Diary

I mentioned in a previous entry how I had used a web site builder package that my hosting company had. You simply build a web page by choosing a template and entering data. You do this through accessing the package using your web browser. It's all done online.
The advantage of this system is that it is quick and easy. You do not have to know anything about html or ftp. The disadvantage is that it reduces your flexibility.
HINT: I found that most people who build websites do not do this.
So, the question I started asking was exactly how do people do this?
The traditional approach is to use a text editor or html editor and enter html tags as you enter your data. For the beginner, this is daunting. With a little bit of study and experience, it can be done. Lots of people do it this way.

Is there an easier way?

So after learning how to build a web page, the next trick to learn is how to put that page up as a website that other people can view. It is actually easier than you might think. If you can use a web browser, you can FTP. What is FTP? FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol. It is the standard protocol for transferring data to and from a web server.
You do not need to know how it works. If I told you that it works using the TCP/IP protocols that make the internet work, you might have some clue. But unless you study computer programming, it probably will not mean that much.
You simply need to use some FTP software - that is all you need to FTP.
Some software used to design web pages include an FTP function. For other people you can simply acquire some FTP software. There are a lot of FTP programs available for purchase and they all work fairly well. You can even find some great FTP programs for free.

HTML is the main language system for web pages. HTML stands for Hyper Text Markup Language. It is a system that allows you to create the way your web page looks.
You do not have to learn HTML to create web pages. Many programs will export their output to HTML. You can quite easily create a simple web page using a word processor or desktop publishing program. It is really very easy.
The problem most people get stuck is that they do not know what to do next.
So, I think it's reasonable to get an idea of the process of constructing websites.
Part of this is simply learning some basic html commands and how the page is structured.
If you would like a free course on html and how to use it you might like to try this course from Maricopa Centre for Learning.
You can also find a basic introduction here.
There are also books on building web pages.

My Efforts

Not knowing exactly what to do, I purchased a package from Go Daddy that included hosting and software called Website Tonite. The software allows you to create web pages by entering text. The software creates a html page.
Would I use the Go Daddy package again? No. But it was good for where I was at the particular time. I really lacked the confidence in my ability to build a web page. If you read on further episodes of this web diary, you will discover better ways of doing this.
Many web hosts offer website building software. They really are quite good if all you need is a simple page. The advantage is that you can put a page up very quickly. The software offers you a selection of templates. You choose one you like. Then all you have to do is type in your text. The software then loads your page on the server. You have a working website!

My third step was the first build of LG Jet.
I had felt there was a need for a site like LG Jet. I was sure there were lots of people looking for the same information I had searched. I decided to share some of my experiences in the hope that this will help you.
So you can see that LG Jet has an aim - to share experience.
You can also see that LG Jet is unique - it is sharing my own experience.
I am emphasising these two points to you, because I believe they are essential to building successful websites - that is, a clear aim and some unique content.
I also know the audience for LG Jet is people who have had less experience than I have and who want to learn what I did. I am not pretending to know everything. I do know where I have been. I know some of my failings and successes.