Recommended Web Site Tools and Software used at Wayne's Web World

Novus Ordo Seclorum

I am currently using Coffee Cup as my HTML tool. Coffee Cup is easy to use and includes an FTP client, an Image Mapper, and a Style Sheet Editor. I downloaded the Coffee Cup Editor and was so impressed, I ordered the package the next day. Coffee Cup includes Java, Visual Basic, and CGI scripts. The FTP client is great if you are only managing one web site. The support and upgrade information from Coffee Cup has been outstanding.

MY PAGE USING NET STUDIO 2000!
I finished reviewing Net Studio's Web Graphics Creation Tool. A sample web page which I designed using the Web Graphics Creation Tool is posted for you to preview. Take the link below to view the page. It took about two hours for me to get the graphics done for this page. I had a great time making changes to everything (fonts, backgrounds, buttons, photo). I was amazed at how easy modifications could be made. The browser previewer makes it simple to view the page as it would be displayed.
Further details can be found on the sample web page.
Net Studio is a Great Tool for novice and expert web page designers!

The graphics on this web site have been produced using Fractal Design's Painter 5. Painter 5 is a powerful tool and takes some time to learn its' features. Fractal Design includes a good Tutorial book and the User Guide is very detailed. It is one of the higher priced graphics design programs, but I think the powerful features make it worth the money. Prior to purchasing Painter 5, I was using a number of different paint programs, each had some feature that the others did not.
I created the frames below using Painter 5 for my TurningWorld animation. This should give you an idea of what can be created with Painter 5. I could have used more natural colors, but this is Wayne's Web World and I can choose colors I want for my world. The cloning feature of Painter 5 and the floaters tools make it easy to create the frames necessary for smooth animation.

For more graphics information, click on the Turning World button to the right.

Looking for Java tools? Check out the Sun Microsystems Java Tools.
I have been experimenting with Sun's Hot Java. This is one sensational tool. It allows the user, who does not need to have any Java experience, to build Java applications by placing graphic objects on a Java Studio Design page and connecting the objects. The help included with Java Studio is outstanding and should be all you need to get started. This tool is more fun to use than the best computer games.
Sun offers these tools as a try before you buy. You can reach the Sun Microsystems' Software Shop using the link below.

I have used a number of FTP clients, but consider CuteFTP as the best FTP client if you manage multiple web sites. CuteFTP has an outstanding GUI with an easy to navigate toolbar and drop down menus. The CuteFTP help includes an introduction describing FTP, a step by step walkthrough that would enable a first time user to get up and running, and troubleshooting with FAQs. In the troubleshooting you will find information for reporting bugs. CuteFTP allows you to upload or download in binary or text mode, or you can allow CuteFTP to automatically select the mode. CuteFTP can be downloaded for a thirty day trial. Give it a test run, if you are as pleased as I am with CuteFTP you will gladly pay the low fee of $39.95 to register it. The fee may be subject to change.

Multimedia is still in its' infancy on the web. There is a wealth of multimedia software available for outrageous prices. I have been experimenting with many of them. I have tried many video compression utilities and have found them not worth the investment. I hate plug-ins, but for now, the Real Audio and Real Player seem to be the best way to go for getting high quality sound and video onto your web pages. In selecting a web host, my second criteria after price was that the host must provide streaming audio and video. This is the best way to speed up the download time your visitors have to put up with. If you find a great multimedia utility which compresses the data without a major cost to the video quality, please let me know.
If you are interested in making your own CGI animations check out the Coffee Cup Site. They have a great tool, "GIF Movie Gear" that is available with some of their software.
I created this little turning world animated GIF using Painter 5 to create the individual frames and used Gamani's Movie Gear to create the animated GIF. I turned on the transparency feature for this animation. The animation above in the Graphics section does not have the transparency feature enabled.

This world, which is turning in the right direction, was created using the same background color as this page's background. Notice the difference between this one and the one with the transparent background. The white corona around the world with the transparent background is due to a limitation of the algorithm for creating the transparent background.
Which way should the World turn? I noticed that I had my world turning in the opposite direction. Most people would not even notice this small error. Which brings up a couple of questions to ponder about. What would our world be like if it turned in the opposite direction? Do all the planets turn in the same direction?

Microsoft's Liquid Motion which is no longer available. Microsoft dropped this great program with in months of offering it to the public. I wonder what happened to cause this. I could not even get any support on reinstalling after I had a hard drive crash.
Check this little animation out. You must use Internet Explorer 4.0 or Netscape Communicator 4.0 to view the effects. This one works best with IE 4.0. If you do not see the animation, press the reload (Netscape) or refresh (IE4.0) button to reload the animation. Notice I am not using Microsoft Front Page to run this animation. I understand that it may be a little easier to use the Liquid Motion with Front Page.

Once you have that great web site published, how do you tell the world about it? You must get your site posted to search engines and exchange links with other web sites. This takes a lot of work, just ask my wife Dotti. She does all my promotion. There are many promotion utilities available for various price ranges that help lighten the work of promoting your site. You really need to do some investigating before purchasing a promotion utility. You might get lured by offers to promote to as many as three hundred search engines, but how many hits are you really going to get from "Mack's Tuna Search" or "Uncle Dex's Websearch".
Dotti recommends "SelfPromotion.com". She is impressed by the online service and the prompt technical support provided by Robert Woodhead. You simply fill out Robert's Tooter form and he guides you through the promotion process and emails the results to you. Robert's Rankulator rates your web site for submission to award sites. Robert suggests which award sites you should apply to. If you need assistance or find a bug, you just send an email. You will be amazed by how quickly Robert responds. Dotti and I cannot believe that Robert offers this service for free. Robert asks for contributions for as little as $10. This has to be the best value for $10 you will find in today's world. This is not a one time offer. Please check out Robert's site since I know you will be impressed. I am not being paid for this endorsement of SelfPromotion.com.. When I find a good product or service I feel obligated to pass it along to others.

Looking for a web host? Have more questions about web pages? Try Web Host Directory. An outstanding web site that makes it easier to select your web host. This site's Basic HTML Guide is a great resource for beginners. I think it is the best introduction of HTML that I have seen. Visit the forums for even more information.

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