HTML Writers Guild Newsletter
Volume 5 Number 19, 23 October 1999
http://www.hwg.org/
mailto:editor@hwg.org
Table of Contents
1. Happy Birthday HWG! Guild Passes Five-Year Milestone
2. Two New Online Courses: Intro to Programming Concepts, ColdFusion
3. Enroll Now for Convenient, Affordable HWG Online Education Courses!
4. Thanks For the Feedback! Board Announces Three-Year Strategic Plan
5. Open Position on Governing Board
6. Come to October's Online Town Hall Meeting, Next Thursday!
7. HWG Live! Meet the Guild at Upcoming Events
8. Frequently Asked Questions about HWG-News Subscriptions
This issue of HWG-News is sponsored by:
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1. Happy Birthday HWG! Guild Passes Five-Year Milestone
(Kynn Bartlett, HWG President, president@hwg.org)
The roots of the HTML Writers Guild were laid back in October 1994, as
a small handful of web designers realized that by gathering together
to share information and experience, they could improve their own skills
as well as advancing the craft of web authoring.
Five years later, the organization they built, the HTML Writers Guild,
is going stronger than ever, on the strength of that simple message --
members helping members.
With over 106,000 members worldwide in more than 150 countries, we are
the largest organization devoted to educating web authors and improving
the art of web design. Hundreds of members help members every day by
contributing to the discussion lists, by ensuring that those lists
operate smoothly, by contributing to our resources collections, by
promoting the development of standards in the World Wide Web Consortium,
and by teaching online classes to fellow web creators.
A HTML WRITERS GUILD TIMELINE
Some of the other landmark events in the Guild's history include:
October 1994 - Original members come together to share expertise
January 1995 - First permanent HWG mailing list created
February 1995 - HWG mission statement formulated in essentially
the same form as it exists today
March 1995 - HWG-Ops mailing list created for guild operations
July 1995 - First "HWG Member" logo introduced
- HWG-Business list (oldest existing HWG mailing list)
created
August 1995 - HWG-News list created
September 1995 - Guild makes Netscape 1.2 (!) available at HWG
ftp site
October 1995 - HWG-Main created as general discussion list
- HWG bylaws first published
January 1996 - The HWG.ORG domain is registered
April 1996 - Membership passes the 10,000 milestone
- www.hwg.org site goes operational
June 1996 - HWG officially incorporated as a Georgia non-profit
corporation
July 1996 - List guide program created to assist members in using
discussion lists
September 1996 - Overgrown HWG-News list replaced by specific-topic
mailing lists
October 1996 - Current HWG logo created
November 1996 - First online Town Hall meeting
- Executive Committee (EC) created to manage day to day
Guild operations
February 1997 - Paid membership introduced
- Vendor Discount Program created
March 1997 - A major upgrade of our database system issued member
numbers for the first time
April 1997 - First conference! HWG attended the 6th annual
World Wide Web Conference in Santa Clara, CA
- First face-to-face meeting! Guild members met
after the WWW6 conference, at Stanford U.
May 1997 - An auction of the "wwwmall.com" domain name raises
over $1700 for the Guild
- "Plus" lists created for paid membership; later
incorporated into general membership mailing lists
September 1997 - Current Guild administrative structure established
February 1998 - First HWG Board elections held
April 1998 - HWG joins the World Wide Web Consortium, becoming
the first organization to represent the voice of the
"front line" web designer in the W3C
- Guild attends Internet World Los Angeles and has
membership meeting
- HWG T-shirts debut at Internet World
April 1998 - Accessibility Month! The HWG spotlights the important
issue of web accessibility
- HWG-Announce mailing list created
July 1998 - Suggestion box created
- Monthly Town Hall meetings restarted
- Membership structure simplified to Trial and Full
- "The Bookmark" online bookstore opens
August 1998 - First online classes! HTML 4.0, Perl, and Web
Accessibility courses launch the HWG's online
education program
- Guild website updated to current design
September 1998 - HWG joins the W3C HTML Working Group and participates
in W3C Voice Browser workshop
January 1999 - Guild "affinity" credit card available to members
February 1999 - HWG-Jobs mailing list created
- First face-to-face meeting of entire Governing Board
April 1999 - Accessibility Month becomes an annual HWG tradition
- Guild launches Accessible Web Authoring Resources and
Education (AWARE) Center
June 1999 - AWARE Center opens Assistive Web Technology Lab in
Orange County, California
July 1999 - Guild breaks 100,000 member mark
- Stephen Grady, 100,000th HWGer spotlighted in HWG-News
newsletter
August 1999 - HWG Speakers Bureau created
October 1999 - Board announces new Strategic Plan
- Five year anniversary!
We expect the next five years to bring as exciting of changes and growth
as the last five!
2. Two New Online Courses: Intro to Programming Concepts, ColdFusion
(Ann Navarro, Online Education Director, classes@hwg.org)
The HWG Online Education program has been working hard to expand the
variety and number of courses that are available to our members. We are
pleased to announce the formation of two new courses: Introduction to
Programming Concepts and Designing Dynamic Web Sites with ColdFusion 4.
Introduction to Programming Concepts
Dates: November 29, 1999 - January 14, 2000 (7 weeks-1 week holiday break)
Tuition: $25 Full members, $50 Trial members
This course is designed for the truly novice programmer. If you've
considered taking our JavaScript, Perl, or ASP courses, but have
worried that they may move too quickly, this is the course for you!
Here you will learn the basic techniques of programming, including
variables, arrays, objects, loops, and conditional statements as
functions. This is not a class to teach you how to jazz up your web
pages. However, after taking this class, students will be able to
transition without difficulty to other programming languages, including
Java, Visual Basic, C/C++, Perl and scripting languages.
All our examples will be worked in JavaScript and Visual Basic. This
class is an excellent introduction to our online classes on ASP,
JavaScript and Perl.
Prerequisites: Students should know the rudiments of HTML and be
familiar with the DOS file system. For maximum benefit, they should
have IE 4 or 5 installed on their machines. A Visual Basic program
would be useful, but is not essential.
Find out more or register for this new course at:
http://www.hwg.org/services/classes/p010.1.html
Designing Dynamic Web Sites with ColdFusion 4
Dates: December 6, 1999 - January 21, 2000 (7 weeks-1 week holiday break)
Tuition: $50 Full members, $80 Trial members
Allaire's ColdFusion is the leading development tool for building
complex, interactive and data-driven Web sites. Instead of creating
hundreds of static HTML pages for your site, you could use ColdFusion
to dynamically create the pages for you by pulling all of the content
from a database.
This course will teach you to use ColdFusion to create ecommerce sites,
shopping carts, administrative tools that allow your clients to manage
their own Web site content, and any Web-based application that allows
for interaction with a database.
You don't need any background programming experience other than
HTML; this course will give students a basic background in ColdFusion.
After taking this class, students will be able to pass data between
templates, pull data from a a database, generate content based upon
user input, validate user input, and send mail. They will also be able
to use ColdFusion Studio, ColdFusion's editing environment.
Prerequisites: Please note the knowledge and software/hardware
requirements on the course page
Designing Dynamic Web Sites with ColdFusion 4 introduces the first of our
more advanced fields of study. As such, class size is limited to just 50
students to provide more opportunities for student-instructor interaction!
Pricing for this course is $50 for Full members and $80 for Trial members,
with optional certificates of completion available for an additional $5.
To register today and ensure your seat in this dynamic new course, please
go to:
http://www.hwg.org/services/classes/db221.1.html.
3. Enroll Now for Convenient, Affordable HWG Online Education Courses!
(Ann Navarro, Online Education Director, classes@hwg.org)
The HWG Online Education program has developed a variety of online
instructor-led courses that allow you to expand and enhance your
skills. These courses are designed to be flexible and affordable,
fitting into your schedule easily. Why not make the most of your
membership and see what you can learn from your fellow HWG members?
Classes currently open for enrollment include:
Creating Web Graphics with Paint Shop Pro
Dates: November 8, 1999 - December 17, 1999 (6 weeks)
Tuition: $25 Full members, $50 Trial members
Release the artist within you! This graphics course will teach
you to create your own stunning images for use on your web site,
using the Paint Shop Pro program.
Designing for Universal Accessibility with HTML 4.0
Dates: November 8, 1999 - December 19, 1999 (6 weeks)
Tuition: $25 Full members, $50 Trial members
Can your web site be used by everyone, including people with
disabilities, older browsers, and hand-held computers? If you're
not sure, take this course; it could change the way you view the
web!
Introduction to HTML 4.0
Dates: December 6, 1999 - January 21, 2000 (7 weeks-1 week holiday break)
Tuition: $25 Full members, $50 Trial members
Leave your WYSIWYG editor behind and explore the nuts and
bolts that make web pages function!
Introduction to Cascading Style Sheets
Dates: December 6, 1999 - January 21, 2000 (7 weeks-1 week holiday break)
Tuition: $25 Full members, $50 Trial members
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!
Business Writing Basics
Dates: December 13, 1999 - February 4, 2000 (9 weeks-1 week holiday break)
Tuition: $25 Full members, $50 Trial members
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!
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/
4. Thanks For the Feedback! Board Announces Three-Year Strategic Plan
(Kynn Bartlett, Guild President, president@hwg.org)
Based on feedback from Guild members, volunteers, and instructors, the
Governing Board has worked with consultant A. A. Barnsley to formulate
the HWG's strategic plan for the next three years. We would like to
extend our thanks to all of you who responded to our request for input
in previous newsletters, as your feedback was invaluable in setting
the directions for the future of the Guild!
The mission of the HTML Writers Guild is to build awareness of web page
authoring and related services as a skilled pursuit; to assist members in
developing and enhancing their capabilities; to compile and publicize
information regarding standards, practices, techniques, competency, and
ethics as applied to WWW design and development; and to contribute to the
development of the Web and Web technical standards and guidelines.
The Board has identified the following goals as our primary priorities
for the next three years, in accordance with our Mission Statement:
1. Develop an administrative infrastructure to ensure continuity,
coordinate daily operations, facilitate volunteer participation,
and carry out policy set by the board.
2. Provide a fomal curriculum in online, interactive classes for
beginning, intermediate, and advanced HTML writers, using
established and emerging technologies.
3. Represent the interests of HWG members and HTML authors at all
skills levels by participating in organizations that are
developing standards and criteria or setting policy for web
authoring.
4. Publish and disseminate education materials on web authoring
standards and practices.
5. Establish a certification program which identifies the key
skills and knowledge integral to professional web authoring and
recognizes individuals who demonstrate competency in those
skills.
6. Conduct regional, national and international meetings providing
high quality, face to face education for HTML authors at all
levels of skill.
These priorities will be used to set our future policies and objectives
as we move forward to become the premier educational organization for
web designers of the 21st century!
The entire strategic plan is available online at:
http://www.hwg.org/opcenter/hwginc/stratplan.html
5. Open Position on Governing Board
(Leanne Phillips, Guild Secretary, secretary@hwg.org)
The Governing Board announces the retirement of Dain Anderson from the
Board. Dain has served as manager of the Bookmark, the HWG's online
bookstore, and as a member of the Governing Board. Due to time
constrants, Dain has stepped down from both positions.
The Board would like to thank Dain for all his hard work on behalf of
the HTML Writers Guild and wishes him the best of luck in his future
endeavors.
Dain's resignation leaves a seat open on the Governing Board; members
who wish to submit their names for consideration may do so by writing
to gb-search@hwg.org. Applicants should meet the following set of
qualifications:
* Understanding of the Guild's strategic plan and bylaws
* Member of the HWG for at least one year
* Current Full (paid) member of the Guild
* Must be at least 18 years of age
* Experience with Guild operations highly desirable
Members of the Board must commit to:
* Serve a term of up to three years on the Governing Board
* Invest a minimum of 10 hours per week in Board-related
activities, and possibly more if asked to serve as an
officer on the Executive Committee
* Contribute to setting the direction of the Guild through
participation on the Governing Board's private discussion
list, and effectively articulate your vision for the HWG
* Reach decisions based on the best interests of the HWG
Inc. corporation as a whole, in cooperation with other
members of the Board
* Be willing to travel (if necessary) on behalf of the Guild
Being on the Governing Board is a major responsibility and
commitment, but it can also be very rewarding to shape the
future of this organization. If you have any questions, feel
free to direct them to gb-search@hwg.org
6. Come to October's Online Town Hall Meeting, Next Thursday!
(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 for October's meeting are:
28 October Town Hall Meeting
Date: Thursday, 28 October 1999
Time: 6:30 p.m. PDT, 9:30 p.m. EDT, 01:30 (28 October) GMT
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.
We look forward to meeting you there!
7. HWG Live! Meet the Guild at Upcoming Events
(Frank Boumphrey, Vice President of Special Events, vp-events@hwg.org)
The HTML Writers Guild Speaker's Bureau is pleased to announce the
following upcoming events featuring HWG presentations:
* Interlab 99
Stanford, California
3-5 November 1999
http://www-project.slac.stanford.edu/interlab99/
HWG President and AWARE Center director Kynn Bartlett be part of a
panel on Web Accessibility at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center's
Interlab 99 conference.
* Builder.Com Live!
New Orleans, Louisiana
7-11 December 1999
http://www.builder.com/live/
The best web design sessions all under one roof in the heart of the
ultimate fun city! HWG presentations include Frank Boumphrey who
will tell you how to "Use ASP to Access XML Data Stores" and the
panel "You Can Build It, But They Won't Come If They Can't:
Accessibility and Your Site" with Kynn Bartlett and others.
If you plan to attend any of these events, please let us know; we'd
love to arrange to meet our fellow Guild members!
8. Frequently Asked Questions about HWG-News Subscriptions
(HWG-News Newsletter Editor, editor@hwg.org)
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?
A. The newsletter is the Guild's administrative bulletin to the
membership. 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 105,000 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 1999, HTML Writers Guild, Inc., All Rights Reserved.
Published monthly via email and WWW.