If you decide to take this course you will be returning several times for each lesson or practice. Each time you return you should click on the "Refresh This Page" button.

WHY? To make it very simple, when you visit a web site your computer stores the page or site so the next time you visit it will load much faster.

HOWEVER! If something is changed or added to that page or site you won't see it. You will still see the old one.

People e-mail me with questions, or some times asking me to explain something in an easier way to do it. I then realize I must add a lesson or change the way I wrote it, which means when that person returns if they don't click the Refresh button they will still see the old page not the new one.

I have put a Refresh button on every lesson page. Even though you have already done that lesson, if you ever return to it for a refresher be sure to click the button, there might be something new added.

And now how things work.
Please don't get confused or discouraged by reading this page.
This is an attempt to explain how things work,the actual learning of HTML is very easy.

The first thing I would like to try and explain is this! What am I doing here? no that's not it this is. Everything that you see on the internet, no matter what web site you visit is created by some type of language. Every language is written very differently, or slightly different depending on the language. Even your e-mail is created this way.

OK! Since everything is created by a language and we don't know these special languages how can we see what we actually see on these web sites?

Good Imagination?

No!

Hire an interpreter?

No!

Man I hate these tricky questions.

Every computer and web tv (which is now MSN TV)has a program installed that reads the languages and then converts that writing (turns it into) what you actually see. Much like placing a CD or DVD into a player and something takes whats on the disk and converts it into what you see or hear.

This program is called a "BROWSER". Without the browser program the only thing you would be seeing right now is a lot of confusing words and symbols. You would not be reading this. (if I had any sense I wouldn't be reading it any way) sorry! I didn't realize you were reading, I'll keep quiet.

The three (3) most used browsers are, "Internet Explorer", "Netscape Navigator" and "MSN TV".

However there are two (2) new browsers, "Opera" and "Mozilla".
As of right now neither are as good as Internet Explorer 6.0. Maybe in time they will but not now.

Let me see if I understand this right. If I want to create a web site, first I learn how to write a language, then I type it exactly the way I want my site to look, then this browser reads what I typed and then converts it into words, colors and pictures?  And the answer is YES. That is exactly what happens.

Hey! I'm doing good. Oops, sorry again.

If you use dial up, (a phone line) then you have an "ISP", (internet service provider) such as AOL, MSN, Earth Link, Prodigy, People PC, AT&T, Net Zero ect. ect. Each ISP provides you with the browser of their choice. This way you get to browse the internet and they can keep you on their site. If you go and use a browser of your choice, (leave their site) chances are you will be disconnected for being idle. Although you get disconnected at times anyway. Cable users are the most fortuneate. They are online automatically and have the choice of using any browser they want.

Well enough of this boring stuff and the class clown. I just wanted you to understand how this works.

Now! What is HTML?

I didn't raise my hand. You answer it.

Well it is not a programing language. Infact some say it is not a language at all. However at the present time it is used to create more web sites than any other language. WHY? Because anyone can learn it. Infact if you can type an e-mail, you can type HTML.

In case some one asks you. What does HTML stand for? It is short for, "Hyper Text Markup Language". Hey! they had to call it something. They wouldn't call it, "AELFE". Which would be short for, "An Easy Language For Everyone". O yea! and so much for it not being a language. They should have left off the last word.

Hey! I like AELFE. It sounds like a Viking Warrior. Ooook

There is something very important I should mention. For any one that already knows some HTML, or has some one that will help them with it because they have already created web sites in the past.
1. Don't use capital letters in side your tags.
2. All tags must be closed.
Using capital letters and not closing all tags is the old way of writing HTML and you should learn the right way.

WHY? because there is a new language being introduced that eventually will replace HTML. It is XHTML (extensible hyper text markup language) and they say that capital letters will mean something special. Don't worry it will be quite a while before it will be used. And it's not really replacing how you write HTML, it is to guarantee that HTML is written correctly And the HTML that you are going to learn is the new correct way which is using XHTML rules. What you learn here will be used for many many years to come.

Now just a few more boring words about browsers and we can get to learning how to write this cool language.

However!
If you use dial up to get on line, (a phone line) you can skip the rest of this explanation of browsers and go right to the 1st lesson. This is more helpfull for cable users since they have a choice of what browser they want to use at any time, Where dial-up users only use what ever browser their ISP is using. however if you want to continue reading you will get a better understanding of how things work.

Otherwise just scroll down to the bottom of this page and click on "Lesson 1".

Also if you start to get bored or confused reading about this stuff, just go on to lesson 1 and start to have some fun. You can always come back and finish reading some other time.

Browsers are not the same. They are competitors so they try to be different and they offer different things. What hurts us as users of HTML or other languages is they don't see or understand everything that can be created.

What does this mean? It means that you can create a really great looking web site but when someone with a different browser, or an older version browser visits they would see it differently or some things not at all.

The basics that you will learn here work with all browsers. When we get to things that only work with certain browsers I will tell you then you can deceide if you want to use them.

Since I create web sites for fun I use what I want. That may not sound very nice but most are personal sites for friends and relatives to view. If I wanted a business site to make a living then I would write only what every browser could see. This is your choice.

What browser is the best? Again you must deceide. MSN TV has no choice but I will tell you that you can create some real great things that computer browsers can't see. I created my first web site with a web tv and I still use it today. With my PC and my Webbie I have a lot of fun. As for computers, I use Internet Explorer. I have found that it allows me to see and do more. I'm sure there are those that use Netscape, or Opera, or Mozilla that would disagree. But hey, to each his own. But I must honestly tell you that Internet Explorer allows you to create more things not only in HTML but in Javascripts and CSS Those two languages create some totally incredible stuff. However, no matter which browser you use you will have a lot of fun and create something really great. Even MSN TV supports some java and most CSS.

Since the browser is so important. Because it lets us see things that is written to create things. You should keep your browser upgraded.

Why? Well they upgrade the languages which allow us to create more cool stuff. But your browser may be to old to read and understand this new stuff. So if it can't understand what it's reading it can't convert it, then you don't see it.

And the best part is that browsers are "FREE". Even all the upgrades.

Web tv users don't have to upgrade their browsers. MSN will offer you an upgrade automatically and install it for you. All you have to do is say yes or no.

Please understand that you do not have to upgrade or change your browser to learn or use HTML. You upgrade or change it only if you want to. If your happy with your 3.0, or 4.0 version that's great. Just to let you know right now Internet Explorer is version 6.0 and Netscape is version 7.0

And in case your wondering what browser, or version you have right now!

TA DA! and you thought I didn't know.

psssst, he didn't know either. the computer told him

YES you can have all the browsers and use the one you want when you want. Just download and install the ones you want. You just have to click on the one you want to use.

Important! The browser that came with your computer is called the "default" browser.
That only means that it is the main browser you want to use all the time. When you download new browser's they all ask if you want to make them your default browser (meaning main browser) just click no or close that window untill you try it out for a while and see if you like it better than the one you have been using. Once you find the one you like best, then make it your default one.

This way as you learn and write HTML or other languages you can see for your self how each browser reads and displays it differently.

If you ever want to upgrade your present browser or get different ones, just come back here and click on the one you want. The link will take you directly to the browser page at either Microsoft for Internet Explorer, or to Netscape, Opera or Mozilla Just follow their instructions, down load, install and your good to go.

Ok lets go. Lesson 1 Well, click it I can't!