Blogging HTML

Ooh, fun idea, Dama! I'll be watching this thread I just know the standard stuff. What I'm working on now is learning CSS so I can create templates.

DamaNegra said:

So, do you know any cool HTML codes that can be used for blogging?

I know some basic HTML from school, but the most I can do is marquees (scrolling text). Now that I think of it, I don't even remember how to do that.

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Good, because it's evil So is the blink tag.

Dawno said:

Ooh, fun idea, Dama! I'll be watching this thread I just know the standard stuff. What I'm working on now is learning CSS so I can create templates.

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Have you tried the "design your own CSS style sheets web sites? It's a great way to learn.

I'm all over the place, Lisa. I'll learn CSS if it kills me

Blink tag? hmmm...

The most useful code is posting basic links in your posts, of course. And adding a target="[put some name here]" so that a reader who clicks on it will have it open in a new window instead of leaving your blog.

Other than that, I don't normally use any HTML tricks on my blog. Well, there was one time I used <table> tags in the middle of a post. Took me a while to figure out how to put those in without Blogger's editor messing them up. If I move it off Blogger, though, I just might have to learn CSS.

MadScientistMatt said:

The most useful code is posting basic links in your posts, of course. And adding a target="[put some name here]" so that a reader who clicks on it will have it open in a new window instead of leaving your blog.

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I read somewhere that you need to use target="_blank" sparingly, otherwise your readers with old computers hi ) can open too many windows and have their computers crash and get really really mad.

I **think** if you use target="_new", you get ONE new window. So no matter how many links your reader clicks on, just one new window is opened (the new page on top of the last).

Don't know if it matters - I've always used _blank, because I'm such a caring person.

I haven't touched my website in a year. Reason: I loath figuring out the html. A friend of mine who put my site together told me to always use html. I want to put a lot more of my published work on the site, but I'm either too stupid or too lazy. Are there easier ways?

I thought that target="_blank" made the browser buttons go away in the new window. I hate that. I like my browser settings as they are and do not approve of web designers monkeying with them. On the other hand, if you use the same target each time, it'll open in the same window.

Yep, there's easier ways.

rich said:

I haven't touched my website in a year. Reason: I loath figuring out the html. A friend of mine who put my site together told me to always use html. I want to put a lot more of my published work on the site, but I'm either too stupid or too lazy. Are there easier ways?

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People use programs like FrontPage to get their content up and design the way they like it without having to learn the HTML. The cool thing about these programs, though, is that you can do all the things you want and then view the HTML after on another screen. So, in a sense, it's a "build now, learn after if you want" type of situation. I learned HTML first because I really had no choice (dad's a computer science teacher -- blah, blah, blah), but I still got this program after years of HTML'ing so I could just click and go quicker.

MadScientistMatt said:

I thought that target="_blank" made the browser buttons go away in the new window. I hate that. I like my browser settings as they are and do not approve of web designers monkeying with them. On the other hand, if you use the same target each time, it'll open in the same window.

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In less you really reallyhave a good reason, and unless you notify users that links open new windows, it's really not a good idea. For one thing, if your user is relying on a screen reader because he or she doesn't see well, it's a royal pain.

Let the user decide, via local brower setting and how they click a link, what the correct window behavior is.

jennhollowell said:

People use programs like FrontPage to get their content up and design the way they like it without having to learn the HTML. The cool thing about these programs, though, is that you can do all the things you want and then view the HTML after on another screen. So, in a sense, it's a "build now, learn after if you want" type of situation. I learned HTML first because I really had no choice (dad's a computer science teacher -- blah, blah, blah), but I still got this program after years of HTML'ing so I could just click and go quicker.

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Thanks. Does this mean I can add to my site using Front Page even though its been built on manual html?

Also, there are a few pieces online. I would think I can copy the html and include them as well.

rich said:

Thanks. Does this mean I can add to my site using Front Page even though its been built on manual html?

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Yep, copy the current HTML codes into the HTML section of the program, then click on the tab that says Normal. From there, you can edit anything you want.

Also, there are a few pieces online. I would think I can copy the html and include them as well.

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That's right. Bring up the page with your content, then use the right click button on your mouse to bring up a small menu. You'll see "view source" on that menu - click it. A dialogue box will appear with all the HTML you need for that piece. Copy the section you want (don't copy the design of the page because then you'll get in trouble) and then paste it into the program.

rich said:

Thanks. Does this mean I can add to my site using Front Page even though its been built on manual html?

Also, there are a few pieces online. I would think I can copy the html and include them as well.

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Make sure your ISP will allow FrontPage rendered HTML on their server; many ISPs don't.

Also keep in mind that Frontpage produces non-standard HTML, and your pages may not display properly for all readers.

You guys are starting to make me think too much. I don't like that.

However, I will ponder this--for a short while, anyways.

Stephanie said:

I **think** if you use target="_new", you get ONE new window. So no matter how many links your reader clicks on, just one new window is opened (the new page on top of the last).

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Excellent tip! I've been making a web page that has links that open in a new window (target="_blank") so that people don't have to navigate back to the original page. Limiting it to a single new window sounds like a better way of doing it.

Medievalist said:

Also keep in mind that Frontpage produces non-standard HTML, and your pages may not display properly for all readers.

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I use Adobe GoLive, so I'm not familiar with Frontpage. I suspect that both problems have the same kinds of problems generating the html code from the WYSIWYG editor. I almost always have to go into the html source view and clean up some of the code after I finish with a page. Also, I've been slowing changing over to CSS, and I find that GoLive doesn't display it properly - the only way to know what the page really looks like is to open it in a browser (and don't even get me started on the difference in display between Firefox and Explorer).

DamaNegra said:

What about Dreamweaver? I got that software at school and sort of learned how to use it. Does it work as well as Frontpage? Does it work better?

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Dreamweaver is much much better; honestly, Frontpage is evil. Really.

There are also pretty decent free HTML editors. I've listed some here

Medievalist said:

In less you really reallyhave a good reason, and unless you notify users that links open new windows, it's really not a good idea. For one thing, if your user is relying on a screen reader because he or she doesn't see well, it's a royal pain.

Let the user decide, via local brower setting and how they click a link, what the correct window behavior is.

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ok ok. I'm going to spend some quality time in my template taking out all the "target="_blank"'s It's less work to not use them in coding the link, anyway.

Dawno said:

ok ok. I'm going to spend some quality time in my template taking out all the "target="_blank"'s It's less work to not use them in coding the link, anyway.

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Now the really cool and user friendly thing to do is use a javescript that when the user clicks a special link, the link modifies a cookie, and then all the subsequent links the user clicks on that site then open a new window.

I've seen this on a few sites; I'll keep my eye open for you.

When you're thinking about things like navigation and clicking, think about what's best for your reader/user, what's likely to be preferred by the largest number of users.

Happy users are return readers.

DamaNegra said:

Yeah, well, for me the whole Macromedia Suite was free, as well as Microsoft Office. My school happens to have an agreement with them, so all of its students can get the software for free, which I think is great.

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I agree; I helped negotiate a license for 4.00/seat for a two year maitainance contract. They've got great deals for higher ed.

Medievalist said:

Now the really cool and user friendly thing to so is a javescript that the user clicks once, that modifies a cookie, so that all the links the user clicks on that site then open a new window.

I've seen this on a few sites; I'll keep my eye open for you.

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That would be really useful - I hope you post it here if you find it.

(I first read your post too quickly, and though you were saying to generate javascript links. I usually find those annoying, because they don't let me open links in a new tab. Your point about letting the reader choose how the links will open is a good one.)

Peggy said:

That would be really useful - I hope you post it here if you find it.

(I first read your post too quickly

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It was more than a little incoherent; it should be a little clearer now.