HTML Writers Guild Newsletter Volume 6 Number 6, 18 March 2000 http://www.hwg.org/ mailto:editor@hwg.org --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Our Newsletter Sponsors: Searchbutton.Com, Allaire, eLance.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Table of Contents 1. The HWG Needs YOU! Volunteers for WWW9 in Amsterdam 2. Member-Submitted Tips: Finding Web Design Clients (Next Issue's Topic: Effective use of Color) 3. Upcoming Online Classes: Paint Shop Pro, XML, HTML, and More! 4. HWG Events in Your Future: CSUN in Los Angeles, WWW9 in Amsterdam 5. Why Did I Get This Email? And Other HWG-News FAQs --------------------------------------------------------------------------- This issue of HWG-News is sponsored by: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Searchbutton.com http://www.searchbutton.com/hwg Get FREE Web site search and reporting today! Improve your sites' navigability and usability with site search and reporting solutions from Searchbutton.com. There's no hardware, software, or implementation downtime. Your site visitors will gain instant access to the information they want and you find out a lot about your visitors. Premium service options available. Sign-up is quick and easy; plus a special offer for HWG members! --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. The HWG Needs YOU! Volunteers for WWW9 in Amsterdam. (Ann Navarro, HWG COO, ann@hwg.org) Are you local to Amsterdam, or planning to attend WWW9? Would you like to help others learn about the Guild? The Guild will be having a booth at WWW9 and is looking for volunteers. If you can help us run a booth, we'll not only give you our thanks, you'll also get a spiffy HWG T-shirt! You'll be helping with booth traffic, handing out brochures, and talking about the benefits of Guild membership. Knowledge of Guild programs and services would be a plus! The following dates/times are when we most need volunteers... if these don't match up perfectly for you, though, let us know, and I'm sure we can work something out! May 16th: 10 am to 2 pm 1 pm to 5 pm May 17th: 10 am to 2 pm 1 pm to 5 pm May 18th: 10 am to 1 pm To volunteer, send email to Ann Navarro (ann@hwg.org), letting her know what day and time you can be available. Unfortunately, we can't pay for travel, accomodations, or entry fees to the event. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- This issue of HWG-News is sponsored by: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- HomeSite Allaire Corporation http://www.allaire.com/allaire.cfm?web_ID=1097 Discover why CNet recently bestowed its Editor's Choice Award on HomeSite 4.5, saying, "With the release of HomeSite 4.5, Allaire continues its domination of the HTML editor market...." Download your FREE evaluation copy of HomeSite 4.5 today! Just click the link above. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2. Member-Submitted Tips: Finding Web Design Clients (Marshall Jansen, 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 HWG-News 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: 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? 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 L. Haggerty [HWG-News Tip: Finding Web Design Clients ---------------------------] Starting out as a freelancer I volunteered my services to several local, high profile, non-profit organizations. I promoted this involvement with press releases to local media and offering to speak on behalf of the organizations to other local groups. This has lead to several jobs and brought me to the attention of a local ISP. That ISP now provides me with 70-80% of my web design business. [-----------------Submitted by ] Other form tips were submitted by 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: Effective Use of Color When designing web pages, the effective use of color can often make somoeone more likely to browse the site. Not surprisingly, a bad choice of color can be the quickest way to get someone to hit the back button. How do you get a clean, attractive, and expressive color scheme for a web page, that stands out from the crowd, but isn't garish or distracting? Send in your 5-8 line tips on site maintenance to hwg-news-tips@hwg.org before next Saturday, the 25th of March! --------------------------------------------------------------------------- This issue of HWG-News is sponsored by: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- eLance.com http://www.eLance.com/hwg ATTENTION HWG members: There are currently over 250 PROJECTS in web development, banner design, software programming, and IT consulting waiting for you in the elance.com marketplace. Click here (http://www.eLance.com/hwg) to join the eLance community for FREE, and SELL YOUR SERVICES to buyers from around the world! --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3. Upcoming Online Classes: Web Graphics, XML, HTML, More! (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: Creating Web Graphics with Paint Shop Pro Dates: March 20, 2000 - April 28, 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 - April 30, 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! Introduction to Cascading Style Sheets Dates: April 3, 2000 - May 14, 2000 (6 weeks) Tuition: $40 Full members, $70 Trial members Details: http://www.hwg.org/services/classes/h151.9.html Add a little style to your web design! This popular course covers CSS 1 and 2, which can enhance the appearance of any web page! You'll learn which CSS rules are -- and are not -- supported by the major browsers, and more! Sites that Sizzle: Web Animation with Macromedia Flash 4 Dates: April 3, 2000 - May 14, 2000 (6 weeks) Tuition: $60 Full members, $90 Trial members Details: http://www.hwg.org/services/classes/a221.3.html This course covers the exciting world of Flash 4. You will learn to draw, create, import and manipulate vector objects, making them come to life in frame-by-frame animations and on multiple layers. Introduction to JavaScript Dates: April 10, 2000 - May 28, 2000 (7 weeks) Tuition: $40 Full members, $70 Trial members Details: http://www.hwg.org/services/classes/p151.8.html The Javascript language allows you to add interactivity to your web pages -- this course will teach you the basics of programming in Javascript for multiple browser types. 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. A certificate can be requested after class is completed for $10. 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: Finding Web Design Clients----------------------------] Network, network, network! Get out and go amoung the people that you would like to produce web pages for. Even with great advertising in lots of publications, people will use the talents of someone that they know and trust. Don't make the mistake of underestimating "word of mouth" advertising. [---------------------------------------Submitted by ] 4. HWG Events in Your Future: Intranets 2000 and More (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/ * 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." * VBits Chicago, IL May 24, 2000 http://www.vbits.net/ Frank Boumphrey will be presenting "Building XML applications using VB". * XML Europe 2000 Paris, France June 14, 2000 http://www.gca.org/attend/2000_conferences/europe_2000/default.htm Frank Boumphrey will be presenting "Using XML in Medical Internet applications". If you are attending any of these events, please stop by and introduce yourself to our HWG representatives, we'd love to meet you! [HWG-News Tip: Finding Web Design Clients----------------------------] Postcards are a great way to make businesses aware of your services and find new clients. There are many design shops that will print the postcards for you, or you can do it in-house and save money. Capture the opening page of your firm's website and print it on the back of the postcard with contact info and what makes your firm unique. Mail them out to local businesses. Don't forget doctors, lawyers and accountants. [-----------------------------------Submitted by ] 5. Why Did I Get This Email? And Other HWG-News FAQs (HWG-News Newsletter Editor, editor@hwg.org) This newsletter was edited by Marshall Jansen . 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.