As I've mentioned, I've decided to bring together all of my online presence and self into one reflective website. Turns out, even with the right tools there is a lot to learn when it comes to creating a website.
First, I started out trying to learn Adobe Dreamweaver. It's a great program that allows you to design a website and it will write the code for you. Very helpful considering learn HTML coding is quite a process (here is a list of some of the most basic little phrases you have to be able to recall to format content). I'm trying to do the majority of my work in the 'split screen' view, so I at least get to see what is happening to the code as I change and reformat the page.
Currently my website creating is, unfortunately, on hold as I have no clue how to make the website do all of the cool things that in my head it needs to do. I have this menu bar on the left with a number of options that you can look at. Clicking on these options will link to online PDF documents, basic text information, or images that will then pop up in an adjacent box, but I don't know how to make it so that you click on them and then it pulls the information up without directing you to a new page. Or maybe it will have to be a new page. Or maybe there is some magialc way to put content in the same spot but make it only visible if you click on a link. Anyway, the answer to this question is what is keeping my from having my new website up and running, and I hope like crazy that I will learn the solution sometime next week. (here's hoping)
I've heard of this great website tutorial program through lynda.com which a few friends have recommended and which, during my vast time being fUnemployed I thought learning a new program and language (as much as I want to emphasize Spanish, strangely I don't feel it's as marketable of a skill as website design is) would be a good use of time (and yes, $25 for a month of unlimited access). It's a website that has countless tutorials on thousands of programs, giving you direct lessons on how to make programs work to their full capacity. Dreamweaver and I are going to become good friends during the month I have access.
And then I started looking into search engine optimization--in other words, how to make it so your website shows up in a Google search. There is so much information about how to do this and how not to and I don't know if I understand much of any of it so far! What's interesting is that Google has a formal, free, simple submission processs so that their codes and algorithms will decide if your website is something people want to see in a search! And they have lots of great webmaster tools and guidelines to help you create your sight so it's searchable.
Okay okay, I really don't need to get into that amount of depth with the optimization stuff until I actually learn how to build the website, so instead of reading on with that I put it aside to write this post and then refocus my energy on learning about instructing yoga for breast cancer survivors. (A new gig to keep me entertained and serving those around me, I'll be writing on that come Monday!)
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