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May 25, 2003 Finally, I finished the main page on our web site. Let me run a check on it. "Error" "Error" 'Error" What the @#%$ I have been writing this same code for years, what went wrong? You have an extra tag that may hinder the performance of your page, you must remove it NOW!!!! moron the computer said. Oh really, where, and how on Earth, did I put an extra tag in? I look, I can't find it. "Hey stupid, it's on line 123, you idiot" the wise cracking computer said. If you have ever written code for a web site, this is just one of the problems you will run into. OK, so I stretched the truth a bit, but that's what it feels like. Six years ago Elaine suggested we upgrade our computers so we can "Get online" We did. Next thing we had to do was get a web site. Everyone has one. Oh, OK, who's going to build it? "You can", she said, with that look of, "You can do anything you set your mind to" I couldn't let her down so I said, "Oh yea, noooo proble! m" So, I went to the bookstore to find anything I could on writing HTML. After an exhausting ten minutes of reading, I set out on my adventure. Let me tell you something, never follow these self help books to the letter. Writing code is confusing enough at the beginnng, without the ramblings of some guy with a PHd, telling you "Oh, don't do it that way, that's wrong." So between my PHd guide and some very helpful web sites out there, I began my first page. Our first page was mostly links to other sites of interest, entertainment schedules, and some information on our business. Nothing fancy, but "Loaded" with "Error's." Come on now, it was a simple code, how can I screw that up? Our friend's were tellng us, "Why don't you just buy a publishing program?, It'll be easier." Not that I'm cheap, well, maybe a little, but I was taught, by my PHd buddy, and friends that are in the web design business, that you have more control of a web page by writing your own code. You can place items where you want and set-up the page exactly how you want, without being restricted by a template in the publishing program. They were right. After mastering, well getting good at, web design, we needed a host. Our first site was hosted on our ISP's server, and let me tell you, they did not like a commercial site on a free server. That is a big No, No. How was I supposed to know? Then we checked out online web hosts. Hey, come on and put your web site on our servers for free. That worked well for a year, if you can get by all the "Pop-up's and banner ads. After three years of this, we've had it. Finally, after years of debate, friends of ours, who were in the same situation as we were, decided to purchase their own servers and become web hosts of their own. "Do you think we can we do this'" my friend asked. "Why not" I said. With all of us inputing ideas, and standing behind him, we couldn't lose. We designed our own filemanager, and all the tools you need to make web site design easy and fun, Yes fun. The next big hurdle we had to cross was purchasing a fast, reliable server. He found one, installed it at the server farm and we were off. Ok, so it didn't happen that fast, but why bore you with all the details. The next step was getting the word out. Word of mouth is the
best advertising. If you have a good product, and good service, people will
come. That's how my family has been in business for over thirty five years. We
don't spend much money on advertising, we don't have to. My friend's hosting
company has been online now for a number of years, and grows by leaps and bounds
every year. He now hosts hundreds of web site's and is doing very well. As for
me, I maintain five web site's for my family's business and a number of my
friend's businesses as well. Not bad for a guy that just six years ago thought
that the internet was a passing fad. If I can build and maintain a web site
without loosing my mind, anyone can.
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