COMPUTER DUMMY MAKES GOOD
Written: Jun 19 '00
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: A peach to use by us dummies
Cons: WHY DID IT TAKE ME SO LONG?????
|
|
|
| susidee34's Full Review: Microsoft Notepad |
While browsing through the HELP section in AOL, trying to figure out how to link a thumbnail in a web page - DUH - I ran across "How to make a web page in AOL". Ok, for all you computer technies out there, this may seem like a joke, but for the rest of us people, this is a serious tool. I like making web pages for people. Some don't have the time and some don't even have my limited skills.
The thing I discovered in this "How to...." page was Notepad. Available everywhere in your friendly Windows program FOR FREE! Now why didn't someone tell me about this sooner?
With Notepad I was able to design an entire web page in about 6 hours as opposed to the three days (and lost information) I had previously spent with a similar page. Granted, these are small pages, only approximately 30 graphics, four midis and a few pages of text. And, granted, I already had the graphics downloaded, as well as the midis, before I started the page - but if you only knew how much time I have spent slaving away in total stupidity when Notepad (or Wordpad for some of you guys) was silently sitting there waiting to be discovered.
Previously I have used Easy Designer and Homestead - both designed with the computer illiterate in mind and both of which I found restrictive. With Easy Designer the load factor to edit an existing page takes too much time for this impatient girl, and there is that AOL boot off factor to be considered! Plus, I wasn't always happy with the way the final lay out in the page looked.
With Homestead - designed for the TRULY illiterate - you must work through I.E. or Netscape. And inevitably it locks up your computer ..... grrrr ..... you can't even CTRL/ALT/DELETE, you must physically turn the computer off. Not the healthiest thing for you or the computer. And although they had some nice features, they were even more restrictive in choices than Easy Designer.
With Notepad you design your web page offline. You create a separate folder in your "C" drive (or whatever your hard drive is) to assemble all the materials you need. At any time, you can view your web page in progress by clicking on the I.E. icon in your web page folder. You can move graphics to your web page with a few simple HTML commands that you enter in Notepad, as well as sounds and backgrounds.
Of course, you have to already have the graphics, etc., you want somewhere in your computer. If you are talented for artistic you can design your own backgrounds or graphics, but I prefer to go to those web sites that offer free downloads and there are a blue million of them out there. Please ‘borrow' only the graphics that we designated freeware, otherwise you are stealing someone else's hard work.
After completing your web page in Notepad you simply (said tongue-in-cheek) hop onto - in my case AOL - and upload your page into a little place known as FTP. Choose a time that is not a high traffic time although I have NO idea when that would be since the web is open 24/7 and even though it might be midnight in my house, it could be noon elsewhere. POOF! Suddenly you are part of cyberspace with half the headaches.
Since I am still exploring this little ditty, I don't know about changes and updates yet. I figure they just overwrite what you already have published <NOTE: computer gurus, if I'm wrong, please tell me now before I blow up my friends web page>.
Now I know my computer came with a manual but it might as well be written in Braille for as much good as it does me! I'm sure it mentions Notepad in in but all the descriptions in the Windows manual are so ambiguous as to leave me dumber than I was before I started. Was this feature so blatantly obvious I should have figured it out for myself? After all - NOTEPAD - it is just a note pad, something to make notes on. But it sure has turned into a time saver for me.
In conclusion, since I usually bash AOL so much, I must admit this article they have available is great, informative and very user friendly! Although it says for AOL I just bet you can use Notepad (or Wordpad) for your provider as well, they just wouldn't want to blow someone else's horn.
Recommended:
Yes
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
susidee34
|
 in Home and Garden |
 - Top 200 |
|
Member: SusiDee
Location: Gastonia NC
Reviews written: 1535
Trusted by: 483 members
About Me:
It's easier to build a child than repair an adult
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.