In the Beginning...

There are trillions (or something like that) of websites on the internet that teach about, well, making websites! I'd like to make a list of them so I'll have a place to refer to when I want to get started or if I get stuck (or if I get stuck when I want to get started.)

When I planned on making "that" website--you know the one, The-Website-I-Never-Made, I wasn't sure where to begin in finding online help. I mean, what search term do you type into Google for "website"? (Try it and be surprised! I'm not talking about the sponsored ads. Educate me here, and tell me, just how do, "Avis Rent-A-Car.com" and "BestWesternHotel.com" appear at the top of the results list when you do a simple search for "website"?)

Okay, so here I was fumbling around looking for a place to get started. Luckily for me there were lots of distractions, interruptions & favorite t.v. shows, which enabled me to partake of my favorite pastime: procrastinating!

But as it always does, stress came a poundin' on the front door. And it delivered to me a crushing reminder of the imminent deadline for finishing this project. Yup, there's nothing like a little pressure. Or heaps of it.

With that gentle prodding (beating on the head), I finally sat down at the computer to get this thing moving along. I didn't know anything about making a website, I was starting at Kindergarten level. However, the very first lesson came to me very quickly. That lesson was this: I was doomed! How does a person with no experience whatsoever just start doing this? I didn't even know what terminology to type into the search engine so I could find the sites to teach me, well, things about that terminology! Yeah, folks, I was as clueless as a rap singer trying to follow sheet music!

I did have one thing working in my favor. I knew exactly what I wanted on this website. Mine would have a clear focus, an exact purpose. That's often a challenge for some people. They know they want to make a website ('cause, you know, making websites really is fun!), but they don't have a clue about what to put on it! Heck, I recently came across a site that had been worked on for a year and a half, but the dang thing still had no central theme! Oh, uh, come to think of it, that was MY website!

Well, ah, would you believe me if I told you that I did that on purpose to use as an example of what NOT to do when making a website. Yeah, that's it! Please keep it a secret. I'd prefer not to see it at the top of the list, the next time I surf on over to
www.websitesthatsuck.com

So, guess what I just did. It's 3:00 a.m. and I was supposed to be learning about beginning this website! Could this blog entry be...just another distraction? Hey, I'm weak, what can I say? Is there a procrastinator's support group around? I'll start going next month.

For now, I have to get some sleep. I have big plans for tomorrow. With money in hand, I'm going to be waiting outside the local high school at closing time, watching for the first techie-looking teenager that comes out of that building. We can't all be great webmasters, you know--delegating is a skill too!

Horizontal Reference

Until now I've only made boring, regular, grey horizontal lines across the page (although, I do really like them!)

But I wanted to practice making a few different ones; colors, sizes...

I read this on www.htmlgoodies.com
By the way, I bought the book of the same name, by the same author. Good stuff! Worth the money!



Changing the width:

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Aw, forget it, it's 11:30 at night and I'm tired! Here are some colored lines, though.

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Hey, Making Lines is Fun!

I Wish I Wasn't Tired Right Now!

In Ever Made

I'm off to a bad start!

Yeah, that's right, I've screwed up already--in my very first step! Not a good sign. Not good at all, nope! But let's have a laugh on me, then continue moving onward, shall we?

In case you didn't spot it, here's the error.
My blog is entitled "The Website I Never Made"
The URL could be read as "The Website In Ever Made"

Since I have absolutely no shame whatsoever (and since I'm also not going to show this website to anyone whatsoever) I'll 'fess up the truth. I actually read about, and had a great laugh over, this very situation just a few weeks ago! Some of us really don't learn from others' mistakes; we like to personally experience the screwing up part for ourselves before we can truly appreciate the lesson.

Fortunately my mistake is innocuous, unlike some of the examples in that article that I read. And what's worse is that those were commercial sites!

Imagine this. You have a business that sells pens. Your fine company is named, Pen Island, so of course, you call your website, what else...penisland.net?

Good, I see my plan worked. The focus is off me, and you're all laughing at Penis-Land.

Here is where you can find that original article about the unintentional worst domain names ever.

Incidentally, there's a lot of interesting stuff sprinkled throughout SmartBro's site, including some little known techie tidbits. Look around a bit while you're there. You'll learn some fun little computer secrets. I did. (I just need to remember them--like naming websites.)

The Purpose of This Blog Is...

Maybe it would help if I read the directions. Nah, I never do that. Instruction manuals ain't my thing. I'm too impatient.

What I'm trying to say, but am not doing a very good job at saying is...I don't have a clue as to how to change the order of my blog posts. Maybe it's not possible! Specifically, regarding this message I'm currently typing, I'd like to explain the purpose of this site, but...the explanation would soon scroll down to the bottom and be pushed out of sight and into the archives as other posts take their place at the top! I wonder if I can permanently stick it at the top of the page.

Yet another thing to figure out.

I'll write this site's purpose soon. Very, very soon.