Yes, folks, it's yet another book "for Dummies". Note, however, that this contribution to the Dummies series, "Creating Web Pages for Dummies" (IDG Books, 1996), is soothingly titled - you can choose to translate it as "How to Create Web Pages for Dumb People to Read". With that ego-boosting consideration, join us as we delve into the book's not-so-dumb contents.
"Creating Web Pages" was crafted by two experts in the field - and it shows. Bud Smith has a background in programming and technical writing, while Arthur Bebak, with a background in computer engineering, is founder of Netsurfer Communications and publisher of this e-zine (but he doesn't know about this review - yet).
If you can set aside our potential bias, we consider the book worth contemplating if you're a newbie to the world of Web publishing. Even if you consider yourself an advanced beginner, able to do the dog-paddle version of HTML, you can still benefit from the material. The CD-ROM accompanying the book, for example, contains some helpful PC and Mac programs and demos, including add-ons, file converters, and stand-alone programs. You'll also get an HTML resources file that contains an amazing variety of links to Web authoring info and related topics.
If you're knowledgeable about the Web and the Internet, you'll want to skip over the basics. Begin with Chapter 3, "Just Enough HTML", which ushers you gently into the brave new Web world. You'll learn enough to feel at ease traversing the ups and downs of creating "Quick and Easy Web Pages," mastering "'Real' Web Publishing" - "real", by the way, is redefined to mean the use of graphics and multimedia - and HTML tools.
Although the HTML tools singled out by the authors may fade into obscurity, the Web Publishing Do's and Don'ts and examples of well-written Web pages are definitely worth saving. Anyone who's surfed and experienced the thrills and sorrows of finding great and truly awful sites will agree with such do's as "spell-check your pages" and "use graphics", and such don'ts as "don't make your site hard to navigate." The array of Web pages rated as cleverly crafted vary from the L.L. Bean products catalogue to the Santa Cruz Geek Social Scene.
Still not interested in glancing at this book? Then check out the appendices. You get a complete list of Web service providers, a well-organized guide to HTML tags, and instructions for using the CD-ROM's resources file.