Thursday, October 9, 2008

Week 8 Readings

1.W3schools HTML Tutorial: http://www.w3schools.com/HTML/:

I have often toyed with the idea of learning HTML. Based on this tutorial, it seems t me that HTML serves as the basis for many or (possibly) all web design programs. In other words, it seems like the ancestor of all the languages used to make websites today. This tutorial also makes me wonder abut the extent to which it is used today. Having many computer-savy friends, I have heard several people namedrop with web languages. These conversations make me worry that HTML has become obsolete and seems like "kindergarten" to professional website designers. Overall, I look forward to the opportunity to create my own basic webpage.

2.HTML Cheatsheet http://www.webmonkey.com/reference/HTML_Cheatsheet/:

I am very grateful for the existence of this website. I now have an easy reference source for all the basic commands of HTML and now feel confident about creating a site. I will, however, have to keep the cheatsheet constantly open in order for me to effectivly manage the space the way I want. This cheatsheet proves my point that HTML has become such basic knowledge that it might very well be obsolete for people in the profession. The main functin that this website serves is to allow non-professional people to communicate in a way that naturally follows technological advancement while still keeping more advanced web languages esoteric.

3.W3 School Cascading Style Sheet Tutorial: http://www.w3schools.com/css/

This tutorial once again confirms my suspicions that tml has become a languageconsidered very basic by many. This CSS program seems to primarily serve the function of managing lots of HTML creations at once. On the other hand, should I be made to think that CSS is actually just the appearance of html? I hav read the explanations on the tutorial, but I dont quite understand the relationship between the two. I can, however, understand that CSS makes HTML much easier to manage on a larger level.

4.Beyond HTML: Developing and re-imagining library web guides in a content management system.

This article addresses an issue about which I am particularly passionate. I currently work in a library through the Pitt Partner's Program and constantly encounter patrons who cannot access the information they need on our website. It is clear to me that such is a problem of content management. Web designers and patrons seem to have becme more sophisticated in even proportion to each other. I definiely agree that drastic measures have to be taken to make library web guides more user-friendly and outreaching. Otherwise, the new capabilities of web designers and web pages come as no surprise to me.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Don't worry Oliver. HTML is so old school, it's nursery school.

Megan1 said...

I thought the same things about HTML and whether programmers use it in the elemental form anymore. But I think with learning all things you have to learn the basics before you are ready to do the more complicated. While your website may not look as nifty as others, your are just beginning. HTML really seems like a language, you have know how to use is properly. Oh, look! I just noticed I can use HTML tags in my response.

Andrea said...

HTML is so "beneath" programmers anymore that a good friend of mine laughed, with tears, at me when I told him that I was learning to use HTML in one of my courses.

Amanda said...

Oliver, concerning the relationship between CSS and HTML: you're right that it has to do with how the HTML looks. It's primarily style codes to help manage background color, font, text size, text color, etc. It doesn't have to be on a super large scale. It can help with scripts that have several headings, all with their own style codes. You can code them all at once with the CSS.

Liz's Blog said...

I feel the same concerning my library's web site. We get so many complaints from patron's that they can't get some functions to work from home.

Nelida in the World of Information Science said...

I have to agree with you i work for the Free library of Philadelphia and their web page is difficult to follow. I find my self at times having more trouble with the cite than what the patrons encounter.