The Music Educator's Personal-Professional Webpage

Page 4: Putting it Online

copyright 1999 Yvonne R. Dechance all rights reserved

[Introduction] [Preparing Materials] [Elements of Success] [Putting it Online]

Putting it Online

WebSpace...the Final Frontier

Your final step is to find webspace, and decide if you want to learn enough HyperText Markup Language (HTML) to put a page online and personally maintain it. If your school offers free webspace, that's the logical place to start, but be sure to familiarize yourself with any policies on space restrictions, acceptable content or appearance.

If you have access to the internet but no webspace, free webspace is available. The FreeSite (http://www.thefreesite.com) has listings of free hosts, as well as a wealth of other resources. Read all the fine print before you decide which is the right home for your webpages, and look for a good combination of space, features and user-assistance.

Know the Code?

If you intend to build your own website, I strongly recommend that you learn HTML basics, and not rely on an editing program or word-processor attachment that "magically" creates HTML. There are numerous resources for learning HTML, from books and articles to online tutorials and templates. At my sample website for Susan, you will find detailed comments and a look at the HTML I used to create her webpages.

If you have no desire to learn HTML, turn over your Pile of Materials (no original copies of anything!) to a web designer along with the address of your webspace. A webdesigner will create the HTML tags for all your text and layout, but you may have to have someone else do special tasks like scanning graphics and digitizing sound or video excerpts. A good webdesigner should be someone who will listen to your ideas (and tell you when something's not possible or practical), and have online examples of their designs that you feel are well-organized and enjoyable to use.

Susan's Cyberhome

Susan's school doesn't yet offer webspace to its faculty, so she opted to purchase her own space from a local Internet Service Provider. She read a book on HTML and was able to use some simple tags to create her two webpages. Susan's planning has paid off; her pages go together quickly and look good online. She can hardly wait to send the site address to her school so they can link to her homepage.

See Some of Susan's Script

Testing, Advertising and Maintaining your Site

Once your site is online, try every button and link on your site. Turn graphical display off and make sure your information still makes sense. Check and double-check spelling and grammar. If you can, use different browsers, monitors and computers to see how they display your pages. When everything works to your satisfaction, you can now announce your site to colleagues and friends (don't forget the major search engines), and revel in the ownership of a Personal-Professional webpage. Feature your homepage address in your stationery, email signatures, business cards and advertising materials. If you've included any dated materials on your site, mark your calendar to update them so your website continues to be relevant and up-to-date.

Susan in Summary

Susan has created a website that demonstrates she teaches a wide variety of classes, is highly computer-literate, and is involved in both research and performance activities. It is also clear that Susan plans ahead, is organized and creative, and might be open to offers for publication or employment. Not bad for two pages of text, a few graphics and a soundbite sitting out in cyberspace. As for Susan, she and some friends have tested her site, and she's sitting back and smiling as she sends a site announcement introducing her Personal-Professional webpages to the world.

Susan's Success

Want to see Susan's Finished Webpages? Visit The Personal-Professional Website!