Trying to make a site for School paper

Anthelel · 01-26-2007, 04:38 PM

Hey, well I'm now the Web editor for my highschool paper, and they have charged me with setting up a website. I was wondering how difficult this will be? I was considering buying the 14.95$ package with Yahoo! and a full site template (dynamic flash) from templatemonster.com. I have picked one out I like, and was considering purchasing it. I have Macromedia Fireworks, flash, and dreamweaver MX 2004 installed on the computer we will be using, along with Microsoft frontpage. Is this something where I just edit it through the programs and such? I have made a few short films in Flash and have a basic grasp of it, and have made a very basic website before. They have charged me with making a very "cool" one with "interactive flashy stuff" as they put it, so I am doing my best. The one I was looking at is this one, http://www.templatemonster.com/flash...ates/9477.html
Say I needed to change the colors, and add a few icons, like the Newspaper's icon and such, how hard would this be to do? Thanks for all the help!

**KoosHopeloos** · 01-27-2007, 03:44 AM

@ Anthelel: Just some considerations:

One thing you always have to consider is the following: what will happen after you leave as the webeditor? Then they have to find someone that is able to deal with flash and so on... That can be difficult.

The next thing that you will probably would like to have archive of some sort and a fixed way in showing articles. So it may be better to have a database driven website using for example php. I do not recommend to use flash to build the backbone of the site, I think it would be better to use HTML & CSS and put flash where it is needed. This also because some people, like me, have a flashblokker due to all the annoying flash banners. So, I suggest that you set-up first a basic website in HTML/CSS and expand it with flash stuff and than start setting up a database with php. Another advantage is that if you use php, you can let other people add their text on the website without needing you.

Oh, do yourself a big pleasure and do not use Microsoft Frontpage! Since you have Dreamweaver ect. you have all the tools you need.

Well, that's it for now... I hope I did not scare you too much!

Good luck!

PS perhaps the most important: make descriptions in the code (Flash, HTML, or CSS) for everything you type down. That way it will be easy for someone new to find out how&what.

Anthelel · 01-27-2007, 07:53 AM

Thanks for the help, that does sound a bit more logical, and I hadn't thought of how some people do block flash. I've decided to just buy a clean but professional looking template in HTML and start adding what they want from there, because they all are inpatiant as can be. I didn't like frontpage anyway, so that works for me. Thanks for the help

**STINEHART** · 01-28-2007, 03:59 PM

Your just screaming that you need to use a CMS.
http://www.opensourcecms.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Content_management_system

Read up on these. They are free.. mostly template driven. Easy to edit. Easy to maintain if someone else takes over. And.. most use PHP.

P.s. Stay away from yahoo with registering domains"just my personal advise"-

Anthelel · 01-28-2007, 11:46 PM

What do you think would be the best to register a domain with? And thanks for that, I will definitely look into it.

01-26-2007, 04:38 PM	#1 (permalink)
Anthelel Registered User Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 3 OS: XP Home	Trying to make a site for School paper Hey, well I'm now the Web editor for my highschool paper, and they have charged me with setting up a website. I was wondering how difficult this will be? I was considering buying the 14.95$ package with Yahoo! and a full site template (dynamic flash) from templatemonster.com. I have picked one out I like, and was considering purchasing it. I have Macromedia Fireworks, flash, and dreamweaver MX 2004 installed on the computer we will be using, along with Microsoft frontpage. Is this something where I just edit it through the programs and such? I have made a few short films in Flash and have a basic grasp of it, and have made a very basic website before. They have charged me with making a very "cool" one with "interactive flashy stuff" as they put it, so I am doing my best. The one I was looking at is this one, http://www.templatemonster.com/flash...ates/9477.html Say I needed to change the colors, and add a few icons, like the Newspaper's icon and such, how hard would this be to do? Thanks for all the help!

01-27-2007, 03:44 AM	#2 (permalink)
KoosHopeloos Design Team Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 548 OS: Windows 98SE & Windows 2K & Windows XP Pro SP3 browsing the web with FF, Opera, Safari and IE.	@ Anthelel: Just some considerations: One thing you always have to consider is the following: what will happen after you leave as the webeditor? Then they have to find someone that is able to deal with flash and so on... That can be difficult. The next thing that you will probably would like to have archive of some sort and a fixed way in showing articles. So it may be better to have a database driven website using for example php. I do not recommend to use flash to build the backbone of the site, I think it would be better to use HTML & CSS and put flash where it is needed. This also because some people, like me, have a flashblokker due to all the annoying flash banners. So, I suggest that you set-up first a basic website in HTML/CSS and expand it with flash stuff and than start setting up a database with php. Another advantage is that if you use php, you can let other people add their text on the website without needing you. Oh, do yourself a big pleasure and do not use Microsoft Frontpage! Since you have Dreamweaver ect. you have all the tools you need. Well, that's it for now... I hope I did not scare you too much! Good luck! PS perhaps the most important: make descriptions in the code (Flash, HTML, or CSS) for everything you type down. That way it will be easy for someone new to find out how&what. __________________ KoosHopeloos, straight to you from .nl via the world wide web (but on sabbatical)! Website for free: to code/design KompoZer, for graphics Paint.NET or GIMP, and to upload CoreFTP

01-28-2007, 03:59 PM	#4 (permalink)
STINEHART Aut viam inveniam aut fac Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Norman, OK Posts: 2,161 OS: Vector My System	Your just screaming that you need to use a CMS. http://www.opensourcecms.com/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Content_management_system Read up on these. They are free.. mostly template driven. Easy to edit. Easy to maintain if someone else takes over. And.. most use PHP. P.s. Stay away from yahoo with registering domains"just my personal advise"- __________________ Free 10MB Image Hosting \| Streaming Catholic TV \| -Smilies.- \| Report Suspicious or Suspected Terrorist Activity Here

01-27-2007, 07:53 AM	#3 (permalink)
Anthelel Registered User Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 3 OS: XP Home	Thanks for the help, that does sound a bit more logical, and I hadn't thought of how some people do block flash. I've decided to just buy a clean but professional looking template in HTML and start adding what they want from there, because they all are inpatiant as can be. I didn't like frontpage anyway, so that works for me. Thanks for the help

01-28-2007, 11:46 PM	#5 (permalink)
Anthelel Registered User Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 3 OS: XP Home	What do you think would be the best to register a domain with? And thanks for that, I will definitely look into it.