URGENT: What tools for a newbie to create a website?

[ElDonAntonio]

I have a very optimistic (lady) friend that believes she can make a fortune from building a full-of-nonsense website. Anyhow, she wants to put all sorts of stuff on it, yet has no idea how to write an html tag. I don't feel like teaching her how to use Dreamweaver and Photoshop, and I don't feel like having to do all the work for her.

Can anyone recommend tools that would allow a newbie to create decent looking websites? something preferably free, or online? Please help quick, or else I'll be spending my week-ends building pages about recipes, recycling and ponies.

 

[BigPete]

There isnt anything easy that does what this lady wants to do. A website like that full of crap requires a lot of work if written entirely in HTML and it sounds like you know that. Best bet would be to set her up with a blog and let her write all the nonsense she wants. Even the tools like Dreamweaver, MS Expression, etc all require some knowledge of HTML. Either way, those editors have a steep learning curve. Sorry I can't be of more help but Dreamweaver would have been my first suggestion.

And the obvious question.... How can she believe that there is all this money to be had when she can't even write any HTML? I mean, yeah, I can make a BILLIONS UPON BILLIONS making a car that runs on air. Since I know nothing about chemistry, engineering, or physics I will pursue another way of making my BILLIONS.

 

[stealth2009]

I suggest she will look for a webhost which can offer a SITEBUILDER. She can go on her own with that application.

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[Aikouka]

The best HTML editing tool is already installed in Windows... it's a wonder the EU doesn't fine Microsoft for it! I'll tell you how to access it.

- Hold the Windows Key and hit 'R' on the keyboard.
- You should see a "Run" dialog box.
- Type "notepad"
- Press enter.
- Enjoy

 

[stealth2009]

It's the most primitive way. But it could be the most challenging way. Only that you spend more time coding than making money which defeats her purpose.

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[Schadenfroh]

NVU

 

[BigPete]

Originally posted by: Aikouka
The best HTML editing tool is already installed in Windows... it's a wonder the EU doesn't fine Microsoft for it! I'll tell you how to access it.

- Hold the Windows Key and hit 'R' on the keyboard.
- You should see a "Run" dialog box.
- Type "notepad"
- Press enter.
- Enjoy

Yes! And I'm sure Microsoft uses that in order to maintain their own website too! Another infamous l337 "notepad programmer" strikes again!

 

[Kur]

Step 1 - Find a free layout site on google, then get a free WYSIWYG editor
Step 2 - ???????
Step 3 - Profit

 

[skrilla]

Originally posted by: Aikouka
The best HTML editing tool is already installed in Windows... it's a wonder the EU doesn't fine Microsoft for it! I'll tell you how to access it.

- Hold the Windows Key and hit 'R' on the keyboard.
- You should see a "Run" dialog box.
- Type "notepad"
- Press enter.
- Enjoy

I hope you aren't serious. Notepad is probably one of the worst tools for HTML editing. 1 undo level, no syntax highlighting - to start. Maybe good for a quick fix here and there but that's about it. There are plenty of other free tools out there that are better.

 

[Wolfsraider]

For a list (sorry not used these much)

here

I have a solution thats 5.00 Its called Easy Site

Not bad for a wysiwyg site and actually pretty flexable. It gets rather limiting the more you know though but I used it for a while.

 

[ElDonAntonio]

Thanks a lot for the input guys.

BigPete, the blog idea is very good and I've already set her up with a blogspot account, hoping it would be enough. Nope, she wants more than that...think selling stuff, forums, polls, mailing list, etc. I'm getting discouraged at the idea of teaching her how to use a paypal account, or moderating forums or managing polls...sigh.

Stealth2009, what's a "sitebuilder"? are there any online tools that allow you to create a nice website with a premade template? another big aspect of it are the graphics, I have no idea how she'll manage without some tool to do (eg buttons) for her.

I checked NVU, but it doesn't seem to offer anything more than Frontpage or even Dreamweaver in terms of user friendliness?

Kur, that's an idea. I'll check it out.

Wolfsraider, Easy Site is pretty interesting. I hope its array of options won't seem overwhelming to her in the beginning.

I'm thinking another option is for me to create her a template in Dreamweaver and have her edit the contents inside.

 

[QueBert]

thumbs up to the dude who suggested she use notepad, I mean notepad is uber easy when you need to update 50 different html files at the same time.

 

[QueBert]

Originally posted by: ElDonAntonio
Thanks a lot for the input guys.

BigPete, the blog idea is very good and I've already set her up with a blogspot account, hoping it would be enough. Nope, she wants more than that...think selling stuff, forums, polls, mailing list, etc. I'm getting discouraged at the idea of teaching her how to use a paypal account, or moderating forums or managing polls...sigh.

Stealth2009, what's a "sitebuilder"? are there any online tools that allow you to create a nice website with a premade template? another big aspect of it are the graphics, I have no idea how she'll manage without some tool to do (eg buttons) for her.

I checked NVU, but it doesn't seem to offer anything more than Frontpage or even Dreamweaver in terms of user friendliness?

Kur, that's an idea. I'll check it out.

Wolfsraider, Easy Site is pretty interesting. I hope its array of options won't seem overwhelming to her in the beginning.

I'm thinking another option is for me to create her a template in Dreamweaver and have her edit the contents inside.

if she doesn't have hosting, I suggest hostpc.com they offer 2 different sitebuilders the pro one is like a one time 20 dollar fee and seems to be pretty good for somebody in her shoes. Also, their hosting is cheap, I paid 45 bucks for 1 year hosting, that's with the domain name.

the thing they use is actually called Sitezen sure it would be perfect for her

 

[gizbug]

Originally posted by: Aikouka
The best HTML editing tool is already installed in Windows... it's a wonder the EU doesn't fine Microsoft for it! I'll tell you how to access it.

- Hold the Windows Key and hit 'R' on the keyboard.
- You should see a "Run" dialog box.
- Type "notepad"
- Press enter.
- Enjoy

Ya, thats very ideal for a "beginner" , frown.

 

[Aikouka]

Wow, I guess I should've followed my own advice to put some "joke" tags in, eh? I think I should also terminate the "removestickfromass" tag so you guys quit being so damned anal.

Also, yes I do code (for the web) in notepad, because I use PHP or Perl (with CGI) for most of my website development, hence I don't need a pure HTML environment, I just need a coding environment. Also, I don't need "syntax highlighting" to code properly.... If you're a coder who has to rely on that, don't even tell me what I "should be using."

"Sitebuilder" was the name of ... I believe Geocities' WYSIWYG editor. Something like this is probably her best bet and then if she prefers to use her own domain, she can always copy the files over. Someone's mention of a template will probably be even better. It sounds like even a simple WYSIWYG editor will be too much if starting from scratch.

 

[naldo]

iweb

 

[stealth2009]

Originally posted by: ElDonAntonio
..

Stealth2009, what's a "sitebuilder"? are there any online tools that allow you to create a nice website with a premade template? another big aspect of it are the graphics, I have no idea how she'll manage without some tool to do (eg buttons) for her.
...

This is an easy to use tool for creating a website. It has ready made templates . It is a value added service for some web host provider so that clients can immediately create their website online.

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[BurnItDwn]

Originally posted by: gizbug

Originally posted by: Aikouka
The best HTML editing tool is already installed in Windows... it's a wonder the EU doesn't fine Microsoft for it! I'll tell you how to access it.

- Hold the Windows Key and hit 'R' on the keyboard.
- You should see a "Run" dialog box.
- Type "notepad"
- Press enter.
- Enjoy

Ya, thats very ideal for a "beginner" , frown.

Actually, notepad is perfect for a beginner. It is a good editor for when learning the basics of html. Then after she's studied it long and hard, and once she knows the html like the back of her hand, then she can switch to something like textpad, jedit, or the like ....

 

[Atheus]

Originally posted by: Aikouka
Also, I don't need "syntax highlighting" to code properly.... If you're a coder who has to rely on that, don't even tell me what I "should be using."

LOL WFT? I don't know a single programmer who doesn't use some kind of programmer's editor with highlighting... yea sure I might have seen the odd kid use notepad to make his little homepage, but no one with a computer science degree would touch it with a 10 foot pole.

And what do you do, save to a different file name after every alteration? Because otherwise you have no way to undo your changes in notepad... or maybe you just never make a mistake? Again I say - LOL.

 

[stealth2009]

Tools are useless without the basic foundation. She can learn the very basic here www.w3schools.com interactively.

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[SoundTheSurrender]

HTML is so 1999. PHP is where its at.

 

[jjones]

Originally posted by: Aikouka
Also, yes I do code (for the web) in notepad, because I use PHP or Perl (with CGI) for most of my website development, hence I don't need a pure HTML environment, I just need a coding environment. Also, I don't need "syntax highlighting" to code properly.... If you're a coder who has to rely on that, don't even tell me what I "should be using."

I really don't care that you code in notepad, but honestly, you're handicapping yourself by doing so. Multiple undo/redo, tabs, automatic tag closure, search and replace, spellcheck, convert, auto indent; these are just a few of the many useful functions you're doing without that even the most basic of decent code editors will have. It's just silly to be using notepad for anything but the quick fix.

 

[bluestrobe]

If she can afford Dreamweaver and Photoshop, she can afford to pay someone to build what she wants. She wants to make money without having the patience to sit down and learn first. She should take a class in web design before she jumps head first into advanced site design. You can't just expect to collect underpants in a cave and expect to profit off of them.

Just my opinion.

 

[ElDonAntonio]

Thanks for all the suggestions guys.

We're getting off topic, but still, as a software developer and ex-webmaster, I don't agree that people should learn HTML / PHP / whatever in depth before starting creating websites. It's our jobs as software developers to create tools that make it as easy for them as possible. We often tend to think of others as stupid for not understanding hardware/software or simple tasks like checking email, but I think the burden is on us to take on humanity's "stupidity" and still offer products and services they can use and enjoy. Apple (and to a lesser extent Nintendo) is the perfect example of a company that gets this point!

Anyways I'm meeting her today, let's hope I don't get too involved in this damn project (I have a darned tendency to say Yes to any project...)

 

[ForumMaster]

yahoo and google have a WYSIWUG site builders that should be perfect for such noobs. sites that look like they were written in 1998.