The title may not thrill the recipients, but The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Internet would make a nice gift for those who either suffer from Web phobia or keep telling you, "I want to learn more about the Internet; I just feel like I'm not technical enough!"
This book guides you smoothly and soothingly through every aspect of online existence. You'll learn about the Internet itself, newsgroups, Archie, FTP, Gopher, Telnet, and more. A clever style note: Kent ends most of his chapters with "The Least You Need to Know" sections. This tactic means that readers who are eager to get started can flip to those sections first, and then delve into the details at another time.
Kent does not limit his guide to mere usage of the Web. You'll also learn how to create your very own home page, how to subscribe to mailing lists, and even how to "speak like a geek." The "geek" archive contains enough terminology for you to fake it at those parties where everyone's in the computer industry but you and the host's dog.
The CD-ROM accompanying the book contains three electronic books (covering the first edition of this book, HTML, and JavaScript), and some software (a free MCI Internet kit, MS Internet Explorer 3.0 for Windows, and Explorer 2.01 for the Mac). There's also a template for your own Web page and an e-mail responder system.
What if you're already created a masterpiece in WordPerfect, PageMaker, or Photoshop? To get your brilliant opus up on the Web, do you have to laboriously retype it all using HTML? Not if you know some of the efficient tools and techniques offered in this book.
If you work with Quattro Pro, ClarisWorks, WordPerfect, QuarkXPress, FrameMaker, Word, PageMaker, Powerpoint, and similar software, and you want to convert it and display it online, this book is for you. And for those who simply don't want to bother learning HTML and want to continue using their familiar software programs but need to move their documentation online, this book has the answers.
You'll learn how to convert documents, what you'll need to consider in the design of your Web pages, and even how to batch process and automate. The book provides you with Web links, conversion utilities, and related tools on the CD-ROM, which contains tools for both the PC and Macintosh. Once you get more comfortable with these tools, return to the book and learn such advanced - and attractive - techniques as implementing frames, plug-ins, and JavaScript.
The book also generously provides help in creating spiffy graphics both quickly and easily. And, if you decide you really do want to learn HTML, the authors have included a very comprehensive HTML tutorial and reference section, which includes details about style, references, verification and testing, and more.
Good graphics, dynamic design, and perfect prose no longer are sufficient. To really make users sit up and notice your Web pages, you now need multimedia magic. We're talking animation, sound, video, and interaction here - and this guide will help you do more than talk about these features. Warning: this book is not for amateurs. If you're still mystified about how to use HTML, and have never created a Web page, start with a project simpler than a page packed full of complex multimedia.
The authors describe how to implement multimedia into your Web pages, and emphasize that just tossing in a byte of animation here and a bit of sound there doesn't do it. Good design and navigation principles are stressed throughout. Particularly laudable is the book's information about what tools to choose and how to use them. You'll learn, for example, what tools you need to work with QuickTime, how to obtain it, other resources, and how to create an example of it. The nifty CD-ROM gives you many of the tools mentioned, as well as demos.
Part of the "Laura Lemay's Web Workshop" series, this book focuses on building sites for businesses large and small. The authors emphasize the need to lure - and retain - customers by creating Web pages that attract attention without distracting readers from the product.
This book is hands-on, which means that you'll learn how to create such basics as online catalogues and corporate home pages by following the clearly described steps. Real-life examples are provided, with details on how these sites were designed and what makes them stand out in the increasingly crowded world of online commerce.
The book describes the techniques of online commerce, from advertising to ordering to shopping. You'll also get information on marketing and administrating your site. The CD-ROM includes templates, tools, and the electronic version of "Teach Yourself Web Publishing with HTML 3.2 in 14 Days."
This creative book is dedicated "to the students, teachers, educators, and volunteers who are creating a new digital world." Add "parents," and you'll know the audience for whom the guide is suited.
Worried that kids spend too much time just staring at TV and computer screens? The authors seek to involve children actively by encouraging them to create their own sites. For inspiration, they include a variety of school sites, home pages created by children, and special sites designed just for kids.
You'll also get tips and tricks for creating Web pages. However, most of the book is devoted to describing different kid-oriented sites, including their history and special features, and inspiring children to invent their own creations. Although all the sites described are kid-oriented, this book shouldn't be isolated in the "just-for-children" category. Teachers and school administrators can definitely get some excellent ideas for how their classrooms and schools can be beautifully represented in the new virtual world.