Hello, I am new to this mailing list. I am trying again to build a web page on my free roots web space. I would like to know which is the easiest free program to use and any other information I should need to know to get me started on this project. Thank you Gracie.

Hi Gracie, Do you have any web Editor program in mind? I hear Expressions Web is good. Freepages also has a WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) Editor. Do you know how to write a basic page, or are you starting from scratch? Either way or in between, people here will help. Judy

Dear Gracie and Elizabeth, Remembering back to making my first webpage, I started off "by scratch". I followed tutorials to make one webpage. The barebones only has tags for head, html, and body...sounded fairly easy! Each is a section. But just the barebones makes a very plain 1990s webpage. Today, there are more tags and info that go in each section. From omissions of other 'tags' and my errors when using them, folks here on the list helped me learn what went where. Probably the best thing I did was mapping my website on paper. I outlined what folders I wanted and content I wanted to use (example: Deeds, Wills). It gave me ideas, helped me picture what it might look like. I spent a lot of time visiting free web design websites and collecting images for colors and 'do dads' like images for Home, Guestbook, etc. I learned what I liked, and about color pickers online. Eventually, though, it became too much (for me) to learn all by 'scratch'. I learn better by examples and being shown. Pat G. posted: I do here http://www.genealogy-web-creations.com/css-layouts/index.htm There are a number of template categories under that tab. My best suggestion is to take a look through Pat's designs. You'll learn from tutorials. But it will be much, much easier to start with a template AND to jump in feet first with Pat's CSS. (Trust me-- much easier!) Just look at layout first---how it looks, like 2 columns, 3 columns. Find a layout you really like. Don't worry for now about colors. Download the template and info. Save the URL. While looking at it online, write down in an email which layout you like, and items on it you don't prefer. For examples: How do I change Pat's colors to earth-tones? Or, how do I have triple borders around a webpage? Or, I like this design of Pat's but I want less (or more) space on the border. Those preferences can be changed later. For now, just find a layout. You'll need to pick a Web Editor. One that is WYSIWYG is easiest. (I have an old Frontpage2000 program but I don't know other Editors.) Rootsweb has a WYSIWYG but I've never used it. Once you get a Web Editor, you'll need to set up your website. * Make a folder called My Webs. ** Open My Webs (My Webs can have first letter capitals) and inside it, make a folder name that matches the name that Rootsweb uses, for example, genealogy. It must be lowercase. That will be your website on your computer. ***** You'll put Pat's template etc. into that folder. Also, inside the "genealogy" folder, make a folder called "images". Here are some things to remember. 1. Use lowercase letters for folder names and filenames 2. Use hyphens or underscores between words, not spaces. Don't use any symbols like apostrophes. Web pages cannot have symbols like what Windows uses. *** Try to use a consistent pattern for filenames, such as: white_1910.html white_martha-j_1950.html black_1911.html 3. Keep folder names short, like one word; But filenames can be longer 4. It is easier to make folders as you need them. 5. The very first page must be called either "index.htm" or "index.html" You can choose whether to use htm or html file extension, but you must then use always the same file extension on that website. (I used htm on one website, but now wish I used html on it. ) This is enough for now. Look at Pat's for a template you like. Look around the Web for images you like (jpg, gif). Google free+clipart or free+jpgs Right Click and Save As any pictures you might use on your website... for now, save them in one place. (As you need them, you can move the image into your website on your computer.) When you have decided on a program to use, and picked a template, write back and the list will help you get started. Can anyone help them with WYSIWYG editors? Judy

You might want to try eBay to find FrontPage 2003. That is the last one Microsoft offered. It is no longer supported. Personally I think that it would be beneficial to learn some HTML first before using CSS. I took classes on both and found that it helps to learn HTML first. I still use it and am quite happy with my results. There are quite a few free backgrounds available. If you use them you will have to give credit to the author. I would be willing to help you with some of it. Kind regards, Heidi Boos-Utley Email: [email protected] URL: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~heidisfamily ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----Original Message----- From: JFlorian via Sent: Tuesday, July 21, 2015 1:46 PM To: GE Burton ; [email protected] ; Elizabeth Howard Subject: Re: [FreeHelp] New Dear Gracie and Elizabeth, Remembering back to making my first webpage, I started off "by scratch". I followed tutorials to make one webpage. The barebones only has tags for head, html, and body...sounded fairly easy! Each is a section. But just the barebones makes a very plain 1990s webpage. Today, there are more tags and info that go in each section. From omissions of other 'tags' and my errors when using them, folks here on the list helped me learn what went where. Probably the best thing I did was mapping my website on paper. I outlined what folders I wanted and content I wanted to use (example: Deeds, Wills). It gave me ideas, helped me picture what it might look like. I spent a lot of time visiting free web design websites and collecting images for colors and 'do dads' like images for Home, Guestbook, etc. I learned what I liked, and about color pickers online. Eventually, though, it became too much (for me) to learn all by 'scratch'. I learn better by examples and being shown. Pat G. posted: I do here http://www.genealogy-web-creations.com/css-layouts/index.htm There are a number of template categories under that tab. My best suggestion is to take a look through Pat's designs. You'll learn from tutorials. But it will be much, much easier to start with a template AND to jump in feet first with Pat's CSS. (Trust me-- much easier!) Just look at layout first---how it looks, like 2 columns, 3 columns. Find a layout you really like. Don't worry for now about colors. Download the template and info. Save the URL. While looking at it online, write down in an email which layout you like, and items on it you don't prefer. For examples: How do I change Pat's colors to earth-tones? Or, how do I have triple borders around a webpage? Or, I like this design of Pat's but I want less (or more) space on the border. Those preferences can be changed later. For now, just find a layout. You'll need to pick a Web Editor. One that is WYSIWYG is easiest. (I have an old Frontpage2000 program but I don't know other Editors.) Rootsweb has a WYSIWYG but I've never used it. Once you get a Web Editor, you'll need to set up your website. * Make a folder called My Webs. ** Open My Webs (My Webs can have first letter capitals) and inside it, make a folder name that matches the name that Rootsweb uses, for example, genealogy. It must be lowercase. That will be your website on your computer. ***** You'll put Pat's template etc. into that folder. Also, inside the "genealogy" folder, make a folder called "images". Here are some things to remember. 1. Use lowercase letters for folder names and filenames 2. Use hyphens or underscores between words, not spaces. Don't use any symbols like apostrophes. Web pages cannot have symbols like what Windows uses. *** Try to use a consistent pattern for filenames, such as: white_1910.html white_martha-j_1950.html black_1911.html 3. Keep folder names short, like one word; But filenames can be longer 4. It is easier to make folders as you need them. 5. The very first page must be called either "index.htm" or "index.html" You can choose whether to use htm or html file extension, but you must then use always the same file extension on that website. (I used htm on one website, but now wish I used html on it. ) This is enough for now. Look at Pat's for a template you like. Look around the Web for images you like (jpg, gif). Google free+clipart or free+jpgs Right Click and Save As any pictures you might use on your website... for now, save them in one place. (As you need them, you can move the image into your website on your computer.) When you have decided on a program to use, and picked a template, write back and the list will help you get started. Can anyone help them with WYSIWYG editors? Judy ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message