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What! You don't have a web page?!!
Do you want one?
No Email address either?
I'll tell you where you can get both, free!
I'll show you some of the things that I have learned through trial and error
about how to get a web page, where to go, how to start your first page, a little about HTML,
and a few tips on using a screen reader called,
JAWS for WINDOWS
All for free!!
Your results may vary according to the browser that you use,
and according to where you choose to have your web page.
If you use this screen reader, you're in luck, because I do as well.
There for, this document contains some key strokes and some instructions specific to the JAWS for WINDOWS 3.2 screen reader.
However, anyone can follow my steps and take advantage
of the tips, hints, lists, and links included on this page.
Using the JAWS for WINDOWS screen reader, I'll show you ways that I have found,
around certain obsticles
that you may encounter while using your screen reader to set up or sign up for your web page,
As well as some ideas on how to get around some obsticles
encountered while editing a page of HTML
or surfing the net.
If you have experienced, or know of other ways around similar problems,
write to me and I'll include your tips on this page.
You can navigate to any of the sections, links, or lists
included on this page, by clicking the links above.
The URL addresses in the lists, you'll have to copy and enter yourself.
If you are using JAWS for WINDOWS 3.2, or 3.3,
to get to the links on this page,
use the tab key or:
Use the key stroke, insert plus f 5, to reformat the page,
then the key stroke, insert plus f 7, you can then arrow up and down through the links.
I am not promoting any particular
place, product, person, or thing ...
You can find a similar list anywhere on the net.
Back to Page Navigation
____
Hello there reader. My name is Stan.
I learned most all of what I know about web page design,
surfing the net, and using this screen reader, through hour after hour of trial and error.
Though I've learned a great deal, I certainly have a long way to go.
Please keep this in mind should you encounter any misinformation on this page;
God forbid!
This help page came about as the result
of some reminders that I'd been
writing to myself.
After a good number of these reminders had piled up,
it just began to look like
a help file.
I sure wish that I'd had
something like this when I established my first WebPage.
This document will not teach you everything you need to know about writing HTML
or web page design; nor will it turn you into a professional web page designer.
It will, however, give you some ideas as to where to go to get started on a web page of your own,
introduce you to, and give you a general, over all look
at HTML
and show you some of the ways that HTML is used
to create or enhance your web page.
Having learned on my own, some of the technical terms may reflect my own interpretations.
This is the method that workes for me. My page does exactly what I want it to do,
I'm satisfied.
This method, may or may not work for you, However,
if you follow along, you should end up with at least a
basic understanding of how to sign up for and get started on your web page,
as well as a general idea as to how to use some HTML within your page.
You may even end up with a half decent page of your own!
I've found that for me, I get a better over all page if I
try to visualize the web page in several different ways.
It helps me, to visualize the page, through JAWS descriptions,
and verbal descriptions from family and friends,
as to how it might look on the screen.
I also think of it as a printed sheet. With a picture or two, here and there.
As well, I imagine how it might look as a brailled sheet.
How the paragraphs might be arranged and what information would go where.
There are quite a few places on the net
that offer free web space for your pages.
You can find a great many through any of the search engines.
Just go online, type in the address of your favorite search engine,
go to the search field, type: free web space, free web pages,
or something similar, hit the search button, and you'll find more than enough.
I like Alta Vista myself.
For those who use JAWS for WINDOWS 3.2, Go on line, type in this address:
www.altavista.com/,
tab down to where it says, edit,
type in, free web pages, free web space, or something similar,
tab down to the search button, press the space bar, and you'll find more than enough.
When the search is returned, tab down through the list of choices and choose one.
When you have chosen one of the dozen or so sites that offer free web space,
where your home page will be;
enter the address to get to that site,
then look down through the links until you find something that says:
FREE WEB SPACE!, free home pages! or the equivalent, and click on it.
You can then follow the prompts.
You will be asked to fill out a form.
Within the form, You will be asked to enter a user ID name.
This can be nearly any combination of alpha/numerical characters.
You will be informed as to the number of and the specific characters you can, and can not use.
The same applies for the password you will be asked to enter.
This password is to protect your privacy.
Once you have fulfilled the requirements and hit the submit button,
the site will be very helpful in getting you started.
One of the first things you'll want to do is, find out your URL address.
The address you and your friends will have to enter to get to your page.
If you use JAWS for WINDOWS 3.2, when filling out the form for your page,
use the key stroke, control plus insert plus numb pad seven to get the cursor to the first edit field.
There after, you can tab down through the fields, typing in the appropriate information.
Once in a while, you may have to route the JAWS cursor to the PC cursor,
insert plus numb pad minus,
and then arrow up and down to understand what information the fields are requiring.
Some of the fields will all ready have information there--in a combo box,
from which you select an answer.
For instance, your birth year.
Open the list box with the key stroke, ALT plus down arrow,
then arrow up and down
until you find the appropriate year,
close the list with the key stroke, ALT plus up arrow,
and tab down to the next field.
Later on, after you've established a page,
some of the same things might work when you are experimenting with your site's built in editors.
I've noticed, at two separate sites, while using their editors,
JAWS will speak a line and indicate that the check box is checked,
When you are actually checking and unchecking the line above.
I plan to deal with this, and show you some ways around other obsticles, in later documents.
Again I ask,
If you have experienced, or know of, other ways of getting around similar problems,
let me know, I'll include your tips on this page.
Once you have established a page,
you will find all sorts of help with getting started on creating it,
right there at that site.
After you become a member (free)
you will be entitled to the use of one or more editors-- provided by the site.
The Editors will differ according to where you have established your web page.
These editors will help you in creating your pages.
With them you can,
up load files, write HTML,
add sound to your page, include images, and much more.
The site will also provide tutorials on how to use these editors,
remember, the editors will differ for whatever site you choose,
so look for these tutorials for help on the specifics of your particular editor.
For example, I have these pages, right here at:
www.fortunecity.com/,
I like the editors here. Especially the File Manager.
Using a few tricks, i'm able to design and write pages through the file manager.
However, I also have a page with:
www.geocities.com,
I haven't had a lot of success with any of their editors as of yet.
Being a member will also give you access to each sites message boards
where you can ask questions, get answers, or read questions and give answers,
You'll find a list of frequently asked questions or (FAQS),
as they are called, at nearly all the sites that will help you to get started as well.
Check out the place, leave messages on the message boards,
read the FAQS, email your neighbors at the site,
look up some of the HTML tutorials, and you'll be well on your way.
Good luck!
I would be very interested in seeing your page when you are ready.
Write to me, give me your URL address, and I'll come and have a look.
I might even pick up a few tricks.
You may choose not to use any of the editors provided by the sites.
Nearly all of the sites allow you to up load files through an FTP.
If you decide to create your pages in this way,
you will need to find and down load a program such as:
WS_FTP, HotDog, or something similar,
Then you can write your pages using notepad or wordpad,
and have the program up load them directly to your site.
In the beginning if I were you, i would stick with the editors provided by the site.
Especially if you are new to all of this.
Most of these editors will also allow you to up load files
directly from your computer or your floppy drive.
Up loading files using an FTP program will involve much more learning and experience.
Especially if you use a screen reader.
Certain programs, software, and even some web pages
are sometimes difficult for the
screen reader to read correctly.
For instance, I have the program, ws_ftp,
and use JAWS for WINDOWS as a reader,
and have attempted several times to have ws_ftp
up load some files, but while in this program, JAWS for WINDOWS
has a hard time finding the buttons.
.
Sometimes I have to activate the JAWS cursor--numb pad minus--
locate the appropriate button,
and then hit the keyboard's (left mouse button) numb pad slash, to activate the button.
All of the files for this page were up loaded using this site's built in editors.
They are provided free to members.
There are also HTML editors available that you use right on your computer.
These types of editors are for writing HTML pages only.
They will not up load files for you.
I have Front Page Express, on my computer.
With an editor such as this, you can open a page within the editor
and simply type your page. The editor will fill in the basic HTML for you.
There are also tools included in the editor
to help you, insert images, insert links, tables, etc.
I haven't had a lot of success with using this type of HTML editor
in conjunction with a screen reader.
I have a lot more control and flexibility with my page when I write in my own HTML.
The only thing that I have found an HTML editor useful for so far,
is to tell me the sizes (height and width)
of my graphics, images, and animations.
Using an HTML editor and up loading files
with an FTP program will be dealt with in later documents.
Now, imagine you have a blank sheet of paper to work with.
Notepad or wordpad are both good editors,
all though in notepad, sometimes JAWS doesn't read the entire line.
So I use wordpad for most of my editing.
Next we need some tools.
One good tool is HTML.
You'll need to learn some "HTML", technically known as,
(hyper text markup language)
if you want to have more control over designing and formatting your page in any way.
There are some examples below, that will introduce you to the basics of HTML.
You can learn more about writing HTML and web page design
at one of the sites listed on this page, or through a search engine.
Alta Vista is one that I frequent a lot.
Go to the search engine, in the search field type,
HTML tutorials, help with web pages,
or something to that effect,
hit the search button and take your pick.
Check out the lists at the end of this page,
for places where you can find tutorials on linking pages, basic HTML, and web page design.
For those who use JAWS for WINDOWS 3.2, follow the directions above.
Remember to use your tab button to tab down through the links
and your space bar to click the buttons.
For the following examples
If you use JAWS for WINDOWS 3.2 when reading this document,
the reader will not speak the characters, less than, and greater than, along with
several others, as they are written.
You will need to go back and examine each character individually
to discern the exact characters for each example.
Also note, the greater-than and less-than signs have been changed to ( and ) for this document.
Of course, you change them back to "less-than" and "greater-than" when creating your links/page.
Okay, let's take a look at a line of HTML
that creates a link.
example 1.
(A HREF="http://westwood.fortunecity.com/byrite/223/cmydocuments/webhelp1.html")
I want my own web space(/A)
The codes are simply lines of alpha-numerical characters.
These lines have what are called, tags, an opening tag and a closing tag.
In example 1, the (A is for anchor, part of the opening tag,
the HREF= is asking for somewhere to link to,
and the (/A) is the closing tag.
The URL address of the page you are creating a link to, goes between the quotes.
The title of the page goes between the closing tag and the last quote.
The text between the tags is all that will show up on your page, as a hyper link.
These links are used to:
connect to other pages, open sound files, and link to other sites, etc.
Suppose you are writing about your hobbies and you decide
to write a separate page for each hobby.
In order to link those pages together,
you create and insert an HTML code or link.
These lines can be inserted anywhere on the page
with their accompanying opening and closing tags respectfully.
The tags tell the browser that there is a link there.
The browser then looks at the characters Between the quotes, within the tags,
goes to the address there in, and opens the page title whithin the tags.
Your HTML codes for your links can generally be inserted anywhere
within the body tags on your page.
Let's say the title of the page that you want to create a link to is:
My Hobbies,
and the URL address is:
www.me.com
and the page's file name is:
hobbies.html
Then your link would look something like this:
example 2.
(a href="http://www.me.com/hobbies.html")My Hobbies(/a)
end of example 2.
To link to a sound or an image file from your page, first,
you need to up load the file into the space provided by your site
using the site's file manager or an FTP program.
Once the file is there, you write a link to it.
For instance, lets say your address is:
http://www.me.com,
and your file directory, where the file is stored, is:
/mypics/ or /mysounds/,
and that the file name is picture.gif or sound.wav,
and the name for your link is, Big Sound, or Big Picture,
then your link would look something like this:
example 3. image:
(a href="http://www.me.com/mypics/picture.gif")Big Picture(/a)
end of example 3.
example 4. sound:
(a href="http://www.me.com/mysounds/sound.wav")Big Sound(/a)
end of example 4.
Just keep in mind, you'll have to have the files loaded onto your site in order for them to open.
Back to Page NavigationThe codes to link to other sites are quite similar.
You insert the site's addr ess between the quotes,
and the site's name between the closing tag and the last quote.
Say you wanted to create a link from your page
to another page who's address happened to be:
www.you.com.
And you decided to call the link, To Get To You,
Then your link would look something like this:
example 5.
(a href="www.you.com")To Get To You(/a) end of example 5.
To learn more about creating links
There are a great many places that offer tutorials on linking files and pages.
Most of them are free. See the lists and links at the end of this page.
HTML is a group of key words or letters.
In most cases,(they are prefixed by the less than and suffixed by the greater than.
these are stratigically placed within your page to create paragraphs,
to separate lines, to hold text and/or images within a"table", and in general, used to format your page.
These key words or letters are also called tags.
For instance, the main body of your page will go in between what are called "body tags".
These "body tags" are simply the word, BODY, that begin with the less than sign, and end with the greater than sign.
The opening "body tag", will be the word, BODY, prefixed with the less-than, and suffixed with the greater-than
, while the closing, "body tag", is the same
, only a slash is inserted between the less-than and the letter, B, in the word BODY.
Example a.
Opening body tag,
(body)
the text of your page goes here
Closing body tag,
(/body)
end of example a.
You'll notice that both the opening tag and the closing tag
begin with less-than, and they both end with, greater-than.
The closing tag is disstinguished by the slash, just after the less-than.
While the opening tag has only the less-than, with no slash.
There are many other words and letters like this, when placed within your page,
they tell the browser to display the text in a specified way.
Another example is the letter, P--again,
with the less-than and greater-than--when placed at the beginning of a line on your page,
it tells the browser to begin a paragraph there.
example b.
(p)This is the month of spring.(/p)
end of example b.
I could go on giving you example after example but, at this point,
it probably wouldn't mean a whole lot to you.
I learned a great many of these key words and letters, and how they are used,
by examining the source codes
of nearly every page my browser opened, while surfing the net.
If you do not all ready know how to do this,
go online, open any page and under the "view" menu,
click "source".
Your browser will display the page, showing you all of the HTML codes
and tags that were not visible before when you viewed it as a normal web page.
You can then see for yourself what letters and words are used, and the changes they make to the page,
by viewing both the source page and the normal page, side by side.
For users of JAWS for WINDOWS 3.2,
To view the source code of a page, while online, open any page.
Press the ALT key to get to the menu bar, right arrow twice to "view",
down arrow to "source", and hit return.
To toggle between the source page and the normal page, use the key stroke, alt plus tab.
end of note.
Attempting to view the source code for this page will only reveal the source behind the links.
I have used very little HTML, because I want this to be a text only page.
Again, I suggest that you check out the lists and links at the end of this page,
for a more detailed and comprehensive look into writing HTML.
You can write just plain text without any HTML and it will still load up
but your page will view as a text only page
and will have lost any formatting that you may have done.
You can leave it at this for a simple but neat looking page,
all be it, a little plain,
Or you can learn how to include tables and other HTML,
images and graphics, music and other sounds,
and mold your page into anything that you want it to be.
I hope that this will get you started on your web page.
Search for some of those HTML tutorials and study them.
When you get your page established, experiment with your site's editors.
If you work hard enough and long enough, and really want your own page,
eventually, you'll get the hang of it and have a really unique page.
I encourage you to join us, right here at Fortune City,
where you'll find
all of the help that you'll need to begin
working on a web page of your own.
I am not promoting any particular
place, product, person, or thing ...
A similar list can be found anywhere on the net.
Back to Page Navigation
Note: You will have to copy and insert the following URL addresses for yourself.
end of note.
Note: You will have to copy and insert the following URL addresses for yourself.
I strongly suggest that you sign up for your
free web space, right here at FortuneCity.
I have checked out a great many sites that offer free web space,
and in my oppinion, FortuneCity is the best!
end of note.
Note: You will have to copy and insert the following URL addresses for yourself.
end of note.
You may be able to find some free, or trial versions of HTML editors
at Microsoft's home page.
www.microsoft.com/
Or try using one of the search engines
by typing Free HTML Editors,
into the search field.
Here are a couple of places where you can find all sorts of
graphics, clip art, animations, wav and midi sounds, web designing tools, etc.
You can link directly to the following URL addresses from this page.
This place contains many links to other places where you can learn all you'll need to know to have a really professional looking page.
A great place for all kinds of help with web page design, including linking pages, HTML tutorials, and more.
Here is a place that will teach you all you need to know about writing HTML
Included is a great tutorial which you can download right from the site,
and much, much more.
At this site you'll find tons and tons of free graphics, sounds, tools, and more and more ...
I plan to have the WS_FTP program available for down loading
from this page very soon. In the mean time,
you can get it from the link above.
Tell them I said hello!
For a FREE demo version of JAWS for WINDOWS 3.5
As well as information about assistive technology
Once again, I encourage you to go to your favorite search engine
to find all of the above and much, much more, for yourself!
This page was last updated on Thursday, August 12, 1999
Stan Bobbitt August, 1999.
