Getting Started in
350:465 Writing HTML for the Web, Fall 2001

1. If you have a Pegasus (or comparable) Rutgers account, send me e-mail from that account to confirm your active username. Please include
   • "465" at the start of the subject line
   • The name by which you are registered at Rugters
   • The name by which you prefer to be known, if different
   • The account where you would like any duplicate email to be sent.
   • You will receive return email from me.
   .
2. You will need a Pegasus account to use the Newark computer network. All your class work must be on this Rutgers account.
3. If you don't have a Pegasus account, aren't sure, or forgot your password, please activate your account today and follow the steps above. You can always change your password but your username will follow throughout your Rutgers career.
4. Acquire the first of two text books, Elizabeth Castro's short workbook, HTML 4 for the World Wide Web, 4th edition, 2000, available at New Jersey Books. The second text, a more extensive HTML reference work, will be announced shortly after consultation with the class.
5. The Newark networks have recently upgraded to Windows 2000 Pro (NT). Please familiarize yourself with the network. At the start of classes some previously available software had not yet been installed.
6. Become familiar with Windows, Mac, and Unix machines so that you could use any when the open access labs become crowded. HTML:works similarly on each of these platforms. Most of the instruction in the couse will be in Windows.
7. Use your Pegasus account to become familiar with Unix file management and text editing (see RUCS handouts).
8. We will use use the Unix file reader, Pine, and the Unix text editors, Pico (built into Pine). and Emacs (available with keystrokes mapped to HTML -- see RUCS handouts).
9. We will have a Rutgers lab for class use at specific times. Networked computers are available elsewhere on a first-served basis. Find out how these computers and printers are configured before you have a deadline.
10. If you have computer access off campus, find out how you can achieve remote access to your account via Rutgers Runfree or your ISP, DSL, cable, etc.
    • Make sure you have software for remote file transfer, such as WS_FTP (gratis to students) and for unzipping files, such as WinZip (shareware).
    • Arrange a method of keeping backups of all your work -- perhaps two levels deep.
    • Arrange a method of bringing your latest work to class on a floppy disk, Iomega Zip disk, or writable CD-ROM disk.
    • At the start of classes the Newark network has Internet Explorer 5.0 and Netscape 4.7. Please download for your own use an upgrade of Internet Explorer (5.5 or 6.0), the new version of Netscape 6.1 (not an upgrade of 4.7), and Opera 5.12. At the present time we will not be able to run these software upgrades in the Newark labs.
    • Explore alternate text editors to Windows Notepad. Two good packages are Notetab Lite (free) and TextPad (shareware).
    • Explore alternate file managers to Windows Explorer. Two that I like are Windows Commander and ZTree Win (both shareware).
    • Don't rely on the "Save as HTML" feature in Word and similar program since it will "code your code."'
    • Don't rely on FrontPage Express in Internet Explorer or Composer in Netscape; each uses incompatibe proprietary schemes.b paqes
    • Don't rely on Dreamweaver, Golive, and similar software until you can understand and modify the dense code they write.
    • Do use HTML-Kit (free) and HomeSite (on network) if they help you with the labor of coding.
    • Please share ideas about these and other softwares with the class!