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Author authoring tool recemmendation
goldenbuff

2006-08-27, 6:39 pm

Greetings:

I am a parent volunteer for a swim team website (makoswim.org) and am
looking for a recommendation for a new web authoring tool .

While I am somewhat technically oriented and have some knowledge of
HTML but not a deep techie. I want to give this site an extreme
makeover. The tool I've been using has probably outlived it's
usefulness (IBM Websphere Home Page Builder
- out of support).


I need something easy to use. I'd like to add multilevel menus, perhaps

a secure page for members, create surveys etc. Online tutorials or
education would be a plus however I don't have alot of disposable time

for a steep learning curve.


I played around with an older version of NetObjects Fusion V7 but found

it cumbersome. I am tempted to buy Dreamweaver but I'd like to hear
what this forum might recommend.


Lastly the other consideration is that I may only do this for another
year or two and someone without any technical background may inherit.


THANKS in advance!

TS Moderator

2006-08-27, 6:39 pm


goldenbuff wrote:
> Greetings:
>
> I am a parent volunteer for a swim team website (makoswim.org) and am
> looking for a recommendation for a new web authoring tool .
>
> While I am somewhat technically oriented and have some knowledge of
> HTML but not a deep techie. I want to give this site an extreme
> makeover. The tool I've been using has probably outlived it's
> usefulness (IBM Websphere Home Page Builder
> - out of support).
>
>
> I need something easy to use. I'd like to add multilevel menus, perhaps
>
> a secure page for members, create surveys etc. Online tutorials or
> education would be a plus however I don't have alot of disposable time
>
> for a steep learning curve.
>
>
> I played around with an older version of NetObjects Fusion V7 but found
>
> it cumbersome. I am tempted to buy Dreamweaver but I'd like to hear
> what this forum might recommend.
>
>
> Lastly the other consideration is that I may only do this for another
> year or two and someone without any technical background may inherit.
>
>
> THANKS in advance!



I use Frontpage 2003. It is very easy and intuitive and there are a
lot of books on it. It lacks the power of the DreamWeaver Suite.
Depends what you want to do, and how much you are willing to learn.

goldenbuff

2006-08-27, 6:39 pm

Thanks for suggestion. Frontpage is disco'd so not sure that's the one
I want to use but if it's intuitive it may be worth a look even it is
Microsoft.



TS Moderator wrote:
> goldenbuff wrote:
>
>
> I use Frontpage 2003. It is very easy and intuitive and there are a
> lot of books on it. It lacks the power of the DreamWeaver Suite.
> Depends what you want to do, and how much you are willing to learn.


goldenbuff

2006-08-27, 6:39 pm

Thanks for suggestion. Frontpage is disco'd so not sure that's the one
I want to use but if it's intuitive it may be worth a look even it is
Microsoft.



TS Moderator wrote:
> goldenbuff wrote:
>
>
> I use Frontpage 2003. It is very easy and intuitive and there are a
> lot of books on it. It lacks the power of the DreamWeaver Suite.
> Depends what you want to do, and how much you are willing to learn.


Jerry Stuckle

2006-08-27, 6:39 pm

goldenbuff wrote:
> Greetings:
>
> I am a parent volunteer for a swim team website (makoswim.org) and am
> looking for a recommendation for a new web authoring tool .
>
> While I am somewhat technically oriented and have some knowledge of
> HTML but not a deep techie. I want to give this site an extreme
> makeover. The tool I've been using has probably outlived it's
> usefulness (IBM Websphere Home Page Builder
> - out of support).
>
>
> I need something easy to use. I'd like to add multilevel menus, perhaps
>
> a secure page for members, create surveys etc. Online tutorials or
> education would be a plus however I don't have alot of disposable time
>
> for a steep learning curve.
>
>
> I played around with an older version of NetObjects Fusion V7 but found
>
> it cumbersome. I am tempted to buy Dreamweaver but I'd like to hear
> what this forum might recommend.
>
>
> Lastly the other consideration is that I may only do this for another
> year or two and someone without any technical background may inherit.
>
>
> THANKS in advance!
>


Learning HTML is always the best. It's not that hard, and it beats any
WYSIWYG on the market.

Dreamweaver is expensive, but it is, IMHO, better than most other
WYSIWYG editors on the market. You could do a lot worse.

I'd highly recommend staying away from MS products such as Word or
FrontPage. They generate some of the worse HTML I've ever seen.

And once you have something made up, come on back here. The regulars
here will be glad to help you with constructive suggestions.

--
==================
Remove the "x" from my email address
Jerry Stuckle
JDS Computer Training Corp.
jstucklex@attglobal.net
==================
TechnoHippie

2006-08-27, 6:39 pm

"goldenbuff" <dmarrese@XXXXXXXXXX> wrote in news:1156702567.163171.252450
@p79g2000cwp.googlegroups.com:

> Greetings:
>
> I am a parent volunteer for a swim team website (makoswim.org) and am
> looking for a recommendation for a new web authoring tool .


If you've made it past the anti-FrontPage and pro-Textpad posts, you might
want to give AceHTML [http://software.visicommedia.com/en/] a go. I keep
trying others but this one is my favorite.

Judy
--
Trippy Triangle: http://technohippie.com
Carlin on God: http://tinyurl.com/hmt43 (For Wayne :)
The Usenet Improvement Project: http://blinkynet.net/comp/uip5.html

--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

goldenbuff

2006-08-27, 6:39 pm

Thanks Judy....looks promising and it's inexpensive.

ps....
can it do nested menu's?

Dominic


TechnoHippie wrote:
> "goldenbuff" <dmarrese@XXXXXXXXXX> wrote in news:1156702567.163171.252450
> @p79g2000cwp.googlegroups.com:
>
>
> If you've made it past the anti-FrontPage and pro-Textpad posts, you might
> want to give AceHTML [http://software.visicommedia.com/en/] a go. I keep
> trying others but this one is my favorite.
>
> Judy
> --
> Trippy Triangle: http://technohippie.com
> Carlin on God: http://tinyurl.com/hmt43 (For Wayne :)
> The Usenet Improvement Project: http://blinkynet.net/comp/uip5.html
>
> --
> Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com


Alex

2006-08-27, 6:39 pm


"Jerry Stuckle" <jstucklex@attglobal.net> wrote in message
news:_pKdnchKGPnCd2zZnZ2dnUVZ_v2dnZ2d@comcast.com...

> I'd highly recommend staying away from MS products such as Word or
> FrontPage. They generate some of the worse HTML I've ever seen.


Word is of course not intended as a Website development tool, so it's not
surprising that it generates awful HTML code. But in my (non-pro)
experience, Frontpage 2003 produces clean code that, with a click of a
mouse, can be optimized even further by the program itself.
Jerry, is your comment about "some of the worst HTML" based on your review
of code produced by the current version of Frontpage, or is it a holdover
from the truly awful stuff belched forth by earlier versions of the
software?

Alex


framer

2006-08-27, 6:39 pm

I've been making pages & sites for 10 years so my 2 cents says you do
have your work cut out!

What you're attempting is not for the faint of heart and it will take
some time to do if you do not already have the skills. Your
requirements range from pretty low tech basic HTML to more advanced,
secure log-in, multi-level menus, etc.

I use both Dreamweaver and GoLive, but since Adobe bought Macromedia I
think one is on the way out and I suspect it might be GoLive, they'll
probably incorporate some GoLive concepts into Dreamweaver later.

A WYSIWYG editor will allow much faster editing than scrolling through
a bunch of source. I used to do both WYSIWYG and source sometimes
using HomePage, but since Dreamweaver includes source editing there's
not reason not to just use it. It's not cheap but you'll use it for
years. You will also be able to copy/paste your current content into a
Dreamweaver page. (Consider making new pages without the layers).

As far as the surveys go you can incorporate free (usually with ads)
services like sparklit and bravenet. Another option would be to use a
database for surveys and secure pages, an easy one to use is
Filemaker.com You can also use it for other database tasks not online,
on your computer. There are hosts for Filemaker also. I've used
wehostmacs.com for 4 years. You can ask Filemaker for a free copy:
http://filemaker.com/company/donations.html if you are non-profit.

Good luck.

Jerry Stuckle

2006-08-27, 10:32 pm

Alex wrote:
> "Jerry Stuckle" <jstucklex@attglobal.net> wrote in message
> news:_pKdnchKGPnCd2zZnZ2dnUVZ_v2dnZ2d@comcast.com...
>
>
>
>
> Word is of course not intended as a Website development tool, so it's not
> surprising that it generates awful HTML code. But in my (non-pro)
> experience, Frontpage 2003 produces clean code that, with a click of a
> mouse, can be optimized even further by the program itself.
> Jerry, is your comment about "some of the worst HTML" based on your review
> of code produced by the current version of Frontpage, or is it a holdover
> from the truly awful stuff belched forth by earlier versions of the
> software?
>
> Alex
>
>



Alex, it's based on FP 2003. It's actually one of my favorite programs
- it's given me a lot of business.

Although the content (text and images) can be saved, it's easier to
start most pages from scratch than it is to clean up the existing code.


--
==================
Remove the "x" from my email address
Jerry Stuckle
JDS Computer Training Corp.
jstucklex@attglobal.net
==================
Chaddy2222

2006-08-27, 10:32 pm


goldenbuff wrote:
> Greetings:
>
> I am a parent volunteer for a swim team website (makoswim.org) and am
> looking for a recommendation for a new web authoring tool .
>
> While I am somewhat technically oriented and have some knowledge of
> HTML but not a deep techie. I want to give this site an extreme
> makeover. The tool I've been using has probably outlived it's
> usefulness (IBM Websphere Home Page Builder
> - out of support).
>
>
> I need something easy to use. I'd like to add multilevel menus, perhaps
>
> a secure page for members, create surveys etc. Online tutorials or
> education would be a plus however I don't have alot of disposable time
>
> for a steep learning curve.
>
>
> I played around with an older version of NetObjects Fusion V7 but found
>
> it cumbersome. I am tempted to buy Dreamweaver but I'd like to hear
> what this forum might recommend.

I think a CMS might be what you want, check out Mambo and PHP-Nuke.
Those will be good, especially if you want servays etc etc.
Alternativly, look at NVU, http://www.nvu.com it's free and makes
pritty good HTML.
Don't use Frontpage, it makes bad invalid code.

>
> Lastly the other consideration is that I may only do this for another
> year or two and someone without any technical background may inherit.

Better yet, take a look at Grayscale CMS, http://www.grayscalecms.com/

>
>
> THANKS in advance!

NP.
--
Regards Chad. http://freewebdesign.cjb.cc

TS Moderator

2006-08-27, 10:33 pm


Chaddy2222 wrote:
> goldenbuff wrote:
> I think a CMS might be what you want, check out Mambo and PHP-Nuke.
> Those will be good, especially if you want servays etc etc.
> Alternativly, look at NVU, http://www.nvu.com it's free and makes
> pritty good HTML.
> Don't use Frontpage, it makes bad invalid code.
>
> Better yet, take a look at Grayscale CMS, http://www.grayscalecms.com/
>
> NP.
> --
> Regards Chad. http://freewebdesign.cjb.cc



I would definitely use Frontpage.

Andrew

2006-08-28, 3:47 am

On 27 Aug 2006 19:01:00 -0700, "TS Moderator" <TruckSafety@XXXXXXXXXX>
wrote:

>
>Chaddy2222 wrote:
snip >>>>>>>>>>>[color=darkred]
>
>
>I would definitely use Frontpage.


Hi TS Moderator,

I hope you appreciate that I spent at least 30 minutes putting this
page together for you when I should have been working:

http://www.andrews-corner.org/troll.html

All the very best!!

Andrew.
--
*..· ´¨¨)) -:¦:-
¸.·´ .·´¨¨))
((¸¸.·´ .·´ -:¦:- *Andrew* -:¦:-
-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´*
Jamie

2006-08-28, 3:47 am

In <_pKdnchKGPnCd2zZnZ2dnUVZ_v2dnZ2d@comcast.com>,
Jerry Stuckle <jstucklex@attglobal.net> mentions:
>Learning HTML is always the best. It's not that hard, and it beats any
>WYSIWYG on the market.


I second that!

Best "content manager" I've ever looked at was... (surprise surprise..)

The filesystem.

Although, going through a middle stage (CVS in my case) so you get
automatic backups is nice and allows you to extract the stuff on
different computers.

Trouble I have with nearly everything I've seen is that it forces
you to learn a whole new way of doing something, that specialized
knowledge can't easily be applied to other things. Might seem easier
at first, it's harder in the long run.

(Perhaps "use once or twice tools" are different)

Jamie
--
http://www.geniegate.com Custom web programming
guhzo_42@lnubb.pbz (rot13) User Management Solutions
TS Moderator

2006-08-28, 6:40 pm


Andrew wrote:
> On 27 Aug 2006 19:01:00 -0700, "TS Moderator" <TruckSafety@XXXXXXXXXX>
> wrote:
>
am[color=darkred]
> snip >>>>>>>>>>>
>
> Hi TS Moderator,
>
> I hope you appreciate that I spent at least 30 minutes putting this
> page together for you when I should have been working:
>
> http://www.andrews-corner.org/troll.html
>
> All the very best!!
>
> Andrew.
> --
> *..=B7 =B4=A8=A8)) -:=A6:-
> =B8.=B7=B4 .=B7=B4=A8=A8))
> ((=B8=B8.=B7=B4 .=B7=B4 -:=A6:- *Andrew* -:=A6:-
> -:=A6:- ((=B8=B8.=B7=B4*



Excellent. Keep up the good work.

Matt-the-Hoople

2006-08-28, 6:40 pm

Quoth Andrew in alt.www.webmaster

> I hope you appreciate that I spent at least 30 minutes putting this
> page together for you when I should have been working:
>
> http://www.andrews-corner.org/troll.html
>
> All the very best!!


I'll bet you didn't use FrontPage. It validates as XHTML 1.0 Strict

<ducks />

--
# www.mattlindi.com
# matt.lindi2@your_clothes_verizon.net
# remove _your_clothes_ to email me
TechnoHippie

2006-08-28, 6:40 pm

"goldenbuff" <dmarrese@XXXXXXXXXX> wrote in news:1156707678.506607.273980
@b28g2000cwb.googlegroups.com:

> Thanks Judy....looks promising and it's inexpensive.
>
> ps....
> can it do nested menu's?


Yes? Download the trial/freeware version and check it out. Then let me
know:) I'm not quite sure what method you were wanting to use to create
"nested menus" but it has a ton of bells and whistles that I don't use.

Judy
--
Trippy Triangle: http://technohippie.com
Carlin on God: http://tinyurl.com/hmt43 (For Wayne :)
The Usenet Improvement Project: http://blinkynet.net/comp/uip5.html

--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

TechnoHippie

2006-08-28, 6:40 pm

"TS Moderator" <TruckSafety@XXXXXXXXXX> wrote in
news:1156730460.012927.134530@i3g2000cwc.googlegroups.com:

> I would definitely use Frontpage.


Of course you would :)

Judy
--
Trippy Triangle: http://technohippie.com
Carlin on God: http://tinyurl.com/hmt43 (For Wayne :)
The Usenet Improvement Project: http://blinkynet.net/comp/uip5.html

--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

goldenbuff

2006-08-31, 11:03 pm



I appreciate everyone's suggestions. I have alot to ponder.

Thanks!






TechnoHippie wrote:
> "TS Moderator" <TruckSafety@XXXXXXXXXX> wrote in
> news:1156730460.012927.134530@i3g2000cwc.googlegroups.com:
>
>
> Of course you would :)
>
> Judy
> --
> Trippy Triangle: http://technohippie.com
> Carlin on God: http://tinyurl.com/hmt43 (For Wayne :)
> The Usenet Improvement Project: http://blinkynet.net/comp/uip5.html
>
> --
> Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com


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