I was a “wannabee.” I felt it was high time to learn to create these snazzy Web pages that everyone seems to be into. I felt it was time to get my own feet wet and develop a stylistic approach of my own that is in keeping with my reticent personality: attractive, colorful, but low-key, not too busy, and not flashing in your face.

Ever the philosopher, I can’t resist the temptation to ask the question “Why?” This leads to a nice long ramble in my chair in the corner in front of the fireplace, my back to the piano and the curtains open a little way to show me the starlit sky outside my parlor window.

Well, first, to participate is to understand much better. It is to appreciate all the more — and to find out what I, myself, do and do not like about the ways that other people do their thing. Second, it appears to be a skill in high demand, and what better way to sharpen my skills than to do it here and elsewhere, including for my favorite community service outlet? Who knows whether or when it will be an important investment in my career portfolio! Third, it’s — well, it’s fun, and it gives me a whole new way to express something of my reticence, something of my low-key-ness, something of the beauty I see in my world, an opportunity to share with you while you’re my guest in that spare chair there, sipping my fine tea with me. (Ask me about my tea sometime! It’s very carefully and lovingly made with only the finest ingredients. And it isn’t always oolong, either!)

Well, as you can see, I’m doing it now (back to the HTML subject now). That raises the question, How? Quite aside from publishing one’s creations (a process that used to depend almost entirely on how your ISP [Internet Service Provider] is set up to accommodate you, but now depends much more on your ability to ferret out deals that are good enough for you without overdoing it), you will need three things:

1. Something to say, and the ability to say it
2. A way of creating and editing the text file that contains your page
3. A knowledge of what the text in that file should be to work as HTML text

Something to Say

Well, I can’t help you very much with the first one! I had to take care of that all by myself, too. As you can plainly see, I succeeded admirably (probably too admirably).

A Way of Working

Essentially, an HTML page is a page of text. It's formatted by a series of tags which "mark up" the text, i.e., cause it to display in certain ways. Any simple text-file editor not having crushing limitations (e.g., file size limits) will do a fine job.

However, HTML tags, like all computer programming, tend to be fussbudgets for accuracy. Making sure that everything is matched up just so and free of typos is a job MUCH more easily done by your computer. I strongly suggest that you do a bit of research and obtain a dedicated HTML text editor. The whiz-bangs it offers will make your experience a lot more enjoyable.

Knowing What’s Going On: How to Do It

This may be the most difficult hurdle for many folks, as the conceptions involved aren’t immediately obvious. (I cheated — I have training as a computer programmer in the first place!) Not only that, but where on earth do you look, without having to ditch some $50 at your friendly local book shop? How do you find out how to do that nice whizbang, what’s tacky and what’s cool?

Getting such information can be rather difficult, to say the least. But it doesn’t have to be. So I did some poking about in little-known corners, in obscure and musty old libraries stashed quietly away here and there out in Internet-land. Here are a few resources that will help (hang on to your seat — it will take you WEEKS to read ALL this stuff!):

I strongly suggest you start at the BOTTOM of the list, then work your way up step by step from there toward the top, until you find that your needs have been filled sufficiently that the increasing time requirements outweigh the benefits of proceeding further. Another note: Not all the really good stuff is right on these pages I’m pointing to above. For some of it, you’ll have to use some of the links you’ll find on those pages to pull up some of the juicier details you’ll surely need. Just make sure your printer has PLENTY of paper and ink available. A lot of this stuff is well worth printing, so you can wear out your thumb riffling through it to look up this and that as you proceed. Believe me, in those pages and their immediate links, you’ll find enough training for a true professional.

Well, I guess I’ve said enough for now. Probably more than enough. Have fun, and I’ll see you online!