Web Bytes
===========
It's hot. Everyone's doing it. You're not quite sure what it is, but you
know you want it. We're talking about Web pages, of course.

I'll try to demystify some of the information you need to know to get on
the web. This is just an overview -- but I hope it helps you surf smarter!



What is it?
-------------
The World Wide Web (WWW or web) is like an international, electronic
encyclopedia. Individuals and companies alike can place their pages into
this encyclopedia. The pages may contain text, pictures, video, and even
sound.

Just like your copy of Compton's, the web is linked. Certain words on a web
page will appear in a different color -- this indicates it's a link. Select
that word, and you'll be whisked away to another page with more information
on that subject.

The page you end up at may be just another page at the same computer. Or it
may be a page at another site at the same computer. Or it may be a page at
another site, at a different computer -- halfway around the world! This is
one of the beauties of the web: you never know where you'll end up.

One of the reasons so many people enjoy surfing the web is because they
have more control over what they view: they can read only subjects of
interest to them, by choosing appropriate links.



How do I get to the Web?
--------------------------------
I'll assume you want to know how to get to the web via CompuServe (CIS). In
that case, you need to download CIS' browser (software that allows you to
view web pages): go netlauncher.

Once you've installed the software, run it -- this will automatically take
you to CIS' home page.

TIP:  If you don't want Mosaic to automatically load a home page on
startup, select the Options Menu|Configuration. Under home page, uncheck
the box labeled "Load automatically at startup."

To open a web page whose address you have, select File|Open URL and type in
the address.

You can use any browser with CIS, but that's another file.



I want one: how much will it COST?
_______________________________________
You'll hate the answer to this question: it depends. There are many
different options for placing your home page (see
http://users.aol.com/qualitty/webpost.html for basic instructions on
posting on the web).

Here is a brief overview of some of your options:

1. CIS will be offering 1 MB space for your home page as part of your basic
monthly fee.

2. Your ISP (Internet Services Provider) may also offer you space for your
home page -- usually at approximately $20 - 30/month.

3. Average costs of renting space on a server is $30-50/month for
approximately 1 MB space.

4. Cybermalls, which may help you with your marketing and traffic, also
cost $30-50/month for 1 MB space on the average.

All of the above fees are estimates, and depend on the services you
require. Most of these prices do not include html authoring, graphics
design, or setup costs.



How do I let people know about my masterpiece?
--------------------------------------------------------------

There are essentially five ways to market your web page:

1. Make sure the address is on all your marketing materials -- that
includes business cards, stationery, brochures, newsletters, and e-mail
correspondence.

2. Become active in the forums your target market frequents -- and make
sure your web page address is in your signature file, if the forum allows
it (not all forums do).

3. Send press releases about your web page to the relevant newsletters,
newspapers, and magazines.

4. Announce your web page to appropriate newsgroups. One to try is:
comp.infosystems.www.announce. Be careful -- make sure you know the
newsgroup's rules on announcing. There's nothing surer to garner bad pr
than announcing your web page in inappropriate locations.

5. Last, but certainly not least, place your web page with search engines.
These are web sites that allow surfers to search for web sites with
keywords of interest to them. Some search engines allow you to post to many
different sites at one time. Below is a list of some of these, marked up in
html. To use, cut the marked text and save to a file with an .htm extension
(maybe search.htm). Then open the file in your browser (File|Open file),
and you can point and click to these sites. Cut here.

<html><body><ul><li><a href="http://www.cs.colostate.edu/~dreiling/smarform.html">SavySearch</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.infoseek.com">InfoSeek</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.intbc.com/sleuth/">Internet Sleuth</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.albany.net/~wcross/all1srch.html">All-In-One-Search Page</a></li>
<li><a href="http://submit-it.permalink.com/submit-it/">Submit-It</a></li></ul></body></html>

End cut.

NOTE: Web pages are written in html (hypertext markup language). The above
is an example of html. Html can be written in any ascii text editor -- but
there are also editors that make using the tags (<html>) just a button
click away.

The web is a fascinating place -- and it's growing at an astronomical rate!
I hope this file has helped clear up some of your questions. Feel free to
e-mail further questions to 73621,400. Happy surfing!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Judy Litt is the owner of QuaLitty Design, a graphic design company based
in Austin, TX. Want to learn even more about the web? Check out QuaLitty's
home page at http://users.aol.com/qualitty/qdhome.html/