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WAS BUILT WITH THESE TOOLS!

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(And a little more information for you)

Building a web page can be a truely frustrating experience.  If you have the resources but lack the time, I strongly suggest considering letting a professional service do this for you - especially if you want a lot of whistles and bells, like sound, forms, etc... or are working on a deadline!

During the first 30 days I of my web experience I researched and read more materials than I can remember ever going over for any final exam!  Just as I thought I had one bug or another worked out, a little, previously un-heard of word would crop up and render hours of effort for naugth!  One word to watch out for is "Firewall".  Call your service (or server) to find out if they contain these, and then watch out for the mention of them in the software you are planning to use.  Just as you are about to up-load hours of work is not the time to discover incompatibility!  Sigh ... you guessed it.  Voice of experience speaking!

The links I have provided below will lead you to some very friendly places to help you create your own web page(s).  I have spent hours stumbling around to find them.  They all worked with my system which was: a 486DX/66 with 8 megs of ram and Windows 3.11. Just a personal observation, but 16 megs of ram would have made my life a lot easier!  Oh, and a personal note (in case anyone ever feels generous and needs to buy me a present) my dream machine is: a Pentium 166 with; Windows '95, 32 megs of ram, a 4 meg video board, 6 speed CD-Rom, 2 gigabyte hard drive, 540 gigabyte slave drive, 28,800 Hayes modem, 16 bit sound card, and speakers. Santa, are you listening?

Well, enough about me, my trials and tribulations, and my wish list.  I hope these links help.  To follow them will be a little advise and wisdom (cough-cough) that I've learned along the way.  May your web page building be an enjoyable experience.  I hope I have helped.  Sincerely,  CJ

Update: Just to let everyone out there know, I created this section of my site back in 1995. I've kept it posted for three reasons: 1) As a sample of my (early) work and 2) those of us who have been on the Internet for a while tend to forget that there are still others who are starting out and 3)so others who are struggling with building web pages, or who wonder if anyone ever really stays on the web for any length of time! I've been here since 1994, and really enjoy working on the Internet and with my web clients. So if you are having doubts, remember, nothing works without personal commitment! CJ ~ 1999

On Line Services:

Local Services:  You might want to take a look at your local Internet services first. Don't be afraid to price compare! Some give you one e-mail address, some charge more, some have discounts if you pay 3 or more months in advance, most allow access 24/7 without extra charges. Always be sure to ask what their user to modem ratio is! This will tell you how much time you will or won't spend with a busy signal! If you are in or around the Spokane area, I suggest you try Panther Communications. Why? The owner is a great guy who goes out of his way to help his customers. The last thing you want to do is wind up with a service that treats you like a second class citizen once they have your money!

AOL (America On Line):  This is the service I signed-up with first. I continue to use it because there are a lot of great whistles and bells, plus a lot of great places to post your web site! The cost will run between $4.95 a month for BYOA (bring your own access - which is what I have now - I sign on with my local server and then access AOL when I need it) and $19.95 for unlimited direct access. Currently, you get up to 10 megabytes of free web page space - the draw back is that you get them in increments - 2 megs per sign on name.  The support is good and the software is free. It is like having an AOL Internet within the Internet.

SOFTWARE:

WEB WIZARD:  A quick, zippy little program that will put a simple page together for you.  Just fill in the blanks and there you go.  When I first started building web pages, I used this one to start most of them and then tweaked them in other programs.  I strongly suggest getting this one if you are just starting out. It creates simple pages, but for a starter, that isn't so bad!  It's free to down load but I urge you to register it if you use it.  You will need a "browser" with Web Wizard - another cliche` web word!  This simply means a program to see .htm or .html documents in (the technical name for web pages.)  Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Explorer seem to be the most common. You find them linked everywhere!  Even here.  (See below).

WEB FORMS:  Before I learned how to create forms on my own, I still needed to add forms to my pages and started to read about CGI scripts (which is worse than HTML language - computerese for the way you have to word things to get them up on the web) and I just about said "forget it."  Then I stumbled across Web Forms.  This is another type in the blanks program and the support people were great!  They helped me a lot, even before I registered my program.  Initially, the program is free to download, but I strongly urge you to register it and splurge for the "Professional Version."  Though I no longer use this program, it was a great learning tool. I'm sure you will be very pleased, especially if you have a lot of Q&A's for your pages. (Plus, they've added a lot of new software to their line!)

SOUND:

When I first started on the web, I spent a lot of time trying to get the sound up on the web. This was before RealAudio and some of the other advancements came along. There were a lot of options and yes, then, it could be done.  The trouble was, sound on the web was still in infancy.  There were (and still are) a lot of if you haves then you cans.  I found most of the details out after I did all the work. You may have noticed, if you heard "A Tell Of The Tale", that I used a .wav files, which must be downloaded to a player on your computer (saved to play locally.)  Sorry about that, but I there was really no way at the time to have it self play and there really was no other option.  That has changed, and when I have time, so will that page!  Until then, I hope the following helps:

CRESCENDO:  A wonderful program - the sound runs when you open the page - too cool! However, and this is why it did not work for me, you have to use a MIDI file.  (Another web cliche`)  A MIDI is actually music in tones (simplified definition so I can understand it!) and voice can not be made into such tones.  There are a lot of MIDI's for you to use.  You can buy them on software or download them from the web. Crescendo is a super program!  You have to have the PLUG-IN installed in your browser (ugh - more terms!)  A plug-in is a file that you stick in your browser's directory that will activate when you come across a certain type of file.  In this case, every time you come across a MIDI file on the web, Crescendo will play it for you automatically!  Check out some of their sample pages - it's free to download for personal use and starts at $10 to register for other purposes! Crescendo has a more sophisticated, upgraded version available now from the one that you see here, but I thought I would leave this in place for nostalgia's sake!

ASTOUND SOUND:  This program is toooooo coooool!  I was unable to use this because GNN (where this site was originally hosted) had firewalls and Astound Sound would not work with fire walls - yet.  A lot of that has been worked out. Oh well,  I found some great applications for it that I can use to make self contained presentations for customers.  Instead of sending out brochures, these customers can now send out self contained presentations to be played on their customer's computers!  Check out their sight - they have an animation program available, too! The parent name is Golddisk.   Like I said, toooo cooool!

SITES:

TRIPOD:  Don't miss out on this one!  Tripod is great!  Not only do they have a great web place, they give you FREE SPACE!  For FREE!  All you have to do is register to be a member and you get 100k of FREE WEB SPACE!  They also let you use their web page builder, animator and forms builder for FREE!  Or you can create your web page on your own and upload it to your FREE WEB SPACE!  The techs there are great, too.  You can tell by now I needed a lot of help and these guys did just that.  So if you are with a service or just a provider (one that only gets you to the web) check these folks out and grab yourself some FREE WEB SPACE!  Like this one (where this site was originally hosted, before it was moved to Magical Web . com); Egg Shell Sculptures - An Ancient Art Form. Oh, and did I mention?  Tripod is FREE! They two drawbacks are 1) your address will read something like http://members.tripod.com/~Engrave/ instead of yourname.com, and you will have to live with the pop up screen that advertises the sponsors who actually pay for your free web space!

Clockwatchers: This is new information! After a long search on the Internet for 'just the right host' I came across Clockwatchers. Have you ever seen the pizza commercial where the customer asks for extras and the response he gets is "Yep, but it'll cost ya!" Well, that is what you will find with a LOT of services out there. They sound good, especially because they are free or cheap, or because they are really expensive. Well, here's that needle in the haystack that you've been looking for! Quality service, more whistles and bells than you will probably need, lots of room, and low pricing! If you want the best, and you want it for less, go to Clockwatchers! Be sure to tell them MagicalWeb sent you! After all, you're buying your 'home' on the web, not a pizza!

BROWSERS:

NETSCAPE  NAVIGATOR:  There are several browsers available for download.  Netscape and Internet Explorer seem to be the most common. My preference is NETSCAPE. There is lots of on-line help information, versions and plug-ins available.  There's that word again, plug-ins.  Basically, these are programs that you load into "plug-ins" as per their instructions under Netscape Navigator's plug-in file.  Plug-ins enable you to view certain types of files, like sound files and animation files, without having to download them and play them later.  For example, if you run Windows, you have Waveole`!  You will find this file under winapplications on your hard drive.  If you copy waveole.exe into Netscape Navigator's plug-in file, when you go to the Journey Back To The Wild sound page, the file will play immediately (after you download it to cache`!)  Cache, another term!  This is just a temporary storage directory that should be cleared after every session, and shouldn't effect your system in any way except for space - so like I said - clear it after every session.

Netscape Navigator is developing a lot of software and plug-in applications that are used in building web pages.  You will see notations on web pages such as "this page is best viewed with netscape navigator."  This is almost like your TV screen having a little window on it saying "this program is best viewed with a brand new TV set."  The images are basically the same, but a lot clearer and in some instances, there are a few things on those pages that you can't see without Netscape.  Be sure to download the version / plug-ins that are right for your system!

HARDWARE:

ACECAD:  I could go on forever about this one!  (Like I haven't already!)

This product WILL LIBERATE YOU!   Step One:  Order Acecat II from Acecad;  Step Two:  Throw away your mouse and don't ever look back!  I had upgraded from a mouse to a track ball.  I liked it a lot better and felt more in control.  Then I happened across AcecatII.  I was skeptical.  Now, I would have fits if anyone tried to change me back!  O.K. Time to tell you what it is.  The AcecattII is a stylus pen.  Huh?  A stylus pen is a pen that acts like a mouse.  It interacts with a small tablet that replaces your mouse pad and you use it just like a pen! I was doing LOTS of graphics work in CorelDraw5 so I called Corel to ask if it was compatible with their program and guess what!?  The people at Corel use it! Great, for graphics, you say - ah - but I use it for my accounting system and everything else, too!  It's faster, more precise and tunnel syndrome is out the window!  I should mention comfort, too. Check this one out.  I am putting my reputation on it!  Oh, did I mention I did have a problem with it - and you're not going to believe this, but - I placed one phone call and they replaced it, FREE, next day air!

SOFTWARE: (OFF-LINE)

CORELDRAW5:  I use this program extensively!  I even used it to produce of .gifs.  Often I would obtain or create an image elsewhere and use CorelPhotoPaint (part of CorelDraw5 package) to convert it to a .gif file!  Oh, a .gif is one of a few image file formats the web will accept.  Corel makes super software, regardless of the version! Check out their site and be ready to be impressed! OK, they have CorelDraw9 now - and I have it. Guess what? I still like my version 5 best! Kind of like an old T-shirt - just too darn comfortable with it!

MSPUB:  (Microsoft Publisher)  I won't leave home without it!  Though MSPUB and Corel aren't real fond of each other, (they have gotten better) I use them together extensively.  I also use MSPUB to design a few of the newsletters that I do.  This has to be one of the most user-friendly programs I have used.  Check this one out - even us computer illiterates can look brilliant with this one!

PHOTO-PAINT:  This program came packaged with my little hand-held Mustek Scanner. It has tweaked images and acquired images for these pages and for our every day business use. Once you've played with it enough, you can look almost professional with it! Yes, one day when my computer grows up I hope to have a flat bed scanner, but since we are talking the difference of $130 and $500 - what can I say?

Wow, was this a long time ago or what! Yes, I used to scan with a little hand held scanner, and yes, it was a challenge! Now, you can shop around the Internet and find a decent flatbed scanner (with rebate) for as low as $49! Yes, I have a flatbed scanner now, and I wish everyone who used theirs would learn to set the size (not dpi) percentage at about 20%. When you scan in a photo, you don't have to do so at 100% of image size! This just creates a huge file. If you've been having troubles, try this. You will see a big (smaller) difference!

WORDS OF WISDOM:  (COUGH-COUGH)

This is kind of a summary of things I learned my first 30 days on the internet.  First of all, be patient with yourself.  Especially if you are unfamiliar with all the terms.  Use the Search Engines (sorry - another web word - Search Engines are tools that will look up words or sites for you, like Yahoo or Web Crawler.)  Search Engine s can do a lot of work for you, including finding software, definitions, help sites and places to post (advertise) your web site!  Second, don't be afraid to ask dumb questions.  Even the experts get lost from time to time.  And if you are anything like me, most of the time! One "search-engine" site to visit if you want to see most of the largest search engines available is Submit-It!  This service is great and it's FREE!  They list 12 search engines that you can either search with or submit your URL to!  Another great search/link-to site is The Junction ~ Links & Things!  I've just added a page called "Help U Link" and it's designed to do just that!  You will want to bookmark it!  Have fun!

If you are really serious about getting your page noticed - check out this site!

I've gotten them both - and the information is valuable. You won't get traffice to your pages through search engines if you are number 2,005 in a search that turns up 20,000 pages!

Icemall - Full Of Surprises

Check out other web pages and get an idea of what you would like to do.  Write down a "map" of how you want to design your web pages.  You can link them together on the web much like you staple them at home, but you use links to do so (words that tell where to go next.)  The programs I have suggested will install these for you, you just have to know what address (English for URL) to send them to!  For example, the URL of this page is:  http://members.gnn.com/MIntricat/Journey9.htm.  Excuse me a moment, that was a mouthful!  Basically, what that is - is the address of this page!  No big deal once you get the terms down.  Kind of like learning a second language.

Be careful!  There is a lot of neat software to download out there!  Read the download instructions, systems requirements and anything else you can find before making the decision to download!  It may be free, but you can make a mess of your files if you download something designed for Windows '95 or Mac when you are running 3.11!  (For example, that is.)  Also, I would urge you to print out the installation instructions and any other information that could be handy.  By the time you finish your web session and go back later to install the program there can be a lot you have forgotten!  Oh, and sometimes the files aren't named quite like you would expect, so be sure to write down the file names that you download and what program they will ultimately be called!   This will be a big help, especially if you download several files!

I hope I have helped in some small way.  You are welcome to e-mail questions to me, though I doubt I'll have great answers except maybe where you could look for the answers! Well, believe it or not, I've run out of things to say.  I will look forward to your e-mail and have a great journey!  Sincerely,  C. Delgado

P.S.  You can add a search engine to your own page - check it out at the end of this page! If you like, you are welcome to copy it and use it on your page. You are also welcome to link to this page - but let me know if you do so I can reciprocate.  NETworking - that's what it's all about, isn't it?

You can reach me by e-mail at: webmaster@magicalweb.com

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