ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, June 6, 1996 TAG: 9606060043
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: B-8 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: Computer bits
SOURCE: STAFF REPORTS
MEMO: ***CORRECTION***
Published correction ran on June 12, 1996.
The Roanoke County Library's Internet address was incorrect in the
June 6 Computer Bits column. The correct address is:
http://www.co.roanoke.va.us/rclibhp.htm/
THERE'S MORE TO the World Wide Web than finding others. Build your own site, and others will find you.
So you've heard that the Web is the wave of the future and you've surfed it to see what it can do. What's the next step? There are several directions you can go with your newly found toy. One option is to create your own Web site.
As you may have discovered, there are many on-line tools to teach you. By following the instructions outlined at addresses such as Creative Eye: Web publishing for small businesses - and individuals - (http://www.bensonassoc.com/creative-eye/), you could be a Web master in no time.
The Creative Eye says certain types of businesses and individuals could benefit from having Web sites. These include:
* Companies doing business regionally, nationally or globally, meaning they're seeking a wider market than their own localities.
* Companies offering a valuable, unique or hard-to-find service or product.
* Mail-order merchants.
* Businesses with information or free merchandise to share, as well as products or services to sell.
For individuals, in addition to those factors, a Web site can be the place to post personal information such as your resume, a picture of yourself, a unique idea you would like others to know about. The content is totally up to you.
Before you start your Web page, there are a few things you should remember. First, programming is as simple as learning hypertext markup language, or html. Second, remember that this is your page and it can look exactly the way you want it to. It may be in your best interest to sketch a draft first, remembering that the object of creating a Web site is to have people visit it.
If no one uses it or gets anything from it, it is useless. The rule of thumb is to make your design concepts as simple yet as attractive as possible.
Finally, try to limit ideas to the size of a computer screen. The longer the page, the less likely people are to completely pick up your concept because they will leave the site without viewing it entirely.
We are an impatient society. People want information now and won't wait until later. You must provide information that requires the least amount of work from the information seeker as possible. Web pages that do this effectively are visited often and receive the most attention from "Weboholics."
Visit the Creative Eye for a more in-depth look at Web programming and also for helpful books which can teach you more about html. |n n| In an effort to locate Web information that interests Western Virginians, reference librarians at the Roanoke County Public Library headquarters shared a few of their "bookmarks" - Web addresses that visitors to the library use regularly. Here's what your neighbors are eyeing:
* Information about colleges and universities based on schools' population, location, financial aid or any other searchable category? Check out collegeNET.com
* The world's largest phone directory, which has more than 90million individuals' names and 10million businesses listed. Search to find a loved one in India or the number of the Pizza Hut across the street from your cousin's house in L.A. at switchboard.com
* The Virginia Genealogy homepage, which offers information for family historians searching for ship and passenger lists from the Colonial period and later at wp.com/genealogy.
* The Monster Board, a national career information search, will let you research companies and employers. You can post your resume and specify the area of the country you would like to find a job in by going to
http://199.94.216.76:80/home.html
The library also encourages you to check out its new Web site,
co.roanoke.va.us/rclibhp.html.
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