Chapter 10 Web Publishing: Putting Information on the Web

Supplemental Material (available on Cd included with book)

• "Web Page Site Structures" Some typical arrangements of Web sites (PDF)
• "Transferring the Source File for a Web Page" An example that shows how to transfer a Web page from a computer to a Web server using FTP and Netscape Navigator. (PDF)
• URLs from the chapter (HTML)
• Copies of the review questions in quiz format (PDF)

Summary

The Internet and the Web have been designed so that individuals can be both information providers and consumers. The protocols that support the Internet give all nodes equal status. Web browsers with graphical interfaces are commonly used, and the means for preparing Web pages are not difficult. This easy access has led to a large amount of information being available in the form of Web pages, and people have come to expect that nearly every organization or business has a Web presence. These factors make it important for you to understand the technical and design issues involved in creating, providing, and evaluating Web pages and Web sites.

The source for a Web page is a plain text file that contains HTML tags. A browser, acting as a client, requests the source for a Web page from a computer that acts as a Web server. When the file is retrieved, the browser displays it in its window. Therefore, to make information available on the Web, it is necessary to place the source on a Web server.

Designing a Web page involves several facets. Most important, you need to identify the purpose of the page. In addition, you should consider the technical aspects of displaying a Web page, your audience, how other Web pages with a similar purpose are set up, your content, and how to create an appropriate design. The Web page should be tested with more than one computer system and browser.

A Web site is a collection of Web pages with a common theme or purpose. When designing a Web site, you need to come up with a scheme for presenting and arranging the information. The presentation should make it clear that the information on each page of the site is related, and the arrangement often should mirror the logical structure of the information.

Putting information on the Web means taking your source files and placing them on a Web server. Some Internet service providers, Web-based services, and organizations provide space for Web pages. If these don't suit your needs, you can pay a monthly fee to a Web-hosting service, which is a company that provides space for and tools to create and maintain a Web site. FTP is often used to transfer a source file to a Web server.

Once a Web page or site is on a Web server, you'll want to make it possible for other people to find it easily. There are several services that will submit the URL to various search engines and directories. It's also possible to advertise your site on the Web either through paid advertisements or so-called link exchanges. Be sure to read tips available on the Web about ways to announce your Web site and to get it noticed.

Terms

Exercises

Available on CD included with book.

Summary | Terms | Exercises

This material has been prepared to accompany the book "Learning to Use the Internet and the World Wide Web" (ISBN 1-887902-78-3) by Ernest Ackermann and Karen Hartman, and published by Franklin, Beedle and Associates, Incorporated, Wilsonville, OR. © 2002. No part of this may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transcribed without permission of the publisher.

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