanks Patrick). After I got done manipulating the PHP code to get this forum to look like a fishing forum, I've been using Nvu to convert the rest of my web site to a similar look in html (for now, maybe php someday). I've completed pages like my home page, search, advertising, glbsponsors and some others so far.

If you just want to give it a try because it is free (and small, simple to install, don't know if they have a Mac version though), you can get it at http://www.nvu.com.

I like the site wizard for advice and some free utilities to enhance a web site. He also has an Nvu tutorial that I ran through to get familiar with the product - very basic.

jcheetam probably has a bunch of ideas too.

[Dan]

To start off I understood about a quarter of what Dan was graciously sharing. Don't have a clue what type of server. I upload with Fetch an ftp protocol to Triton an ISP. All I do is type up what I want and make sure that I have it encapsulated with the correct html codes and then upload. The problem is I have to build everything by hand always reseaching html codes to set up the pages and tables. I know there are programs you can buy that will convert to code for you and was wondering what fairly "simple" programs someone like me in the novice category could buy to spruce up our teardropbass.com website.

[raisinrat]

you you have never built a page before. I would use Yahoo geocities. It is free and they host it for you. they have a webpage progrma to help you build it, very simple. if you can use word you can use geocities page builder.Here is a quick previe of what is left of an old site of mean. Go to www.geocities.com/raisinsmallies.  This page shoudl still work I had some other ones but they are no longer up. Check it out you'll like it.

[Roy Randolph]

Microsoft frontpage is your best bet

[DOWD]

I use dreamweaver, flash, and fireworks for most of my sites. I pay 45 per year for hosting and thats with the domain name registration.
I use to use frontpage, but dreamweaver blows front page out of the water.


www.bigwaterbass.com

[Roy Randolph]

I agree that dreamweaver is much better and I use it all the time but for what he's looking for frontpage is his best bet and cost a lot less

[djkimmel]

I suggested Nvu because it doesn't cost anything and will be a simpler choice to play around with to see how you like it. Most of the programs various ISPs provide are too simple and limited.

If I were going to buy a full-blown program, I'd probably lean towards Dreamweaver. A lot more bells and whistles. Nvu might be easier to start with to see if you'd like a graphical program. Nvu has a simpler learning curve and isn't as complicated as Frontpage.

Nvu has a built in FTP publishing function too. It works okay if you have a simple web site design with all the files in one directory, or two at the most.

Otherwise, build the pages in Nvu, and then use an FTP program to upload them to your web space separately. I use FileZilla - similar to Fetch.

Dan, you can take your existing HTML and open it in Nvu. Then you can edit it graphically. You want to work on a copy, not the original html document. You may be better off creating a new design in Nvu as far as tables for placement, and then you can copy sets of html code from your original into this new version in html mode.

So if you had a table column you created graphically in Nvu, you go into html mode and copy your actual content html (text, pictures)  between the two table column definition codes: <td></td>

I'm sort of a programmer. Haven't done it full for very long ever and I don't know any of the real common languages well, and maybe that is why I've always believed you don't create new what you can beg, borrow or steal so I often look at the source code of other people's pages to get ideas. So I don't actually copy their code, and I never take their graphics and things without permission, just the structure to build upon.

[Cheetam]

If you do not have a domain name that you are using and are simply looking for a place to put your personal web page, there are a number of FREE hosting services...some with ads (either links or banner ads) and some without banner ads or links.  These same hosts will allow you to transfer any domain name you own, but it will cost you some money if you do this.  I have been looking at a number of them lately, and I have run across one called Awardspace (www.awardspace.com).  You may be wondering why I am bringing this up...well, here's the thing:  there are a number of "open source" initiatives available to you if you have the right webserver, with the right supporting technologies...Dan's board is the perfect example.  SimpleMachines has made this bulletin board software available as "open source", and you can download it, use it, make changes to it, etc...all for free.  BUT, there is some small print (well it's actually an agreement) associated with "open source" applications...most of which won't apply to casual users like you and I.  But, I do recommend you read it...just in case  .  Awardspace.com (as well as a number of other free hosting sites with php and mysql) are perfect for hosting "open source" applications that will allow you to login to your website, make any changes to it, etc. without a lot of time and effort...AND they are very professional looking.  This type of software/application is known as a "Content Management System".  It allows you to create and update "content" to a website and manages your content in a database (Mysql).  Here is a link to an exceptional resource for "open source" Content Management Systems...as well as other "open source" programs for e-commerce, blogs, wikis, knowledge management, learning management etc:  http://www.opensourcecms.com/

I have downloaded, installed, and messed around with probably 80% of the "open source" programs on this site and can recommend some of the easier to install (this is where it can be a little tricky...but once it's installed it becomes pretty simple) Content Management Systems if this looks like something that will work for you.  Let me know if you have any questions...I know I would 

[Dan]

Thanks guys. I always impressed with the knowledge base at this forum.

[djkimmel]

jcheetam, if you didn't catch it, Dan is talking about his www.teardropbass.com web site for the Tear Drop Bass circuit. Sounds like he has web space already through Triton.

[Cheetam]

jcheetam, if you didn't catch it, Dan is talking about his www.teardropbass.com web site for the Tear Drop Bass circuit. Sounds like he has web space already through Triton.

I missed it...been running around chasing rug rats all day and evening and peeking in on the forum during the breaks in action 

[djkimmel]

one word - benadryl (the easy 'babysitter' tool)

[Cheetam]

one word - benadryl (the easy 'babysitter' tool)

Nyquil works pretty darn well too...

[yukonjack2]

reserving the rights for a new product - sleep spray!