Home Page Assignment Overview
We’re living in the Virtual Age. There’s almost as much life in cyberspace as there is in real space. And in this age, you’re nobody unless you have your own web page or, as it is called by those in the know, a Home Page.
I’m going to help each of you make your own home page. It really isn’t that hard to do, and it can actually be a lot of fun. Some of you might even have your own home pages already, in which case you are in charge of helping your classmates and also in updating your page to add the material listed below (you can create a second page if you like).
In class I’ll teach you how to add graphics to your web page, how to make Internet links, and how to set up your page so visitors can send you e-mail. Later, you can explore the web on your own if you want to find out how to add a counter or guest book to your page. For now, we’ll just work on the basics. Below is a list of the things people most commonly like to include on a basic home page. A lot of this is good, basic information you for sure want to include (like your name, for instance). But the one thing this list can’t do is tell you how to make your web page best represent yourself. You’ll have to figure that out on your own. It’s your page, so you have to figure out what should be on it. The term “home page” was developed because a web page can represent who a person is (or would like to be). So as you create your home on the Internet, think about what makes you unique and what your personal points of view are. This is what you want to capture as you write your web page.
Finally, I’m having you make a home page for this course (or update one you already have) so you can learn some web basics. But I won’t censor or control what’s on your page. Please be aware, though, that the page will represent you, so I don’t advise putting overly offensive or overly personal information on your page. The web is a big, wide open public space, and you never know who might be reading. (We don’t want to shock your parents, for one thing!)
Web Page Basic Information
Title and Identification
Give your web page a title. Try something creative, like Sandra’s Internet Garden. Make sure your first and last names are on the page somewhere. (Lots of people have the same first name as you, after all.) Put the date in there too, so you know when you started your virtual home.
Background Colors and Font Style
You’ll want to personalize the background color of your home page as well as the color of the text and links. Ask for help doing this in class. You can also personalize your font style. This page was written in Verdana which is IUP’s standard font. Comic Sans is another nice friendly font. But choose whatever font style and font color suits you.
Make a link to your email. You do this by highlighting a word, like email, and then typing:
mailto:youremail@hotmail.com
(No spaces, and put in your own email after the mailto:)
Personal Information
Write at least two paragraphs about yourself. You might talk about where you are from, what you are majoring in, what your hobbies are, etc. Think of this as inviting people into your home to learn about you. (But don’t give away any really dark secrets!)
An Interesting Quote
Include one interesting quote, so your visitors will have something to think about when reading your page. Personally, I like the quote, “Wherever you go, there you are” from the film Buckaroo Banzai.
Philosophy Statement
This is your page, so offer your view of life. Do you believe in live and let live or do you believe in always striving for excellence? Include a brief statement about your philosophy of life so your visitors will learn something from their visit to your home page.
Personal Links
Next put some links on your page to the things which interest you. You might include links to your favorite sports team or favorite rock band. Include at least 3 and write a short description of each site so people can decide whether or not they are worth clicking on.
Academic Links
Also put in some school related links. You might want to include:
- IUP – http://www.iup.edu
- Our course web site – http://www.english.iup.edu/pagnucci/courses/101/101s04/default.htm
- Dr. Pagnucci’s web site – http://www.english.iup.edu/pagnucci
- IUP Student Computing Help Desk – http://www.iup.edu/ats/sts/
- Links to your major department’s web site
- Links to the web sites of any places you work
- Links to the web site of any clubs or organizations to which you belong
- Hotmail (or whatever email provider you use) – http://www.hotmail.com
- Links to the home pages of family members or friends
- The menu on the left side of our course page includes a lot of other useful links which you might want to include on your web page
- You can always add other links later
Pictures/Graphics
Now find a few pictures to include on your web site. These should be pictures or graphics which symbolize who you are. You can borrow these from other web sites by right clicking your mouse on the image you want and choosing Save image as. Include at least 2. Also, you may want to scan in your childhood picture to put on your page.
One good place to find fun images is:
You’re Almost Done!
That’s it. You now own a piece of virtual real estate. You can leave this page on the Internet at least for this year, and most likely beyond that. Keep a copy on disk, though, in case you want to move your home later.
Naming and Saving Your Home Page File
Be sure to save regularly as you work. It is VERY IMPORTANT that you call your file:
default.htm
The file needs this exact name so that it will appear correctly on your web page.
Viewing Your Home Page on the Internet
Getting your home page onto the Internet can be a little tricky, so I’ll help you with that step in class. We will be placing the file into your IUP web account. The address for your page will then be:
http://www.people.iup.edu/xxxx
Insert your IUP username for the xxxx.