Looking for an affordable Wed design course

**shortcake** · 01-16-2008, 07:54 PM

Does anyone know where I can find an affordable Web design class via correspondance? I want to learn how to build and maintain websites but everything I have found so far is very expensive. I need to start soon but can't find anything. I want to be able to modify my own site because it is really basic and sucks in my oppinion and I would like to do it as extra income in the near future also.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

**Edna_E** · 01-16-2008, 08:39 PM

I'd suggest just looking for a good book on it and teaching yourself. You are obviously quite computer-literate, and the books are often written in a tutorial style where they explain something and then have exercises on it. Check your library and/or check what books the classes are using.

**monkeywrangler71** · 01-16-2008, 09:05 PM

I'm with Edna, I've taken 2 full-time years of computer classes and very few of them were anything more than me with a book teaching myself. Skip the tuition fees, just buy a book. Start with basic HTML - this book is excellent. I have a much earlier edition though. The basics have not really changed, so don't hesitate to look for a used book - outdated computer books are practically free if you can find them (a lot of used stores won't even carry them because they have so little value) but this is one subject where it doesn't matter that much as a beginner. Once you have the basics, start looking on the web for pages that give design tips and more advanced tutorials for the specific features you want to add to your site.

Before you plan out your new design, read through sites like this just to make sure you aren't about to do anything annoying.

**shortcake** · 01-16-2008, 10:40 PM

Great thanks for the info, I will look into the book.

**monkeywrangler71** · 01-16-2008, 10:52 PM

There are probably lots of other books just as good, what makes it work is that it is laid out in tutorials and begins with the assumption that you know nothing. If you looked through a stack of web books, you would probably find others with a similar format. What you don't want is one that starts with a bunch of gobbledygook that you can't understand and then explains how the internet works and a bunch of other technical stuff that you don't care about. I've read a lot of computer books that are poorly written, condescending, or just flat out useless. Just look for simple tutorials, then when your confidence and knowledge level is higher you can find everything you want to know on your own.

You could probably actually find tutorials on the web and not even have to buy a book at all.

**monkeywrangler71** · 01-16-2008, 10:56 PM

I've never done the tutorials here, but I've used their reference sheets:
http://www.w3schools.com/html/

**lisettelovebug** · 01-16-2008, 11:04 PM

I'm taking a online course through my local community college. this is the book we're using... http://search.half.ebay.com/new-pers...Q26Q20xhtmlQ20
here's the site w/ downloads, http://search.half.ebay.com/new-pers...Q26Q20xhtmlQ20
and here's the online tutorial that you can use even w/out the book,,, http://www.course.com/np/html/

**shortcake** · 01-16-2008, 11:57 PM

Thank you so much everyone!

**Jamauk** · 01-17-2008, 12:35 AM

I'm getting ready to launch an online business later this month and DH made the website himself - with not prior experience at all. He purchased the Coffee Cup software www.coffeecup.com and it came with the software and books and he learned everything he needed to know.

Its a great place to start.

Good Luck!

**shortcake** · 01-17-2008, 12:41 AM

Originally Posted by Jamauk

I'm getting ready to launch an online business later this month and DH made the website himself - with not prior experience at all. He purchased the Coffee Cup software www.coffeecup.com and it came with the software and books and he learned everything he needed to know.

Its a great place to start.

Good Luck!

Thanks, I just went on the site and they sell a lot of options and all different prices. Can you tell me which one he bought?
I clicked on the products and it's a bit overwhelming there are so many!

**Jamauk** · 01-17-2008, 12:46 AM

I just called my DH and he said he bought

HTML Editor

You can download it and try it out for 30 days free, too (he thinks)

**shortcake** · 01-17-2008, 12:50 AM

Thanks! I will check it out again in the morning. I am too tired I am starting to get cross eyed Ha! Ha!

**lisettelovebug** · 01-17-2008, 02:57 AM

do you have microsoft frontpage? if so this is an html editor. you can also search free html editor - I found several that can be downloaded for free,

**shortcake** · 01-17-2008, 07:57 AM

Originally Posted by lisettelovebug

do you have microsoft frontpage? if so this is an html editor. you can also search free html editor - I found several that can be downloaded for free,

No I don't have frontpage, I wish I did I hear it is good.

**monkeywrangler71** · 01-17-2008, 10:00 AM

I would strongly recommend that you start with a basic text editor until you know what you're doing, then move to an HTML editor later to speed things up. Programs like Frontpage throw a lot of garbage into your pages, and going back to make edits can be very frustrating if you can't decipher the language.
It's kind of like learning to read without knowing the alphabet.