Bobzoid Posted December 4, 2013 Share Posted December 4, 2013 (edited) Hi, I am new to the W3 forums, but I am familiar with W3schools, and have been through some of the tutorials more than once. I am here because I want to build a site for my tiny business. I build and repair guitars and basses. I have been here over ten years ago trying to achieve the same thing, and have noticed that not much has changed since then. In either case I still can not even make a simple all graphical “Welcome to” page with an “Enter Here” link on top of the background image. Some of us out there are just not wired to be able to wrap their heads around this stuff! Trust me, I am an electrical and mechanical (mechotronics) engineer, and can do it with ease. I have built many devices that are computer controlled, but they were always programmed by programmers. Most of who can not wrap their heads around the electronics and mechanics involved. It goes both ways. My first suggestion: Please go easy on those who just want quick answers and solutions without having to learn from the ground up. Some of us just need a working web site, but can not afford to pay someone to do it for them, and come here in the hope that someone is kind enough to help. My yet to be launched business is Lutherie, not web authoring. I am already overwhelmed with building the shop and specialized tooling, drumming up clients, creating documentation and graphics, legal issues... My next suggestion: Although there are a lot of samples and tutorials here, they are almost all for manipulating text. From what I can see on the web, most sites use graphic elements for most of the sight, with mouse over and click events... Text seems to be confined to articles. There is a great need for more modern and up to date tutorials and better cross-reference. How about down-loadable templates with explanatory remarks? Finally: It would be nice to see more people, offering something in exchange for the help they are seeking. I am very willing to barter. You know how to code but are not good at making the graphics. I can make great graphics but am lost when it comes to coding. Hmmm, sounds like a plan. Bob Edited December 4, 2013 by Bobzoid Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justsomeguy Posted December 4, 2013 Share Posted December 4, 2013 Please go easy on those who just want quick answers and solutions without having to learn from the ground up. While I can sympathize with that statement, please don't underestimate what we do as programmers. While it's true that web development is not programming, most web sites today do require actual programming skills. Much of the basics can be learned by a non-programmer, but if you want any decent level of interactivity on your site then that's going to require a certain skill set. Like Bjorn Stroustrup said, programming is both an art and a craft, much like being a luthier. When I wanted a well-built custom guitar I didn't try and do everything myself, I called Karl Sandoval. It would be an insult to both of us if a beginner thought that they could do what we do just by reading a couple pages online. It's just not that simple. That being said, those of us here in the forum are certainly willing to help you get your projects off the ground, although we typically try and prod people in the right direction instead of simply writing their code for them. But, I think that you trying to build everything from scratch isn't the right way to go. Most small businesses today probably use Wordpress as a basis for their site. There are a ton of Wordpress themes and plugins to customize various aspects of your site, from the look and feel to the functionality. Updating the pages on a Wordpress site doesn't require programming knowledge necessarily, it has a control panel that you can log into in order to create new pages or content. Wordpress can look intimidating when you start with it, but it has a huge community of users. If you want to consult with a professional, I can recommend Dog Star, which is run by one of my friends. She is great at design and optimizing your site for search engines, she doesn't screw with her customers, she's fair, she'll train you how to manage the sites she builds, and she has me to call if she needs help with anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davej Posted December 4, 2013 Share Posted December 4, 2013 (edited) From the other side -- we are all just volunteering our time here... 1. Don't ask huge project-sized questions that would require a huge effort to answer. 2. Ask reasonable questions that are clearly defined. 3. Provide diagrams as needed, for example provide a diagram or mockup image of what you want. 4. Post your code. If it is online then post a link to it. 5. Keep your code as one file as long as possible. Having separate css and other files is an unnecessary complication for a small project. 6. Also -- if you don't want to do it, if you don't want to learn how to do it -- if you just want a complete answer handed to you on a platter... Then go pay someone. You can post the job and your budget on various websites like http://www.freelancer.com/ or https://www.odesk.com/ or http://www.project4hire.com/ Edited December 4, 2013 by davej Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobzoid Posted December 4, 2013 Author Share Posted December 4, 2013 Thank You justsomeguy, I thought my post reflects my appreciation for programmers and coders in its very essence. My site is on BlueHost, and I installed Wordpress as recommended via "Mojo marketplace" It turned my whole sight into a blog, which is not what I wanted. The installer had an unidentified field in it, it turns out that its for creating sub folders. The uninstaller did not work... Its all fixed now. You are not the first one to recommend Wordpress to me for building my site, it just threw me a curve and mislead me into thinking it was only for blogs. I will install it again (right this time) and give it another shot. I may be back, because something tells me that I will follow the instructions to a tee, only to end up chasing a new problem, which will have "Child" problems with offspring of their own! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobzoid Posted December 4, 2013 Author Share Posted December 4, 2013 Davej, were you trying to start a new topic and accidentally replied to this one? I did not ask for anything directly, this is the suggestion section, am I wrong? That is what I did, I made some suggestions. But to be more specific pertaining to the W3schools site of which this forum is only one part of. It sounds to me that You may be eager to help, thanks for that! I will go to the proper forum to ask for more direct help. How did You know that I was working on a .pdf with mockups, remarks explanations... As to Having separate css and other files: I have a global layout throughout the site planed, but the graphics are different in each subsection as are the background music, mouse over sounds (to allow the visitor to play the page as an instrument) and so on W3 has taught me that separate CSS files ,java, php, HTML5 and what not are the way to go. I also would like to synchronize the graphical and sound events to the background groove. What "small project" are You referring too? In no bad blood, Bobzoid Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobzoid Posted December 4, 2013 Author Share Posted December 4, 2013 Who is Karl Sandoval Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justsomeguy Posted December 4, 2013 Share Posted December 4, 2013 This guy: http://karlsandoval.com I wanted a replica of the guitar he built for Randy Rhoads: http://karlsandoval.com/?p=29 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobzoid Posted December 4, 2013 Author Share Posted December 4, 2013 Randy Rhoads Had a few Jackson's, Grover Jackson was the plant manager at Washburne custom shop in Chicago where I worked years ago, he is a distant friend of mine. Like I, he has big plans but seems to be lacking the resources and is plagued by this rough economy. And keep in mind; he has a name, friends up the whazoo and clout, all of but the latter I do not have right now. If You would like, I want to add You to my friends, as soon as I figure out how its done. wont be long! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justsomeguy Posted December 4, 2013 Share Posted December 4, 2013 Randy Rhoads actually had the very first Jackson, it didn't even have a name on the headstock yet. I think Grover was working for Charvel at that point, and Randy had him build the Concorde that Randy sketched on a napkin on a flight from Europe to the US (aboard... the Concorde). From what I've heard the first prototype, a black one, was way too heavy and Grover redid it and gave Randy the white one with gold hardware (the first to be labeled a Jackson), followed by another black one shortly before Randy died. I very distantly know a guy named Chris Canella who got to play some of the original six Jackson guitars while working for them. Pretty cool stuff. I want to get one of the white pinstripe ones. Then I guess I just need a 1974 cream Les Paul Custom to complete the trifecta. I guess Christmas is coming up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobzoid Posted December 4, 2013 Author Share Posted December 4, 2013 Can You send me a friend request? I can explain how that all really went down! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justsomeguy Posted December 4, 2013 Share Posted December 4, 2013 I've never really used the friends system on this thing. You can send a private message if you want to though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobzoid Posted December 4, 2013 Author Share Posted December 4, 2013 I will be on it tomorrow! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobzoid Posted December 5, 2013 Author Share Posted December 5, 2013 What happened to Davej? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobzoid Posted December 5, 2013 Author Share Posted December 5, 2013 Sorry justsomeguy, went to the "manage Friends" thingy and it seems that I can not choose You as a friend, unless You instigate the request!?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davej Posted December 5, 2013 Share Posted December 5, 2013 How did You know that I was working on a .pdf with mockups, remarks explanations... Sounds good! I just thought I would provide a viewpoint from the other side of the story here. We get so many vague questions and people who have problems but don't provide enough information that it is just amazing. Sometimes there is also a language problem to add to the confusion. You mention graphics but I would like to hear your specific graphics question that is not explained in the W3Sch tutorials somewhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobzoid Posted December 5, 2013 Author Share Posted December 5, 2013 The web is full of flaws like FAQ's but no IQ's, Help that tells you what to click on... The most basic stuff, with no mention whatsoever of what to do when stuff doesn't work (M$)! I will be back here after I have played around with Wordpress for a few days, I am already not liking it though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobzoid Posted December 7, 2013 Author Share Posted December 7, 2013 So it has not been to long and I am Back. I have messed around with Wordpress and a few of the plugins available for it and have achieved quite a bit, as far as gaining better understanding of it all, but it has only opened up a thousand more questions! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davej Posted December 7, 2013 Share Posted December 7, 2013 We have a few people here using WordPress but... to be honest, I don't think CMS support is one of our strong points here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobzoid Posted December 7, 2013 Author Share Posted December 7, 2013 I fell asleep last night in front of the PC, and cut off the circulation to my right arm. The odd thing is that normally when one of my limbs falls asleep, it wakes back up, this time it did not. I just got back from the hospital with a splint. My right arm is still semi-paralyzed from the elbow down. The doctor said it may take days, weeks, months or may not heal at all. I don't think she was a neurologist though. I am right handed, so I will not be doing much in the way of site development until this passes, or I become left handed, which ever comes first. My keyboard is screwed down to the swivelingpull out tray I built, and the mouse is on the right and can not go to the left, its complicated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davej Posted December 7, 2013 Share Posted December 7, 2013 (edited) That's got to be the craziest thing I've heard in a long time. I think almost everyone has occasionally woke up with some afflicted limb, but after a few minutes it generally begins to recover. Best wishes for a complete recovery. You should probably see a specialist immediately. Edited December 7, 2013 by davej Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobzoid Posted December 7, 2013 Author Share Posted December 7, 2013 The doctor said it is rare, but it happens. Its called radial neuropathy of the spinal chord, AKA: "Sat night palsy". It may be related to some of the other nervous system problems I have had due to the fact that I have ciliac disease, but did not know it until recently. I have been sick as a dog for most of my life, and always misdiagnosed, I figured it out by myself, with some help from Dr. Oz, who gave me the last piece of information it took to separate ciliac from chrone's and another unpronounceable disease I had it narrowed down to. One doctor even told me it was all in my head, but never ran any tests! Go figure! My head is the only one part of my body that works really good! Left handed typing is not to bad, but now I am going to try and make a sandwich (Gluten free bread of course), and I normally do not buy sliced meats and cheeses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davej Posted December 8, 2013 Share Posted December 8, 2013 Well, if it was actually due to a physical restriction that reduced blood flow to your arm I would think they might put you on blood thinners for a few days or something like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobzoid Posted December 8, 2013 Author Share Posted December 8, 2013 I Drink enough wine to have that covered! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davej Posted December 9, 2013 Share Posted December 9, 2013 Well, I hope you are seeing some improvement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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