Okay, I have limited knowledge of html and I have never started a blog, but I would like to have my own website for blogging, and even posting my resume so that I may use it on applications post graduation. How do I start? Do I buy a space, do I download a format for my webpage. Much help would be great. Thanks.
I'd actually design and then build the website before buying a space for it.
But you talk about buying a format for your page. I assume you aren't building it from nothing then...like in photoshop or illustrator or something? I'm trying to learn more about building websites myself. I've done a couple but don't know a whole lot still. I took a class where everyone used Dreamweaver...I used a program called Textmate where you can type in all the code yourself. It's helpful because it color codes different things making it easier to read.
I just graduated...majored in Graphic Design. Funny that there is only one web design class where I went and it was an elective. Get out in the real world looking for a job and all anyone wants is web designers.
i would say is buy photoshop and dreamweaver. when i took a web design class i learned HTML and using dreamweaver. i found that dreamweaver is alot better then typing myself. i don't really like coding as i tend to screw up the codes a lot. u just really have to make the website out of photoshop then just put everything together in dreamweaver.
" i would say is buy photoshop and dreamweaver. when i took a web design class i learned HTML and using dreamweaver. i found that dreamweaver is alot better then typing myself. i don't really like coding as i tend to screw up the codes a lot. u just really have to make the website out of photoshop then just put everything together in dreamweaver. "
You don't need to go nearly that deep. Just get a Wordpress or Moveable Type blog. If you are going the paid route just get a godaddy or siteground account. They are about $80 a year and the have tools to install most CMS platforms for you. You are off and running then. You just need to find a template you like and there are thousands of free ones for Wordpress.
@iam3green: I was the exact opposite. By the time I had taken dreamweaver class, I had been doing HTML for a solid year, all notepad, all the time. The teacher forced us to do everything via notepad to make sure that we could find fuckups ourselves without the need to rely on the computer to tell us where the problem is. It also forced us to keep everything well structured and organized so we could read everything better.
The only thing I used the DW UI for was tables. I pretty much turned all of the other preferences off.
@Kenobi:
1. You now have a new Bible: http://www.w3schools.com/ - It contains a full list of tutorials + all HTML, XHTML, and any other common web programing language and commands used by them all and organises them into a pretty easy (if content heavy) website for you! Its a good place to start, and keep going back to.
2. If you have NEVER done web programing, a copy of dreamweaver will actually do you some good. You'll be able to do some pretty advanced stuff right from the UI, and then go into the code to see how you would have done it free hand.
3. Free hosting sites exist everywhere, you just need to look out for server space limits. Some paid hosting websites will give you tons of space for actually very little cost. Google that shit, yo!
" Get out in the real world looking for a job and all anyone wants is web designers. "
Yep. I have a few friends that are print designers, and they're all going back to school for web design. I can't believe that a program nowadays would offer such little focus on web stuff.
Anyway, yeah - unless you really want to learn how to design and develop a site yourself, just stick with Wordpress.
I'm going to second Lowbrow's suggestion of http://www.w3schools.com. That's where I've learned just about everything I know. Just start with the HTML section and work your way down. I'm on JavaScript now and it's fantastic.
Another great website with an ass-ton of tutorials is http://net.tutsplus.com/. It may take a while, but if you dig a tad you will find lots of beginner stuff on there like this, for example. They also have a bunch of videos where dudes will walk you through the entire coding process. ( Here's one!) Of course, you'll want to go to W3Schools first and get at least a basic understanding of how all of this stuff works first. I would highly recommend NOT just using Dreamweaver if you actually want to learn web design. Dreamweaver is all fine and dandy, but I believe a knowledge of HTML will be quite useful if you want to go to CSS and beyond.
Another option, if you are only wanting to make a website for yourself and aren't too concerned about learning all of that crap, would be to just go to Squarespace. It's a WYSIWYG editor kinda like Dreamweaver, but it's supposed to be super simple and it's all done in your web browser. I've made a few websites in my day (stupid simple websites, but websites nonetheless) and I was totally lost with Squarespace when I checked it out a few months ago, but there's a 14 day free trial so you might as well go check it out and see what you think.
If you have a Mac use iWeb. It's not the best, but it'll suite your needs. If you have a PC I suggest using something simple like Front Page, or just get an account with GoDaddy, ipower, Weebly, or something like that. They provide you with the software you'll need and have tutorials showing you how to use it.
I'm more a Java/C++ guy, so I don't know a whole lot about Web programming, but I would go with what Lowbrow said and use the w3schools tutorials along with Dreamweaver so you can make some complex stuff and then reverse-engineer it. That's actually how I learned HTML the first time.
Although, really, if you just want a site up and don't want to worry about amassing the knowledge to build one in the future, you could just make one in Dreamweaver and buy some hosting space for it. Maybe a godaddy domain as well.
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