Greetings! One of the current trends in our Information Age is the internet. It is a trend that seems to be establishing itself as a permanent part of our society. Using a home computer, it allows information to be collected and made available around the world. In 5 minutes, one can post a page online and it can be viewed by anyone in your community (and around the world) in seconds.
One of the popular areas of internet activity is on genealogy. The World Wide Web allows for instantaneous sharing of data as never before.
I. What
is the Internet?
II.
Why do we need to get online
III.
What do we need to get online?
A. Equipment
1. Computer
2. Modem
3. Accessories
a. Printer
b. Scanner
B. Software
1. Browser
a. Netscape
b. Explorer
2. Supplementary software
a. HTML authoring
b. FTP
c. Word processing
d. Graphics
e. Plug-ins
C. Service
1. E-mail only
2. National ISP
3. Local ISP
D. Personnel
IV.
How Do We Produce a Web Page
A. Web Space
1. ISP
2. Geocities, Tripod, FortuneCity, etc.
B. HTML authoring software
1. Notepad/Wordpad
2. Netscape Gold / Composer
3. Other software
C. Writing a page
1. Elements
a. Background
b. Text
c. Graphics
d. Music
2. Hyperlinks
3. E-mail links
4. Guestbooks
5. Forms
6. Frames
7. Java
8. Style sheets
9. Resolution
D. Uploading Your Pages
to the Web Server
1. Online uploading (Geocities, Tripod, etc.)
2. FTP progams
V. Features
of your site
A. Information In
B. Information Out
VI.
Miscellaneous
A. Useful sites you may want to link to
B. Mailing lists
C. For further information
Years ago, the United States defense department
set about to establish a way to connect computers around the country via
telephone lines. In the late 80’s and early 90’s, the general public
began to tap into this online method of communications, known as the internet
(or the “net”). Using a computer and modem, one can receive information
from anywhere in the world through a simple phone connection. The
major function of this system of connections, sometimes referred to as
the world-wide web, is to convey information.
Web pages, millions of them, are located on
servers (large computer systems) around the world. When you send
that server a message, it allows you to view the page. The first
web pages consisted only of text. Today’s web pages often add graphics,
music, and even video.
II. Why do we need to get online?
The basic reason is communication. The
internet is a communications tool. The first thing you need to decide
upon is how/why you will use the internet for communicating.
The internet allows you to interact with other family members around the
world. It can be used to post information for your Family Reunions
(meeting dates, events, etc.). It can be used to provide information
on your Family genealogy.
You (or the appropriate group within your
organization) should decide what you want to have on your site. Perhaps
you might want to start with the basic information and add on to it as
time goes by. The decision to go online is sometimes made by a single
person and it sometimes is discussed and voted on by the entire organization.
III. What do we need to get online?
Equipment
The basic equipment needed to get online is
a computer (equipped with a modem). If you want to print a copy of
something from the web, you might want to have a printer. If you’d
like to post pictures on your page, having a scanner is another piece of
equipment you might need.
The most popular computer today is the IBM
compatible, so this guide will deal with that type of computer. Macintosh
computers can also be used, and similar software/hardware exists if that
is what you use. Since the two major browsers require Windows software,
you really need to have at least a 386 computer. A 486 will work
even better. The current CPU being produced is the Pentium and Pentium
II (and its compatibles). If your church has an older 386 or 486,
it will work just fine; but computers with a Pentium CPU will allow you
to work much faster. Most computers purchased today (or recently)
will have Pentium class CPUs.
A modem is needed to covert information
into a form that can be sent over phone lines. Simply put, faster
modems allow web pages to load quicker. A 28.8K modem will take about
half the time of a 14.4K modem in loading web pages. The number relates
to how much information can be sent/received per second. The higher
the number, the faster the transfer.
Chances are that your computer had a modem
installed when you purchased it. Just a few years ago, a 14.4K modem
was standard. If you have one of these older modems, it will work
just fine. But the newer 28.8K and 33.6K modems speed things up considerably.
The newest 56K modems allow even faster connections. In the future,
faster connections such as ISDN and cable may be used to greatly increase
speeds. As the internet get more and more crowded, this will be a
necessary step.
The printer that you use to print documents can be used to print web pages. Besides printing hardcopies of information that you may want to keep, it can be used to print out e-mail. If more than one person is utilizing the e-main service on a computer, you may want to print them out to pass along to the appropriate party.
A scanner is used to turn a photograph into a computer file. If you have photos you would like on your site, you can scan them and put them on your web page. Full page scanners can now be purchased for as little as $100-150. Unless you plan on using many graphics, you might just check with people you know to see if someone already has one. They could scan a few basic pictures and put them on a disk for you to use. Some businesses (ie. copy shops) may offer this service for a small fee. Additionally, there are many graphics available online.
Software
Software consists of the computer programs
themselves. Chances are that your computer already has several of
these already installed. Once you get online, others can be obtained
from the web.
Browser software makes up the interface that
allows you to surf the web. It takes the web pages and converts them
to the text and graphics that show up on your screen. The two most
popular browsers are Netscape Navigator/Communicator
and Internet Explorer. Often, your
Internet Service Provider will provide you with a basic version when you
sign up for their service. The latest versions of both Netscape and
Explorer are also available for free downloading from their websites.
You can use the software that comes from your ISP, and upgrade to a better
version once you get online. Since both are available at no cost,
try them both out and use whichever you prefer. There are differences
in certain features, but they both do the same basic things.
Netscape has been the dominant browser since
it first came out. Netscape 3.0 Gold also allows you to compose web
pages. The newest version, Netscape Communicator (version 4) has
separate components for the Navigator, Composer , and other features.
Composer is the part that allows you to create and edit web pages.
There is a button on Netscape (called “Publish”) that may also allow you
to upload your web pages easier.
Internet Explorer comes with Windows 95, so
it should already be on most newer computers. The lastest version
(4.0) is available for downloading at the Microsoft website.
Besides a browser, the first type of software
that you’ll need is a program to write your web pages. As previously
mentioned, Netscape comes with HTML authoring software. You can also
purchase or download a variety of other programs. If you feel adventurous,
you can even compose the pages using HTML language on Notepad or Wordpad.
Unless you are using a built-in uploading
feature (ie. Publish on Netscape) or your web server has a built in file
manager (ie. Geocities), you will need an FTP program. FTP stands
for File Transfer Protocol. This software allows you to upload (send)
your web pages to the server that is supplying you with web space.
When people visit your website, they are not accessing your computer.
The pages are stored on a web server in some other location for access.
If you want to made or alter any photos or
images, you will need some sort of graphics program. You may want
to change the size of an image, merge two images, write text over an image,
and so on. Windows comes with a simple graphics program, but you
can purchase a variety of others that are more sophisticated. There
are also a number of graphics programs (ie. Paint Shop Pro) that can be
downloaded from the web.
Once you start browsing web pages, you may
see that certain features require plug-ins. These are small programs
that work with your browser for specialized tasks, such as listening to
music or viewing videos. Your browser may have some plug-ins when
you install it. Others can be downloaded from websites.
Service
Once you have your computer and browser software,
you need to sign up to an internet service provider to “surf the web.”
Some basic forms of communication can be used without an ISP, but viewing
web pages requires a service provider.
If you’d like to get your feet wet, but aren’t
ready to try the web, you can get an e-mail account. A service called
Juno allows you to establish a remote e-mail account so that you can send
and receive e-mail without an internet provider. All you need is
an IBM-compatible computer (with a modem) that is running on Windows.
The software to set it up is available for free; you are even encouraged
to share copies with others. They are advertiser-supported, so you
will have to put up with advertising windows with the e-mail. You
can download the software at <http://www.juno.com/> or call for
a free copy at 800-654-JUNO.
The only problems is that the local phone
numbers to access the account are only available in larger cities.
If you live elsewhere, it will be a long distance call. If you only
send or receive a few messages per week, it shouldn’t add up to too much.
While we are talking about e-mail, there are
other ways to obtain e-mail accounts if you have internet service.
Your ISP should provide you with an e-mail account. You can also
obtain other addresses from a variety of sources. Perhaps you may
want separate e-mail addresses if more than one persons are using the same
ISP account. You can obtain a separate e-mail address for each person.
Some of these services charge a fee. There are several places that
offer free e-mail accounts, such as Hotmail
<http://www.hotmail.com>, American
Express <http://www.amexmail.com>, and MailCity
<http://www.mailcity.com/>.
The server you use to store your web pages
will also issue an e-mail account. These extra accounts may just
forward the mail to your ISP account, or they may be stored elsewhere.
If you use different computers and would like to check your mail from various
locations, you might opt for an account that stores your mail for viewing
from any computer. American Express and Mailcity offer this option.
If you want to view web pages, you will need
to be “hooked up” to the web. This is done by establishing an account
with an Internet Service Provider (ISP). There are national and local
ISPs from which to choose.
The most popular national ISP is America Online.
Other large companies, like MCI and BellSouth are also expanding their
internet service. The software to hook up to America Online is free.
They have been giving out free software disks for quite some time now.
It can also be found as an attachment with many computer magazines.
The cost for AOL is about $22.50 per month for unlimited access.
There are a variety of phone numbers available in Louisiana that allow
you to connect to AOL. If there is a local number available, the
only cost for accessing the internet will be the monthly charge.
If there is no local number available, long distance phone charges will
apply and could add up easily.
Your best bet, especially if you don’t have
a local access number to AOL, may be a local ISP. Companies are popping
up every day that offer internet access. If there are several to
choose from, ask around to see what others have to say about them.
Some ISPs give complimentary accounts to non-profit organizations.
You might want to check to see if you can get free service ... it’s worth
a try. Besides an unlimited use account, many ISPs also offer accounts
that offer less time for less money. For example, they might charge
$8 a month for 20 hours of use. If you don’t plan on using the internet
much (ie. just for sending/receiving e-mail and uploading web pages),
this might be the choice for you. If you do happen to use more than
the monthly allotment, there is an hourly fee that applies.
Personnel
Who will be the person or persons responsible
for gathering information, creating pages, and posting them online?
Do you have someone in mind who has volunteered? This publication
will try to instruct the average person in setting up a website; but it
always helps to have someone familiar with computers and/or websites.
You may need someone to gather information.
If you plan to post a lot of information, this may require one or more
persons. These volunteers don’t even have to be computer literate,
since this is just an information-gathering job. You will need someone
to actually put the information in webpage form. It is very helpful
if you have someone familiar with this process, though this publication
should help the novice to create a basic page. The same person may
also be the one to keep the page updated.
IV.
How Do We Produce a Web Page
Web Space
First of all, you will need someplace to store
the pages so that they can be accessed by others. This is not done
on your own computer. You will need to send the pages (upload) to
a remote location onto a device called a server. A server is a larger
computer with special connections and software. They allow you a
certain amount of space on which to load your pages. There are several
sources for web space.
If you are connected to the internet through
an internet service provider (ISP), they often offer a certain amount of
webspace to their subscribers. They usually offer 1 or 2 megabytes
of space, enough for dozens of pages of text with pictures (or hundreds
of pages of text alone).
There are also several other sources for free
web space on the internet. The oldest is Geocities
<http://www.geocities.com>. Others include Tripod
<http://www.tripod.com/> and Fortune
City <http://www.fortunecity.com/>. They offer from
2 to 11 megabytes of free web space. They also offer information
that helps you to create pages without knowing about HTML language.
They also offer on online file uploading service, so you don’t have to
bother with an FTP program to send in your pages. They have recently
started more pronounced advertising, however. Usually, a pop-up advertising
window will be created when you go to one of the sites from these companies.
If you don't want to subject your visitors, they often offer a service
level whereby the ads will not pop up. Geocities, for example, offers
Geoplus service for about $5 a month, which eliminates the ads, gives you
more webspace, and provides several other services.
If your page will offer some genealogy, Rootsweb
<http://www.rootsweb.com/> is another source of webspace. Although
they accept contributions, the space is free for genealogical sites; and
you don't have to worry about pop up advertising.
Once you obtain web space for your family site,
you should know the URL, or internet address. The general form has
several parts. Most web sites start with “http://”, which stands
for hypertext transfer protocol. It’s not necessary to understand
what that means ... it is just computer language that must be included.
The second part usually points to the server
that holds your pages. For example, if you are using space by
Rootsweb, the next part will be “www.rootsweb.com/”. The final part
points to your specific web pages. For example, the URL for the Terrebonne
Parish, Louisiana website is <http://www.rootsweb.com/~laterreb/>.
If your space is on Rootsweb, your address will be similar to that address,
except the “~laterreb” part will be replaced by your identification name
that you submit. With this address, anyone in the world can type
it in and will be taken to your web site.
HTML Authoring
Software
Once you have someplace to put your pages,
they need to be created. As previously mentioned, some servers (Geocities,
Tripod, etc.) have on-line pages that help you to create a site.
Otherwise, you will need software with which to create your pages.
HTML is the computer language of webpages.
Chances are that you don’t know the HTML language. If you do, you
can use a basic text editor, like notepad or wordpad in Windows.
If you (or the person responsible for creating the pages) know HTML, chances
are that you already know most of the information in this publication.
But if you don’t, you might not want to learn a new “language” just to
put up a web site. If you use a WYSIWYG (what you see is what you
get) program, you don’t need to know HTML. For example, you
just need to click on a couple of menu buttons to add graphics, change
text size, and so on. HTML language requires specific codes to do
each of these things. One of the most common (and easiest to get)
WYSIWYG web page editors comes with the Netscape browser. Many ISPs
offer Netscape for free when you sign up. Also, the Netscape browser
and composer component can be downloaded for free <http://www.netscape.com/>.
Netscape 3.0 Gold includes the browser and the web page composer software.
The latest version, Netscape Communicator 4 also has a Composer component.
There are other software packages (Front Page,
Hot Metal, Hot Dog, etc.) that allow you to create web pages ... some are
WYSIWYG and some are not. Check with a computer software store if
you are interested in another program. Since the competition for
web browsers has increased, the Netscape company offers their program for
free. That’s a price that should fit any organization’s budget.
Once you get online, you will find a number
of links and aids at Cyndi Howell's "How to Do a Web Page” site at <http://www.CyndisList.com/construc.htm>.
Writing a page
You will need to put a title on your
page. For programs like Netscape Gold or Netscape Composer, you just
need to click on the appropriate menu items and type it in. The same
goes for the author of the page and keywords. In the keywords box,
you’ll want to type in words that relate to your web site (like your town,
the surname, etc.). Search engines use these keywords to help others
find your site.
You need to set the background.
You can set it to be a solid color. You can also use a graphic that
will be tiled across the page. There are numerous sites that contain
background graphics that your can use. Even if you are using a graphic
background, set up a solid color background that is similar to your graphic.
If the background graphic won’t load, you’ll still be able to see the text.
You also set the colors for text and for hyperlinked text. Be careful
of the background/text combination you use. Don’t use a combination
that is hard to read.
At this point, you could start with a blank
page and simply type in the desired text like you were typing
into a word processor (assuming you are using a WYSIWYG editor).
Any writing that appears on the page is called text. Some of the
things you might want to post include: worship schedule, church groups,
mission statement, staff, contact information, church calender. Once
you have the basic text input, you may want to manipulate it. You
can enlarge the size of the title, change the color of subtitles, set certain
sections in bold print, and so on.
You can also add graphics. This
could be as simple as a clip art outline of a cross or as complicated as
a moving animation of a spinning cross. There are numerous online
sites offering graphics that you can copy and use at your site. Graphics
can make a plain page interesting. There are several tips to remember
when adding graphics.
Let’s just look at a couple of other things
before we move on. If you web site will consist of more than a couple
of pages, you might want to consider a style sheet. That means that
you develop a style and stick with it throughout the site. For example,
each page will have the background, style of text, and same navigation
buttons at the bottom. It is a good idea to put a menu or navigation
buttons on each page. They could have links to the main page, key
pages at the site, previous and next pages, e-mail, etc.
Also, as you add information your page will
tend to get long, so that the viewer must scroll down to see more information.
It is usually a good idea to make the pages as short as possible ... even
to the point of fitting everything on one screen. Some people don’t
want to bother scrolling down and might miss something at your site.
One of the best ways to compress information is to use tables. HTML
is not very flexible. If you want to put a paragraph embedded with
graphics, a table is the best thing to use.
One final consideration is the width of your page. Although it is common to have your monitor set at a resolution of 600x800 pixels (are perhaps higher), many viewers are still using 480x640 resolutions ... including those who are using WebTV. To make sure your site look okay to the maximum number of viewers, try to keep your information less than 640 pixels or less across.
Uploading
Your Pages to the Web Server
Once your web pages are created, you need
to copy them to the web space at the server. This is called uploading.
If you are composing your page with Netscape, you may want to use the
built-in ‘publish’ feature. If you are using web space at places
like Geocities or Tripod, they have uploading pages available at their
websites. If you are using web space on your ISP, you will need an
FTP program.
The two most common programs are CuteFTP
<http://www.cuteftp.com/> and WS_FTP
<http://www.ipswitch.com/>. Both are available as shareware.
You can download them for free, but they request that you send in a registration
payment if you continue to use them past the evaluation date. Your
web space provider will give you a user ID and password that must be put
into the program. Seconds after you upload your pages, you will be
able to view them at your site.
Information “Out”
One of the first things you’ll want to do
is to post the basic information on your church. You can start with
text only and add graphics, music, etc. as you become more familiar with
the web. Some types of information you might want to give out are:
worship schedule, church groups, mission statement, staff, contact information,
church calender, church news, and so on. At first, you might fit
everything on one long page. As the site develops, you will probably
want to use one page per subject and link them all together.
Visit a number of Family websites to get an
idea of what may be offered. A list of Acadian Surname websites can
be found at the Surnames & Researchers page
<http://www.acadian-cajun.com/surnamr.htm> at my Acadian-Cajun
site.
Information “In”
You will probably want to include a method
for viewers to contact you. Besides listing the mailing address and
phone number, you can also give your e-mail address. The simplest
way to do this is to create an e-mail link (see above).
A more complex method is to use forms.
Using a form, they just fill in the blanks and it can be automaticallly
sent to you. Forms require some knowledge of CGI scripts. This
guide will not go into the details, but you can find more information on
CGI online or in books.
A. Useful sites you may want to link to
There are a number of sites that you
may want to check out. You may want to provide a Links page on your
site. A Links page consists of a number of hyperlinks to other websites.
A large list of websites related to Acadian-Cajun genealogy & history
can be found at the Links
page <http://www.acadian-cajun.com/genlink.htm> at my Acadian-Cajun
site.
B. Mailing lists
You can sign up to a variety of mailing lists
on various topics. When someone sends in a message to the mailing
list, it is sent out to everyone who signed up to the list.
I have an Acadian-Cajun mailing list at Genweb.
Just send an e-mail to majordomo@genweb.net and type subscribe acadian-cajun
as the body of the message. To post to the list, send e-mail to acadian-cajun@listserv.northwest.com
There are also mailing lists for surnames and geographical
regions. Both Genweb and Rootsweb
have large lists of such mailing lists.
C. For further information
If you need further help or have other questions,
please contact me at <hebert@cheerful.com>.