Link to Web Site

Below is the link to my photo web site still under development.  And unfortunately it’s a link to the wrong home page.   I later tried to update the site with the correct one but I am having FTP problems – perhaps a space in a file name that does not belong created the problem or some such silliness which I will need to later investigate.  Following todays’ class I arrived at my home machine  and killed the space in the file name and then lost all my links and related images … so this presents another technical area I will later need to investigate as well…the fact that the page looked  great on my machine is perhaps now of little consequence.  Perhaps some web sites were meant not to be shared…at this time.  I learned a lot along the way and the need for additional leaning looks like it will continue for some time ahead.  It’s all relative – one student shared with me today that they sent all of us to the wrong web site to critique and did not realize it until the end of the class – such is the way.

On a positive note – Thanks to everyone for all your valued inputs.

http://bcts-potomac.aacc.edu/cat/cat18/final%20project/index.html

OLA Build Out

My final OLA buildout can be seen below and should serve as a useful framework to begin the final buildout of my basic web site.

http://bcts-potomac.aacc.edu/CAT/cat18/week11/ola_temp_sherry_b.html

OLA Design Build Out 1st attempt

Made progress but I need to figure out placement issues related to location invoving elements across the page.  This means all the working relationships among 1) posistioning, 2) float 3) after and before tags…and not to mention nesting wihin the wrapper and Div tags.

Below is the design as intended followed by current state of my html file.  Looking forward to getting a better handle on this going forward given how essential it is.

FW Final OLA Layout

Below is current status of html file in Dreamweaver: like I said – a ways to go…but the good news is that my key elements are now in exported into Dreamweaver:

http://bcts-potomac.aacc.edu/CAT/cat18/week11/ola_temp_sherry.html

Week 12 Readings

• Killer Web Content – Article about why content is king

The Above article will get you focused as a not-so-gentle reminder as to how and why people come to your site.  If anyone has ever worked for a newspaper and/or magazine – this study reinforces what grabs someones attention and how ruthless and discriminating most readers are in this time pressed age of hours.  So help your users get to the point ASAP through the use of effective headline and summaries.

• CSS Cheat Sheet – About.com has done a great job summarizing styles, syntax and properties and their values!

This PDF file acts as a great portal into a boatload of useful information to reference during and beyond this course.  There are great links to very useful and practical information as we build out our individual web sites.  I also found the information on Fonts related to use on the web extremely useful given they also include some visual references across both PC and MAC platforms to help guide choices.  I have a feeling that I will be referencing these links for some time to come as a useful knowledge base.

• How we really use the web – sample book chapter with great resources

The above article represents a great reality check and reminds me that it is never a good idea to fall in love with ones work or web site in our case.   The analogy used is a good one:  Think about what you see and comprehend when viewing a billboard going by at 60 mph.  The other key points made:

1. We don’t read pages.  We scan them
2. We don’t make optimal choices. We satisfice.
3. We don’t figure out how things work.  We only muddle through

Week 11 In-Class Build Out

digitalJenn Build Out in Dreamweaver

Best exercise yet – pulls together a lot of variables; now better prepared to tackle both the final OLA project as well as my Web Portfolio effort.  This exercise is a key building foundation.

The result can be found at …

http://bcts-potomac.aacc.edu/CAT/cat18/week11/digitaljenn-finished_Sherry.html

The only small item that I was not able to modify to my satisfaction was the text at the bottom of the footer – I find it a little bit to close to the bottom and tried adjusting the “em” setting to no avail before running out of time.

digitalJenn Build Out

After a number of attempts (a real workout here so bring your gym cloths if you have not yet tackled this one…).   I can finally post the results with the following PDF file.

http://bcts-potomac.aacc.edu/CAT/cat18/week10/Design-pages-sherry1.pdf

Next – time to revisit the OLA effort.  This last exercise should go a long ways in dealing with the OLA effort.  One can always hope…

Week 11 Articles: CSS

Very important topic tackled by different authors in different ways and herein somewhat lies the problem.

1. Understanding CSS:
   A general review of CSS rules, and the application of CSS. Read Understanding CSS >>

Jon Varese of Adobe has written a good general overview in his two articles (see next article below as well).  Yet he does slip into some ‘inside-basball’  discussions leaving new users behind.  He writes better than most ‘geeks’ for sure, but his aspirations work against him and us.  What do I mean.  His articles, at the end, announce that he is currently pursuing a PhD in 19th century British Literature.  This will be both his and our loss.  This will guarantee that he will never be  able to write in clear and concise language  – two higly valuable traits needed in the industry and in his current line of work.

1. CSS Layouts:
   Using the CSS Layouts that are included with Dreamweaver, you can select a premade CSS layout to use and customize in Dreamweaver. Read “CSS Page Layout Basics” >>

The above is an excellent article and I will now sing his praises as a Geek who can write.  What a delight, this article!

This next article I must take exception by saying that it is not as advertised.  I thought that I was getting a pretty good handle on IDs and Class from our earlier readings and exposure, but now I am not so sure after reading this confusing and poorly written piece on the topics.

But then again – he may have offered me an important insight if I am inferring correctly that you can indeed have multiple ID’s on a page.  Who knew?  If I understood him correctly (a big assumption) – as long as the IDs are on different elements you can.  In other words I was aware that no single element can have multiple IDs.  This article is posted below.

1. ID and Class Rules – the Difference:
   Confused about the difference between an ID and a class? A great explanation. Read “ID and Class Rules>>”

This last article leaves me breathless in that it is not really an article at all in that there is very little, if any, explanation among all the great visual information as to what is really going on beyond the stated headline or premise that they all use the same code.  Is as if someone (Adobe in this case) is showing off a great feature but without andy real world context or end user benefit analysis.  I am left wonder what is the point beyond seeing some attractive sites.  In the technology world this is referred to as a solution looking for a problem.

1. CSS Zen Garden website:
   A fantastic site that solicits designers from around the world to take the same content area, and using CSS, create a custom, original design. Amazing example of what can be done with CSS from a design standpoint – all of the page examples are the exact same code, with only the stylesheet changing. Review CSS Zen Garden, as well as some of the examples (click on the links on the right side of the homepage).

Week 11 Book Chpt. 10 – Productivity

While there are very good insights in this chapter regarding the architecture of servers versus your local site – they do come very late in the book.  Not sure why these concepts and techniques were not introduced earlier.

And once again,  fairly straight forward material until Adobe introduces additional typos in its textbook and neglects in a few cases to even mention some critical steps (including the bottom of page 234).  So reader beware that you are on your own at critical times.

As a result the time estimates given by Adobe and others to complete this and similar assignments is once again way way off the mark and could be hazardous to your academic health.

The results are posted here:

http://bcts-potomac.aacc.edu/CAT/cat18/week11/index-finished_Sherry.html

Week 10 CSS Basics (Tableless Web Design)

Sheri German’s exercise constitutes a good review of the basics involving layout and reminding us that HTML is all about the content while CSS is all about the style and layout of your content.

Links to results of the exercises are contained below:

http://bcts-potomac.aacc.edu/CAT/cat18/Week10/absolute_sherry.html

http://bcts-potomac.aacc.edu/CAT/cat18/Week10/create_div_sherry.html

http://bcts-potomac.aacc.edu/CAT/cat18/Week10/float_columns_sherry.html

http://bcts-potomac.aacc.edu/CAT/cat18/Week10/simple_page_sherry.html

Final Project (V1)

Below is my initial version of both my portfolio Home Page and Interior Page.  The design comps can be accessed below:

http://bcts-potomac.aacc.edu/CAT/cat18/My Web Project_Flash Drive/Sherry Version A Prototype.jpg

http://bcts-potomac.aacc.edu/CAT/cat18/My Web Project_Flash Drive/Sherry Version A Prototype_Interior pg.jpg

And below is my second Version (Home Page and Interior page).  Please let me know what you think.

http://bcts-potomac.aacc.edu/CAT/cat18/My Web Project_Flash Drive/Sherry Version B Prototype.jpg

http://bcts-potomac.aacc.edu/CAT/cat18/My Web Project_Flash Drive/Sherry Version B Prototype_Interior PG.jpg