HTM-What?

Welcome to the wonderful world of HTML. That's Hypertext Markup Language to you and me. You've probably figured out by now that if you want to get stuff up and running on the web, you have to become familiar with this strange language. Actually, HTML is a source code. Your regular word processing application also "reads" a source code to make paragraphs look like paragraphs and headlines look like headlines--only in a word processor, you can't see it.

Same thing goes for Mosaic. Or Netscape, or any of the "browsers" springing up that help you surf your way through the internet. They're just applications that read this HTML source code to make things look real pretty--and create links that can bring you to amazing discoveries--or simply get lost.

Right now, there are tons of directories to help you learn how to format your stuff for publication on the web. Here are just a few of them:

But, if you just need a quick reference for some of the basic formatting tools, here's a shortcut section.

Remember your audience!

Most of the computers on campus are set up to scope out the web using Netscape. That's because it has some mighty helpful features--like "mailto:" and "view source." But remeber, not all of the folks out there are using Netscape. Some are looking at the Web using Mosaic, MacWeb, Spyglass and LYNX. Some of the extensions mentioned here may be seen differently (or not at all) by someone working in browsers like Mosaic, Mac Web, Spyglass, and LYNX. So if you can, try viewing what you've created in different browsers to see what happens:

Mosaic and many others do not yet support the "Mailto:" link, so be sure to put the full e-mail address in text so that readers may open up a separate e-mail application to write the author.

LYNX, the browser that many UMass Dartmouth students use to get on the web through the Vax (just type LYNX at the dollar prompt to get in), does not support pictures. So if you have a photograph as your link, be sure to put some text beside it so LYNX readers will be able to see your link. There is also a way for LYNX readers to still know what photographs you've included: If you're using BBEdit to place an image, you select "HTML Image" from the list of extensions. When that box comes up, there is space for you to write the name of the graphic, and also a box called "alternative description." Just throw in a few words describing what you're picture is, and LYNX readers will at least know that your picture of a paramecium is indeed "a paramecium snapshot."

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