Learning how to use the internet is not easy.
Despite the claims of all the eBook peddlers selling their alchemists stones, the reality is that there are many barriers to success online.
There is much to learn. And it appears to never end. At least I still have a variety of hurdles yet to overcome. I have made some progress though, and will in the next several posts here discuss how I made it over some of the hurdles that may still be holding you back.
These will be pretty basic for some of you, and for others hopefully just what you are looking for.
The first discussion is HTML. The code that sits behind much of the web.
I am not a programmer, and have no desire to become one. But as I got serious about establishing a presence online it soon became clear to me that I needed to learn at least some basics.
You can get by not knowing HTML by using various WYSIWYG services to design, highlight, bold etc you text and even insert images. But as time goes on, you will eventually come to the place where you will want to learn how to create anchor text, insert photos, create ordered lists, etc. by the use of HTML.
If you are depending on “your computer guy” to make tweaks to your pages, a lot of tweaks end up not getting made, or get made wrong as a result of the time lag and communication barriers. When you can do it yourself, you are freer to make changes, and then change things back. And that ability to tweak a page is critical to your success in the long run.
I found myself looking things up on Google, which worked well. But my retention of information wasn’t very good. And it seemed that there were actually too many places to get free help. All arranged differently, all with a different level of assumed prior knowledge.
In my case, I did not really break through until I came across the chance to acquire rights to a short ebook called HTML in Simple Terms. I originally got it for my own use. Over past few years I have given it away and or sold it to almost a thousand different people.
I printed a copy of it out, and keep it by my computer, and use it as a quick reference. As time went on, I learned the bulk of the material by doing it over and over again.
I may be old style yet. But I have found it easier to look up items on paper. It seems easier to find my place again, when I am going back to double check things.
HTML in Simple Terms will walk you through the steps needed to create your own web page. It explains basic tags, how to add links, work with images, using tables, setting up meta tags, using fonts and colors.
I still don’t know it all. But I know I can find it when I need it, as my copy is always handy. That’s what I like best about having my own copy. I know where it is when I want it.
I am selling copies of this useful text at HTML Guide