I am a professional photographer by trade. In the past, I have flown both military aircraft and aircraft for the commercial airlines. I have two college degrees. I know next to nothing about the internet. Recently, I made the decision to become a professional webmaster. I used to be a content provider, now I build and run my own websites. I am having tremedous difficulty trying to learn all this new stuff: How do I build the site; what software do I use; I don't understand webmail, bandwidth, username and passwords for my server (which is which?!); how do I publish; what are Frontpage extensions; How do I use Homesite; what do I do when I publish and the site is f@#$%d up?; how do I connect e-commerce to my site? I am completely overwhelmed. Can anyone help?

How do I build the site

Try learning by reading through a few tutorials and primers about web design on the net. A few of my favorites are www.w3schools.com and www.htmlgoodies.com

what software do I use

I suggest to start learning raw html and css using a test editor. Avoid WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editors, but it will not provide any benifit to you to start on those and avoid understanding the markup structure.

I don't understand webmail, bandwidth, username and passwords for my server (which is which?!)

Most web hosting providers will give you access to some type of control panel that allows you to setup mail accounts, bandwidth usage and create/modify various user accounts. Most of the popular control panels (Pleask, cPanel, DirectAdmin etc.) also give you help links that can guide you through the process.

how do I publish

FTP is the method you will use to upload/download files to your hosting server (in your public html directory). Most likely you will login using the same login credentials as you login to your control panel. Also your CP will allow you to create additional FTP access accounts.

what are Frontpage extensions

Avoide these - Not only is it WYSIWYG support, but Microsoft will no longer be supporting Front Page.

How do I use Homesite

I never used Homesite, but you can build beta sites on your local computer using Apache or even IIS (for Windows). This is more benificial for sites you develope that require server-side parsing (i.e. asp, php etc.).

what do I do when I publish and the site is f@#$%d up

Always try to create new ideas and sites on your local computer before uploading them to the public web server. Copy backups of pages you will be changing before you modifiy them so you can revert back to them if you need to. You could also create a sub directory or subdomain for testing new pages on your public server.

how do I connect e-commerce to my site

Look into pre-made eCommerce packages that you can use (Zen-Cart and OSCommerce are a few free ones written in php). You may need to look into SSL certification or PayPal merchant accounts depending on the payment methods you would like to use.

Originally Posted by gemmer

what software do I use;

u can also use 'Dreamweaver' for this. This is the most used software for website making. try to understand each HTML tags. it is important coz if u dont understand HTML u will face problem L8r. To understand Dreamweaver just see the help file. It is enough.

Is Dreamweaver a text editor?

I have a merchant account and it is connected to my website through Paywide. Someone else set it up for me and I don't know how to set up my other websites. For instance, the paywide site has a merchant area where I fill out an online form for each website so he can connect the gateway to the join page, but I think I made a mistake when I filled out the form and the join page doesn't work properly. (Repeated attempts to contact them have failed.)

Is the path to my CGI-BN the name of the directory that it sits in?

Is Frontpage a WYSIWYG editor? I currently have an operational site created with Frontpage. Should I rewrite it in Dreamweaver?

My server company says I am responsible for monitoring bandwith useage. How do I do this?

What is a user account and why do I need one?

or rather...why do I need more than one?

My friend created one of my sites in Homesite then published it with SitePublisher. I have to update the site every week with fresh content. I did fine for about a month. I tried to add an upsell webpage to the site and connect it to the gateway through paywide. I republished it and the hyperlink to the new page didn't work properly. When I tried to update the original site yesterday, SitePublisher erased half of the site and the website wouldn't work properly. (My customers were calling and complaining!! Zoiks!!) So now I am reuploading and hoping it works now. (It takes about 8-10 hours because of all of the images.)

1 - How do I know that what I publish is what I built?

2 - How do I keep from screwing it up when I need to update/modify it?

3 - Should I use Dreamweaver instead of Homesite?

4 - Will Dreamweaver publish the site so I don't have to use 2 separate pieces of software?

4 - Can I preview the site in Dreamweaver like I can in Frontpage?

ofcourse ........ Dreamweaver is WYSIWYG editor.

Is Dreamweaver a text editor?

But is is not text editor.... it is HTML editor.

yah... u can publish your pages to the server through Dreamweaver but it is quite difficult for the beginners... try to use FILEZILLA or SMARTFTP. U can upload your pages to the server and download through these softwares. Both are free....

if you have already made some pages in Frontpage... then u can also edit/open it through Dreamweaver. Just right click on the html page and open with Dreamweaver. it is easy .........

My server company says I am responsible for monitoring bandwith useage. How do I do this?

your server company has already provided u username and password... isn't it ? just login and u will get your hosting control panel.(URL to login page will be provided by your server company also.. i think they gave u already) U will get the control of your bandwidth from bandwidth manager. it will be available in your hosting control panel. just find this.

Ok, this might be easier if you kept your questions to 1 or 2 posts instead of 1 per question.

You've got a LOT of reading/learning to do. I can recommend some good sources and books:
Learn HTML and CSS - www.w3schools.com
You might also find this book worthwhile:
http://www.sitepoint.com/books/html1/

If classes are more your learning style, I highly recommend LVS - www.lvsonline.com. The classes are 6-weeks, instructor led and you have to turn in your homework. It's all on-line and I've not been disappointed in any class I've taken there. The cost is $25 (1st time) per class, $20 for returning students. VERY reasonable. There are also self-paced courses you can take independently. If you enroll, tell them I (LadynRed) referred you

Dreamweaver is an HTML editor - and more, but I would NOT recommend you start there. Start by HAND CODING in a simple text editor like Notepad. You will learn to code the right way and build better sites. If you rely on WYSIWYG programs like Dreamweaver, you will NOT learn what you need to learn well. Dreamweaver creates HORRIBLE code if you only use it in WYSIWYG mode.

1 - How do I know that what I publish is what I built?

Because you upload the files that you built to your web server - they do NOT change on upload. However, there are differences in how some browsers render what you wrote, so there will be differences to some degree. Conquering cross-browser issues is something we all must learn to deal with.

2 - How do I keep from screwing it up when I need to update/modify it?

If you learn HTML/CSS from the ground up, and I mean REALLY learn it, then you will know how to update/modify your site. We all screw up at some point, it's just the way it is.

3 - Should I use Dreamweaver instead of Homesite?

I would recommend you not use either until you have got HTML down pat. Learn to hand code with a text editor FIRST. Then and only then will tools like DW and Homesite benefit you.

4 - Will Dreamweaver publish the site so I don't have to use 2 separate pieces of software?

Yes, DW has an FTP function built in.

4 - Can I preview the site in Dreamweaver like I can in Frontpage?

Yes, of course you can.

Is Frontpage a WYSIWYG editor? I currently have an operational site created with Frontpage. Should I rewrite it in Dreamweaver?

Yes, and NO. Frontpage, a Microsoft product, creates MS-centric web pages. The code is littered with MS proprietary garbage code and stuff that will ONLY work with IE. It also creates generally crappy code. Once you learn HTML and CSS, you can easily clean up Frontpage's garbage with any text editor.

What is a user account and why do I need one?

If you want your site on the web, you need a web host. A hosting company will set up a user account for you so that you can upload your web site to their servers. No user account - no site on the web.

The key to this is taking the time and making the commitment to LEARN, and learn it well. You need HTML as your foundation and CSS (cascading stylesheets to control presentation) to go along with it.

Stay away from WYSIWYG editors until you've got the above down pat, a text editor is a professional web masters best friend !

LNR: HomeSite IS a text editor. I know, because it's the only one I still use (Allaire version, pre-Macromedia buyout.)

gemmer: your biggest problem is that you're trying to take on too much stuff all at once. Start with this by taking it a piece at a time. Figure out your hosting stuff. Then figure out your uploading. Then worry about the design. You've got about 500 questions (which I suppose we all did at some point) and you're trying to answer them at the same time.

I stand corrected. The last time I saw Homesite was a loooongg time ago I had a copy of Allaire Homesite too.. it came with my copy of Cold Fusion 2.0!!!

Yes, I know. I resisted the Webmaster "hat" for years precisely because of this, but in the end it wound up in my lap. Now my income is dependent on building and posting my own sites. I am having to learn via OJT. I have to keep the bills paid. Is their a way I can pay someone to mentor me until I learn enough to run on my own?

sent you a PM.

Originally Posted by gemmer

I know next to nothing about the internet. Recently, I made the decision to become a professional webmaster.

¿¿¿ huh ???

Thanks for all the help everyone. I found and hired a consultant who does this stuff for a living. The site is up and working again and the customers are happy! YEA! He is teaching me what I need to know to prevent future meltdowns!

Im sorry but this HAS to be a wind up????

I think I would a agree... This is one of the most odd post I have seen in a forum for some time...