These functions compete -- but you can have more than one page to
accomodate them all. Create an entire web, perhaps with more than one
entry point ("home page") for different purposes: for example, one for
business, one for your own convenience, and one for your own amusement.
Some Basic Guidelines
Remember: it's the "World Wide Web." Don't put anything on it that
you don't want the whole wide world to see.
Provide a Table of Contents if it will help users find things.
Warn users about large files (e.g., "1.1-megabyte QuickTime file").
Keep files small. Separate one large file into several smaller files.
Use thumbnails as links to larger pictures.
Using Directories for Your Web
Using an entire directory gives you more flexibility and freedom.
You own the directory. You can put as many pages in as you want
(within the limits of our disk space).
Contents Your Business Page Should Have
Contact information: Your job, location, phone number
A way to send you e-mail.
Links to services you provide
Links to associated services or organizations
Your hours (if appropriate)
Optionally: a photo of you.
Recommended: Head and Body Structure (with Title in Head)
Make Your Pages Friendly
Warn the user about the size of large files (especially movies!)
Be considerate to your colleagues. Don't tie up the system with
large files.
Check out your pages on other browsers: Lynx, Netscape, Internet
Explorer. Do they look OK in each? Do they function properly in earlier
versions of the browsers?
Use the ALT variable in your in-line image tags
e.g., <IMG SRC=LOCATION ALT=>
to accomodate Lynx.
Check out your pages on a slow machine. Does it take too long to
load? Spread it out over more than one page.
Check out your pages on a monitor with 256 colors. Do the colors
degenerate? Follow the suggestions in the next section.
Avoid Color Problems with GIFs
One page may only show 256 colors (example). Solutions:
Put gifs with lots of colors on separate page. OR
Limit the number of colors on each gif that appears on one page.
If you don't want your colors to dither, use the basic palette of
colors. For more information, see:
