Goodies to Go ™
June 9, 2003–Newsletter #236
This newsletter is part of the internet.com network.
http://www.internet.com
Featured this week:
* Goodies Thoughts – A Lame
Personal Website
* Q & A Goodies
* News Goodies
* Goodies Peer Reviews
* Feedback Goodies
* And Remember This…
Goodies Announcement
Just in case you missed
it before, the new Beyond HTML Goodies book is now available!
Go beyond the basics
and learn how the pros add and use dynamic HTML features and advanced
JavaScript techniques. Beyond HTML Goodies demonstrates dozens of new and
different features readers can add to their existing Web pages using HTML and
JavaScript. The book starts with simple text and image tips, such as adding a
clock to a Web page or causing text to appear when the mouse moves over an
image. It gradually builds to more complex tricks, including manipulating forms
or working with cookies behind the scenes. Throughout the book, readers enjoy
Joe’s snappy style and “to the point” discussion of each “goody” in the book.
http://books.internet.com/books/0789727803
Goodies Thoughts – A Lame Personal Website
Before beginning any discussion on the matter, let me make one thing perfectly
clear: there is no such thing as a lame personal website. I’ve heard it many
times, "John and Jane made themselves a website. It’s totally lame!" Every time
I hear it it makes me raise an eyebrow and wonder what could be so amiss in the
person who is saying it. That said, let’s discuss the matter.
In my humble opinion, personal websites are just that; personal. They are an
expression of the person. They are something the person wishes to say about
themselves to whomever is truly interested. They are usually not intended to
engage the population at large and keep them fascinated with the subject matter.
To deride their website is somewhat akin to deriding the person themselves,
which is the normal pastime of those who are too feeble of mind and vision to be
able to see the real value in other people. Such a shame; they are doomed to
miss so much of the wonder of the world, unless of course, something opens their
eyes.
Think for a moment about what should be on a website. If it’s an information
site, for example a site about a museum, it should provide that information in
as easy to follow a fashion as possible. The objective would be to answer the
questions site visitors might have in as direct a manner as possible and
requiring as few clicks as possible. A variety of cool technologies could be
employed. Anything, however, that a visitor is forced to endure before obtaining
the information they need will go towards making this site more and more "lame".
Similarly, a site that offers products for sale should enable the visitor to
find the product they need as quickly as possible. Having found the product, the
visitor should not be deluged with advertisements for non-related items. When
you’ve just bought dog bones, "Ah, I see you have a dog; would you also like to
buy an airplane propeller?" is totally lame.
If it’s a personal site, however, anything goes. If the site is to be one black
page with crimson, pointed font letters reading "Goth Roolz!" then so be it. Far
from being lame, this is very informative. I would learn quite a lot about the
site’s creator in one quick visit. Also, I have watched my children play outside
with the dogs and I know the joy such a simple event provides. When John and
Jane’s website turns out to be a dozen photos of the kids playing, organized one
on top of the other on one long page, I can look at it and say "ah yes, I know
what you mean!" The seeming lack of cool technology only goes to highlight the
importance of the content. One look at that site and I can relate immediately to
the strength and beauty of the emotion they are feeling. Again, it tells me a
lot about the site’s creators.
If everybody wore the same style and color of clothing, walking down the street
wouldn’t be anywhere near as entertaining, stimulating and educational as it is.
When it’s late at night, or whenever I can’t get out to watch the world go by
for a few minutes, I can at least get on the Internet and browse people’s
websites. As long as people keep creating personal sites, there will always be
plenty there to stimulate me. Not only that, but my street now stretches all
around and all over the world!
Millions of personal websites, and not a lame one amongst them! In the case of
personal websites, lameness, just like beauty and several other things, is
really in the eye of the beholder.
Have you created your personal website yet?
Thanks for Reading!
– Vince Barnes
Top
Q & A Goodies
Questions are taken from submissions to our Community Mentors. You can ask a Mentor a question by going to
https://www.htmlgoodies.com/mentors.
Q. I have successfully used the script below to open a fixed size new
window containing a graphic. The idea is that the original web page contains a
number of small photo images that can be seen as larger versions in the pop-up.
What I want to do is have the user click on the small graphic itself in order to
open the new window, rather than have a button that they have to click, which is
how the existing code works.
