how to make a website

[thecheat]

I thought maybe some of you would enjoy sharing (helping me) how to make a website as I'm sure someone out there me has wondered how the heck you make one.

[Liazon]

A lot has changed when it comes to HTML, so my knowledge is totally outdated. I can't even recognize proper HTML code now.

[CompWiz]

Well, there are two ways to do it. You can use straight HTML, or use some website designer, like frontpage, word, some online program, etc.

If you want to learn HTML, webmonkey has some nice guides and cheatsheets for learning it.

I'm more of a straight-coding HTML person(I use notepad to type in the code, no graphical editor), for the little website design I do(for example, our school's website is straight HTML with some java stuff thrown in. It doesn't work very well with firefox, though I'm trying to fix that ), but I did learn to use FrontPage in my Advanced Computer Applications class I took last year. FrontPage is very easy and fast, and can make great looking websites, with a good amount of features. Many free website providers like angelfire, tripod, geocities, etc, provide an online website designer for you. It's plenty for making a simple website with a few pages, but it may not be enough for something more advanced/complex.

Or, you could get fancy and learn something like Macromedia Dreamweaver, or Flash, if you can afford the software, and the time to learn it.

[Arcane WIzard]

Smart, I have a high standard for geniuses.

I use DHTML (HTML with CSS and Javascript [which I don't use, but it belongs to DHTML]) and try to be as XHTML compliant as I can. I test all my work in multiple browsers, including testing it for text only functionality.

I also have good experience with PHP, Perl, and am getting quite proficient at Java Server Pages (MVC compliant of course) backed by either a MySQL or PostgreSQL DBMS. I'm a minimalist when it comes to coding so I try to write my code as efficient and nice to read as I can.

That's the technical side, on the design side I'm also pretty good. I always have a reason for every single attribute of every single object on the page as well as the code behind it.

I just don't have anything to make websites about, there's already websites for everything I like so instead of wasting my time making my own I just visit those. : )

Of course I do make little tests all the time. I'm always working on something or trying something out.

Oh, I use Notepad++ and OpenOffice Writer and refuse to use anything else.

I'm in my second year of studying this stuff at college where I'm the best of the class and according to some of everybody in the whole 4 year course. But that's coming from unskilled people who are now paying me to do their programming assignments (copy, paste, edit, using my own work for the win) if I feel like it. /brag

[coelurus]

I never rate myself (unless it's related to mid-level realtime programming) and I've never used a wysiwyg tool for any site. Neither have I delved into server-side controlled sites or any kind of servers at all, I let my brother do that.

DHTML is by far the funnest thing to play with when it comes to sites. I've done some rather 'aggressive' designs in the past (a mini-browser with a history feature, panes positioned in a cylindric shape that spun when I chose a subject etc ) and some useful scripts (configurable menu script that took 4kB in commented plain text, many commercial ones take >10kB when packed! And no, browser compatibility code doesn't add 6kB...). Lately, I've been trying to aim for simpler ways to make a site interesting, but I haven't got a single clue what to do design-wise. My last one was meant to be a temporary update until I had made a new one during summer...

Anybody know a way to get inspiration for site designs? Not the regular good-looking site or csszengarden, something different would be nice

[Arcane WIzard]

Anybody know a way to get inspiration for site designs? Not the regular good-looking site or csszengarden, something different would be nice

Well, for design graphics/graphics design I would say you'll have to find your own way of getting inspiration, as this is very personal. What I can tell you is that inspirational thought only comes when you are relaxed (a science program on psychology on BBC2 said so, and it seems to work for me) and where I can get some inspiration from:

nice music - listening to a lot of different kinds of music gives access to lots of different points of view. I listen at least 12-16 hours a day. My laptop has 20GB of anything from reggae to funk to ambient goa to gothic metal and I only keep what I really like.
looking into scences related to interests - I'm familiar with scenes ranging from metal to psychedelic to gothic music, and like different things about each of these scences. The people into them usually have all kinds of interests too, learning about those again broadens one's views.
look at other art - usually the scences above will have some kind of art (not nesecarily graphic, but mostly anything can be seen and thus inspire graphics) related to them (urban has graffiti, hippies have psychedelic art, gothics have fantasy art, etc). Again, I like different things about different kinds of art. Just stay away from the fetish sites, or not, but don't say I didn't warn you.
your other interests - know your hobbies, maybe have some other ways to express yourself as well. I'm going to play electric bass guitar as soon as I can afford and find the model I want. (bass guitar model that is ~_^)
personal style - using what you've learned about yourself and all of the things above to constantly develop your own personal style.

Knowing what you like and want to show others can be a very important source of inspiration, inspiration you like.

As with doing anything well, you can't be an inspired graphics artist without first being a person. Have a way to unwind/focus yourself. I sometimes "meditate" (ie chill with some ambient music and just sit/lay there to think about stuff untill there's not much left to think about) other times I go out with friends to play some 8ball or hang out in a bar. Know yourself. Develop yourself. Enjoy yourself. Relax. Only then can others enjoy you and/or your work.

Functional/layout design is easyer, just think of functionality and how to use it in your design. Think of the end-user a lot, criticize every single definition in your design untill you can back up your reasons for choices you made with more reasons. Design things that are easy and usefull.

[tr1p1ea]

I often find that the problem with making websites is being able to come up with a suitable amount of content to fill it with.

Has anyone here ever messed with Flash at all? I do a bit of that from time-to-time as well.

(Also, please dont violate the font size restrictions for this board. Only sizes 9 to 18 are allowed.)

[Arcane WIzard]

Yeah I worked a bit with Flash a couple of years ago, but no actionscript. (no, never for horrible website intro animations, just art stuff ) I don't use it any more because there are better ways of doing everything Flash can do.

I agree that the problem lies in thinking of content for a site as pretty much everything in the world has a website with already active members about it. Which raises the question of "what does my design contribute to that community?" which can usually be answered by "nothing I can't contribute by posting my ideas on the forum of that community." Which brings out the point that the message is more important that the package it arrives in. At least I don't want to make a site for a subject that I like just because I can make a more appealing design.

[kalan_vod]

Well if you look at my site it is similar to those of xzanga or blogs where it's my personal interest. I have PS images made by me, some TI crap games by me, and a blog (which I don't really ever use as it is pretty useless for me). So I am not contributing to the community, but I am doing something I find interesting which most of us can understand (this is why I and lots of other people program for a freaking calculator ).

[threefingeredguy]

Has anyone here ever messed with Flash at all? I do a bit of that from time-to-time as well.

I mess with flash a great deal. What kind of stuff do you do?

I like all of those images on Kalan's site, everyone should check them out.

[coelurus]

Arcane Wizard, thanks for the tips. Too bad I apply pretty much all of that already for solving other problems, I guess the next step is to find the urge to pick up some paper and a pen and sketch some

Very functional design: http://openbsd.org/. Nice, but a personal website can be tricked out a bit imho.

[kalan_vod]

Very functional design: http://openbsd.org/. Nice, but a personal website can be tricked out a bit imho.

Nice.

[KevinJB]

Well, there are two ways to do it. You can use straight HTML, or use some website designer, like frontpage, word, some online program, etc.

Or you can use XHTML and CSS, which is the intelligent way to do it. It might be a bit more difficult but overall you get more control and just general ... clean-ness

As for me, I only use XHTML Strict and CSS but haven't really released anything yet. Of course if anybody P.M's me I'd be glad to show them different stuff. (Only thing off of the top of my head is this but it's hardly one of my best. The gradient is now by anykey but it was orginally mine)

[Spengo]

I'd have to say i'm pretty dull. I'm for the straight html written in notepad. How I learn html stuff I don't know? Find a website that has what I want and view the source.

[lloydkirk1989]

Thats the old fashioned way.