HTML Writers Guild Newsletter
Volume 6 Number 5, 4 March 2000
http://www.hwg.org/
mailto:editor@hwg.org
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Our Newsletter Sponsors: Allaire Corporation, eLance, SpeedyWeb
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Table of Contents
1. Member-Submitted Tips: Site Maintenance Strategies
(Next Issue's Topic: Finding Web Design Clients)
2. March Conferences: Meet the Guild at WinWriters, SHARE, and CSUN!
3. HWG Online Education: Broaden Your Web Design Repertoire
- B101: Business Writing Basics
- P171: Implementing Java Applets in your Web Pages
- DB221: Developing Dynamic Web Sites with ColdFusion 4
- P101: Beginning Programming with Perl
- ...and more!
4. Guild Town Hall Meeting -- Thursday, 23 February 2000
5. The HWG-News Newsletter FAQ
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1. Member-Submitted Tips: Site Maintenance Strategies
(Kynn Bartlett, HWG-News Editor, hwg-news-tips@hwg.org)
The Guild's foundation is members helping members, sharing our expertise
and knowledge to improve our skills in the craft of web design.
Everyone
has something to teach, and something to learn!
In keeping with that spirit, the HWG-News Newsletter features member-
submitted "tips" in each issue, in the space between articles and
announcements. What happens if your tip is selected? Each issue, the
first-place winner will receive a free HWG T-shirt. Runner-up tips will
be also listed in the HWG-News newsletter as space permits, and
submissions will be posted on the HWG web site.
The topic for this issue, as announced last issue, is:
Site Maintenance Strategies
Building a site is often just the beginning of the process;
maintaining the site can be as much work, or more! How do you
keep a site fresh? When do you update it, and why? How often
is a complete redesign necessary? Are there unexpected costs
associated with site upkeep?
We got many good responses! A full list of all tips submitted
can be found online at:
http://www.hwg.org/opcenter/newsletter/tips/
Complete rules and information (including size limits) are also listed
at the URL above -- please read it!
This issue's winner was sent in by Bill Gentry:
[HWG-News Tip: Site Management Strategies----------------------------]
"Plan ahead and use an external cascading style sheet (or more than
one if needed) to define most if not all of your page attributes,
such as text styles, backgrounds, colors, etc. By using an
external cascading style sheet, giving a web site a nearly
complete make-over is a snap, by simply changing the style sheet."
[----------------Submitted by Bill Gentry ]
Other site management tips were submitted by Ken Weatherford, Mark
Bramwell, Howard Merrill, Chris Snyder, Isis Heart, Anne McKay, Betsy
A. Riley, Rick Floyd, Peter Papadopoulos, Glennette Yelverton, Jim
Duber, Ed Edwards, and Liz Rainey. Tips on other topics were received
from Bill Wiegert, Lady Star, and Art Dieli.
If you have suggestions for upcoming HWG News Tip topics, you can
send those to hwg-news-tips@hwg.org as well. The category for
the next newsletter is:
Finding Web Design Clients
Many members of the Guild are freelancers or run web design
shops. One of the biggest challenges is acquiring new
clients. What ways have you found that will attract new
business? How do you get the best clients? What is the value
of networking and how do you do it?
Send in your 5-8 line tips on finding clients to hwg-news-tips@hwg.org
before next Saturday, the 11th of March!
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This issue of HWG-News is sponsored by:
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2. March Conferences: Meet the Guild at WinWriters, SHARE, and CSUN!
(Frank Boumphrey, VP of Special Events, vp-events@hwg.org)
As part of our ongoing Speakers Bureau program, we are pleased to
present this list of upcoming industry events at which the Guild will
be participating. More information can be found at our events page:
http://www.hwg.org/opcenter/events/
* WinWriters Online Help Conference
San Diego, CA
March 5 - March 9, 2000
http://www.winwriters.com/ohc.htm
We will be having a booth at this conference and we will be presenting
a workshop on "Using XHTML for Universal Display and Accessibility".
* SHARE: Practical Information for IT Professionals
Anaheim, CA
March 5 - March 10, 2000
http://www.share.org/anaheim
HWG President and AWARE Center director Kynn Bartlett will be
presenting "Meeting the Accessibility Challenge: Can Everyone Use
Your Web Site?" on March 6.
* CSUN's International Conference on Technology and People with
Disabilities
Los Angeles, CA
March 20 - March 25, 2000
http://www.csun.edu/cod/
The Guild will be sponsoring a booth at this event, which focuses on
the use of technology to overcome disability barriers! Learn more
about the web as assistive technology at http://aware.hwg.org/
* WWW9 -- The Ninth World Wide Web Conference
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
May 15 - May 19, 2000
http://www.www9.org/
We will be presenting a workshop at this conference entitled "Crafting
and Reforming HTML Pages as XHTML."
If you are attending any of these events, please stop by and introduce
yourself to our HWG representatives, we'd love to meet you!
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3. HWG Online Education: Broaden Your Web Design Repertoire
(Ann Navarro, Online Education Director, classes@hwg.org)
Through a web-based interface, we offer a broad series of online
classes designed to teach you the skills you need, in a way that fits
your busy schedule. Our instructors are your fellow Guild members,
chosen for their expertise in their field and their willingness to
pass along their experience to you.
Upcoming courses you can take include:
Business Writing Basics
Dates: March 6, 2000 - April 30, 2000 (8 weeks)
Tuition: $25 Full members, $50 Trial members
Details: http://www.hwg.org/services/classes/b101.6.html
You may be good at HTML tags, but that's just half the equation!
Learn how to make your content sizzle in our writing course!
Implementing Java Applets in your Web Pages
Dates: March 6, 2000 - April 2, 2000 (4 weeks)
Tuition: $25 Full members, $50 Trial members
Details: http://www.hwg.org/services/classes/h171.2.html
Designed for the beginning student with some knowledge of creating
HTML files by hand or with a WYSIWYG editing tool. This class will
show you where to go to get applets for your pages, and how to
customize them using parameters. This is NOT a programming class!
Applets will range from simple 'ticker style' text applets, to
animations, and to Java games.
Developing Dynamic Web Sites with ColdFusion 4
Dates: March 6, 200 - April 16, 2000 (6 weeks)
Tuition: $80 Full members, $110 Trial members
Details: http://www.hwg.org/services/classes/db221.2.html
Add dynamically generated content to your Web Site! Allaire's popular
ColdFusion lets you incorporate database-backed Web sites into your
design arsenal. With your knowledge of HTML, a basic knowledge of
databases such as Microsoft Access, and your own Web server, you're
on your way!
Dates: March 6, 2000 - April 16, 2000 (6 weeks)
Tuition: $25 Full members, $50 Trial members
Details: http://www.hwg.org/services/classes/p010.2.html
Want to take one of our programming courses, but feel you're not
yet ready for the "intro" courses? Here's the class for you! Learn
the programming concepts central to all programming languages, and
you'll be prepared to master your next (or first!) choice of
scripting or programming languages with ease.
Beginning Programming with Perl
Dates: March 13, 2000 - April 30, 2000 (7 weeks)
Tuition: $40 Full members, $70 Trial members
Details: http://www.hwg.org/services/classes/p101.6.html
Learn the basics of the Perl programming language, system
administration, and a variety of other tasks. The course will cover
the fundamentals of the language, preparing you for a variety of
scripting projects. (Please note that this is not a CGI course.)
Creating Web Graphics with Paint Shop Pro
Dates: March 20, 2000 - April 30, 2000 (6 weeks)
Tuition: $40 Full members, $70 Trial members
Details: http://www.hwg.org/services/classes/g201.5.html
Release your inner artist! This graphics course will teach
you to create your own stunning images for use on your website,
using the Paint Shop Pro program.
Introduction to XML
Dates: March 20, 2000 - April 30, 2000 (6 weeks)
Tuition: $40 Full members, $70 Trial members
Details: http://www.hwg.org/services/classes/x101.6.html
Come find out what the buzz is all about! XML, the Extensible
Markup Language, is driving the future of data storage and
exchange. Get hands on development experience using
freely available tools.
Introduction to HTML 4.0
Dates: March , 27 2000 - May 7, 2000 (6 weeks)
Tuition: $40 Full members, $70 Trial members
Details: http://www.hwg.org/services/classes/h101.13.html
Leave your WYSIWYG editor behind and explore the nuts and bolts that
make web pages function!
Practical Web Management: Creating an Effective Web Site
Dates: March 27 , 2000 - May 7 , 2000 (6 weeks)
Tuition: $25 Full members, $50 Trial members
Details: http://www.hwg.org/services/classes/w201.4.html
Covering everything from personalization to usability studies,
this course is a perfect fit if you're struggling with how
to manage your new or growing website!
COURSE FEES
Course fees are based on membership level; Full members receive a
discounted tuition price, while Trial members pay the standard price.
Full membership is only $40 per year, so upgrade your membership
before registering, and save money! Payments may be made online via
secure transaction; all figures are in U.S. funds.
A certificate of completion is available for an additional $5;
the request needs to be made at the time of registration. Textbooks
(when required) are separate and may be purchased through the Guild's
online bookstore, The Bookmark. Books should be purchased before the
first week of class! In addition, students should have regular access
to the web and the ability to post completed assignments on a
public (non-Intranet) web server.
Sign up today through our online enrollment forms or get more
information at:
http://www.hwg.org/services/classes/
[HWG-News Tip: Site Management Strategies----------------------------]
"Logical organization of information provided through the site is
very important and should be studied before even starting
designing a site for the first time. This can eliminate
organizational problems when a site is to be changed or more pages
added. Logical organization has nothing to do with the Internet,
but is a result of clear thinking and understanding of the site
owner's internal structure and ways of operation."
[----------------Submitted by Peter J. Papadopoulous ]
4. Guild Town Hall Meeting -- Thursday, 23 February 2000
(Fred Barnett, HWG Assistant Secretary, fred@hwg.org)
Each month, the Guild provides an opportunity for real-time discussion
and chatting via HWG Interactive. These monthly meetings are hosted by
members of the Governing Board (with most of them in attendance),
and give our members the chance to voice your views about the HWG.
The details on March's town hall meeting are:
23 March Town Hall Meeting
Date: Thursday, 23 March 2000
Time: 6:30 p.m. PST, 9:30 p.m. EST
Server: HWG Interactive, http://interact.hwg.org/
IRC: irc.hwg.org, port 6667
Channel: #townhall
To connect, either go to the URL above and use the Java-based client
available via the web, or use your favorite IRC client and join channel
#townhall.
[HWG-News Tip: Site Management Strategies----------------------------]
"When putting together a site, I create a separate directory and
page (for my own or the client's use) containing just the links and
where they occur. Every couple of weeks I go to that page and
check that the links are active and up-to-date. If a link no longer
exists I can delete it, or if it has been referred to a new address
I can easily make the change in the appropriate place."
[-------------------Submitted by Ed Edwards ]
5. The HWG-News Newsletter FAQ
(HWG-News Newsletter Editor, editor@hwg.org)
This newsletter was edited by Kynn Bartlett . It's
been my pleasure to create and edit this newsletter since March
1998 -- over 35 issues. This will be my last issue as HWG-News
Editor, and I'd like to thank my wife Liz Bartlett for her support
and copy-editing that made this newsletter possible! Also, special
thanks to Leanne Phillips, Marshall Jansen, Shelly Ross, and other
dedicated HWG volunteers who have contributed to the production of
the newsletter.
Some questions you may be asking:
Q: Why did I get this mail?
A: You received this newsletter because you are a member of the
HTML Writers Guild. This message came from HWG-News, the Guild's
mandatory mailing list for all members. If you need more information
about HWG-News, please see the List Charter at:
http://www.hwg.org/lists/hwg-news/index.html
Q. Why doesn't this newsletter talk about web design or HTML more?
A. The newsletter is the Guild's administrative bulletin to the
membership; beyond the HWG News Tips, we don't include specific
information on web creation. If you are interested in the topics
of Web design and HTML, then you might want to subscribe to
some of our discussion lists devoted to those topics. More
information on the Guild's offering of discussion lists can be
found at:
http://www.hwg.org/lists/mailinglists.html
Q. How can I find out more about Guild activities?
A. The Guild has set up a one-way announcement list, HWG-Announce,
that carries bulletins of day-to-day Guild business. For details
on how to subscribe, please see:
http://www.hwg.org/lists/hwg-announce/
Q: How do I unsubscribe from HWG-News?
A: Since this is a required list in order to maintain your
Guild membership, unsubscribing is the same as resigning from
the HTML Writers Guild.
If you have your Member ID and password, to resign your membership
in the Guild and to unsubscribe to HWG-News, visit:
http://www.hwg.org/member/resign.html
Fill in the pertinent information, and submit it.
If you don't have a Member ID, or have forgotten your password, send
mail to:
mailto:lost-password@hwg.org
with a Subject of: Resign membership
In the body of the message, provide the following information:
* Your email address(es)
* Your member ID if you have one.
* The list of discussion lists you are on.
Please remember that unsubscribing to HWG-News automatically
resigns you from the Guild. If you have problems with unsubscribing,
please contact the password support team
for help.
Q: Can my company advertise in the Guild's newsletter?
A: Yes; the Guild is offering sponsorship opportunities in HWG-News
on a limited basis. If you are interested in advertising your
web related product or service here, please send email to
advertising@hwg.org or call (714) 526-4963. Discounts are available
to Guild Business and Corporate members, as well as for multiple
placements. The Guild's newsletter reaches over 107,000 web authors
worldwide each month.
(Note: The Guild does not make our member database available for
third party use. We have a strong privacy policy and will not
release our members' personal information; our mailing list is
not for sale. Any questions regarding the Guild's advertising or
privacy policies can be directed to advertising@hwg.org.)
Q: What if I want to comment on this newsletter?
A: The HWG-News Mailing List is a "Read-Only" list -- please do not try
to reply to this message directly.
If you wish to contact the editor of this newsletter, you may do
so by sending email to editor@hwg.org. Each article begins with
the contact information for the author as well.
Copyright 2000, HTML Writers Guild, Inc., All Rights Reserved.
Published twice monthly via email and WWW.