Do I need to know what I'm doing?

[ImnoGuru]

Hello everyone reading through this thread.

Do you NEED to learn programming or css to do a website?

Can a mere mortal such as myself make up a website and (I don't know) publish it?

I went to Herberts World, a recommendation from another post within CH and branded my name on some space in the vortex, and tried to modify some design on it.

I don't think I did too well though.

Do you need to publish it to see what the page looks like, or should I be able to preview it first?

I know some of these questions are going to be like  "how long is a piece of string?" type answers, but if someone could hold my hand. I would appreciate being guided in the right direction.
Thank you  ImnoGuru.

[pchijack]

Depends.. if you want to create dynamic pages then it is a must that you know little bit of programming, well it is an advantage if you learn CSS, it much easier the doing it all manually in dreamweaver!  read through some computer tutorial for more info! 

[Carbon Dudeoxide]

In my opinion, creating websites in Dreamweaver is MUCH easier, especially since you don't know HTML or CSS. Dreamweaver will create the appropriate codes automatically.

Dreamweaver is a WYSIWYG editor, and is not free. There are free alternatives however.

[ImnoGuru]

Thank you for your reply pchijack and Carbon Dudeoxide.

pchijack, I have no idea of what dynamic actually means, by way of a web page.
I can only think that dynamic actually means constantly changing. In which case that is well above my level of competence. I'm more your cut and paste guy. 

Carbon Dudeoxide I have or had some web developement(?) programs on one of these computers somewhere.
Is Frontpage a web development/design program?
Plus I just found one that sounds like a web page designer type program called Netit publisher, ....  might be one? I'm yet to open them so far, but at 4.30 AM I think I'm off to Doona Drive for a few ZZZzzz's first.

Im working on getting dreamweaver or something similar. Lack of finances are certainly a drawback, but if I want to get USA this year I have to save money.

I've looked around recently to find some of the other WYSYWIG designer programs.
As yet I have no idea what I'm doing yet though.

I went to Herberts World and tried to make a webpage but I have to wait for them to come in on monday to help me. I lost my page somewhere. 
There is another site called 110 something , that web host for free, but I thought Id try Herby first.
Most webhost sites give you access to their stuff to produce pages don't they?

[2x3i5x]

Frontpage is Microsoft's HTML editor, featuring a WYSIWYG mode and a window for writing your own code if that's what you prefer doing. However, the software is outdated .... Frontpage has been replaced by Microsoft Expression Web and Sharepoint Designer, which were released in December 2006.

This does not mean Frontpage is not usable, though.... 

[soybean]

pchijack, I have no idea of what dynamic actually means, by way of a web page.
I can only think that dynamic actually means constantly changing. In which case that is well above my level of competence.

You're correct in saying that is well above your competence level and you probably don't need dynamic pages for what  you want to do.  A static page will probably be sufficient for you.

re your cut and paste guy. 

Is Frontpage a web development/design program?

Yes, it is.  Is is generally held in dis-favor by web gurus because it inserts extra coding in web page files that is not needed for pure web page coding.  Note also that, if you use Frontpage, you need to assure that "Frontpage extensions" are installed, or can be installed, by your hosting service. Frontpage extensions are needed for the full functionality of pages designed with Frontpage.  Nevertheless, Frontpage can be a fairly easy tool to use for web pages; anyone familiar with Microsoft Word will generally find Frontpage easy to work with.

Im working on getting dreamweaver or something similar. Lack of finances are certainly a drawback, but if I want to get USA this year I have to save money.

I've looked around recently to find some of the other WYSYWIG designer programs.
As yet I have no idea what I'm doing yet though.

Nvu and KompoZer are free WYSYWIG designer programs. 

Most webhost sites give you access to their stuff to produce pages don't they?

They ususally give you access to a "cPanel", or control panel, where you can access your web page files and, in most cases, do some online editing of pages. 

[ImnoGuru]

My brother is sending me his copy of dreamweaver. I think he said it was dreamweaver. So I might get a more up to date program for web design.
I hope so.
I wont know how to use it, but at least I'll have one.

[Carbon Dudeoxide]

It's either Macromedia Dreamweaver or Adobe Dreamweaver. (Adobe bought Macromedia a few years ago)

I wont know how to use it, but at least I'll have one.

There are plenty of tutorials online.

[ImnoGuru]

Well so far they haven't arrived.    They went missing in the post. (Dam snail mail)

I have been looking at PLENTY of tutorials though. Oh my eyes!!

Hopefully I'm learning some strange talent.

[Astoria]

No, you don't need to learn HTML or CSS to create a website.

However, I can strongly recommend you look at some online tutorials for HTML and CSS.
It will only make your design skills so much easier if you actually have a lil understanding of the coding.

So my advice, try and go through some tutorials. They'll only benefit you.

[ImnoGuru]

Thanks Astoria, Carbon Dudeoxide, soybean, 2x3i5x and pchijack for all your advice and recommendations.

Ive been madly reading soooo much stuff on the subject. Some tutorials and blogs and so on.. if I didn't wear glasses I certainly will after this lot I'm sure.

Thanks everybody. ImnoGuru.

[squall_01]

html isnt hard to learn.  The only thing is if you want it to look a certain way dreamweaver will be a big help.  There are trial versions an other software that you can get to do such things.

[soybean]

Books are, of course, another good source for learning HTML.  A used edition of Sams Teach Yourself Html 4 in 24 Hours (Sams Teach Yourself...in 24 Hours) can be found on Amazon.com for $.01.  Add the standard shipping charge of $3.99 and you've got the book for $4.  Even thought it was published in Sep '99, it's still relevant; I believe everything in it is still valid. I have an older version of this book and it was quite helpful to me. 

Here's another one with a more current publishing date and some coverage of XHTML, a variant of HTML: Sams Teach Yourself HTML & XHTML in 24 Hours (6th Edition) (Sams Teach Yourself in 24 Hours) (Paperback).  Again, used ones are very inexpensive.

[squall_01]

I dont know about that, but there are books made by wrox that cover differnt codes an ollies sell them and are rather good.

[soybean]

I dont know about that, ...

Well, just visit amazon.com or barnesandnoble.com and do a search on html, or css, or html and css, etc.  Scores of books are available.

... but there are books made by wrox...

I see practically nothing at wrox for html.  They have lots of web-related books, but those are subjects other than html.