Starting Web design

"Scott" <altglyphics.TakeThisOut@yahoo.com> wrote:

> I was think that I should have my boss purchase the Adobe Suite.
> I am very familiar with photoshop and illustrator, so I thought maybe
> their other products would work in similar fashion.

Your boss should hire someone instead of buying software

--
John Bokma http://johnbokma.com/
 >> Stay informed about: Starting Web design 

"John Bokma" <john RemoveThis @castleamber.com> wrote in message
news:Xns9A446AA16291Bcastleamber@130.133.1.4...
> "Scott" <altglyphics RemoveThis @yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>> I was think that I should have my boss purchase the Adobe Suite.
>> I am very familiar with photoshop and illustrator, so I thought maybe
>> their other products would work in similar fashion.
>
> Your boss should hire someone instead of buying software
>
> --
> John Bokma http://johnbokma.com/

And hiring our web host, would cost 6000 dollars.
This company itself can not handle that kind of cost.
 >> Stay informed about: Starting Web design 

Scott wrote:

> I was think that I should have my boss purchase the Adobe Suite.

Oh. Please. No.

Doing so will not help you.

--
-bts
-Friends don't let friends drive Vista
 >> Stay informed about: Starting Web design 

"Beauregard T. Shagnasty" <a.nony.mous RemoveThis @example.invalid> wrote in message
news:Jg_sj.224863$MJ6.135036@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
> Scott wrote:
>
>> I was think that I should have my boss purchase the Adobe Suite.
>
> Oh. Please. No.
>
> Doing so will not help you.
>
> --
> -bts
> -Friends don't let friends drive Vista

LOL, I read this and the "tone of voice" was hilarious.
Anyway guys, I'm not a moron.

I just want some advice on software's that may be able to help my situation.
(please don't say: "notepad")
There has to be a "most popular" product that I could use to get the things
I need accomplished.
I mean, the guy who created this generic site was a moron. lol... he got
further than I have, so far. "oh...*sigh*"

- Scott
 >> Stay informed about: Starting Web design 

Scott wrote:
> I just want some advice on software's that may be able to help my
> situation.

Software isn't going to help you. You need to hand this over to someone
who knows what he is doing.

> There has to be a "most popular" product that I could use to get the
> things I need accomplished.

No. There isn't.


> I mean, the guy who created this generic site was a moron.

Agreed.


> lol... he got further than I have, so far.

Does that tell you something?

You haven't been able to accomplish as much as a moron, and you think
you can solve the problem by buying software.

What you want to do is complex. It isn't something a beginner should be
trying to do. It will take HOURS of server side scripting. If your
company cannot afford the $6000 price tag you have been quoted, they
cannot do this project. It will cost far more to pay you to do it wrong,
them hire someone else to do it right.

Think about your own job security.

Scenario 1) The company buys some expensive software. They pay you to
create the site. You can't make the site work. They have invested all
that money for nothing. So they finally decide to budget the $6000 they
were quoted, and fire you. The project cost them twice what it should
have, and you are out of work.

Scenario 2) The company buys some expensive software. They pay you to
create the site. You THINK you have a working site. There are security
problems and database problems you are unaware of. Something hiccups and
your data is stolen or corrupted. They have invested all that money and
are worse off than when they started. So they finally decide to budget
the $6000 they were quoted, and fire you. They need to pay extra to
recover the corrupted data and deal with the security issues that were
caused by your lack of knowledge. The project cost them four times what
it should have, and you are out of work.

I don't think you want to go through either of those scenarios. The best
thing you can do is admit to the company that you are in over your head,
and suggest they find $6000 (or more) to pay someone else to do this
project. Seriously. If you try to do this, it will wind up taking longer
and costing them more.

Web design is only a small part of what you are trying to do.
 >> Stay informed about: Starting Web design 

"Scott" <altglyphics.DeleteThis@yahoo.com> wrote:

>
> "John Bokma" <john.DeleteThis@castleamber.com> wrote in message
> news:Xns9A446AA16291Bcastleamber@130.133.1.4...
>> "Scott" <altglyphics.DeleteThis@yahoo.com> wrote:
>>
>>> I was think that I should have my boss purchase the Adobe Suite.
>>> I am very familiar with photoshop and illustrator, so I thought maybe
>>> their other products would work in similar fashion.
>>
>> Your boss should hire someone instead of buying software
>
> And hiring our web host, would cost 6000 dollars.
> This company itself can not handle that kind of cost.

Time is money. Your boss should consider it an investment, just like
buying software to do a job. Having someone do it with zero experience is
bound to fail many times, and in the end might cost more. Especially
taking into account that while you're working on it, you can't work on
your normal job.

BTW, if you (or your boss) shops around you might find someone who could
do it for about 3000 dollars or less.

--
John Bokma http://johnbokma.com/
 >> Stay informed about: Starting Web design 

Scott wrote:

> "Beauregard T. Shagnasty" wrote:
>> Scott wrote:
>>> I was think that I should have my boss purchase the Adobe Suite.
>>
>> Oh. Please. No.
>>
>> Doing so will not help you.
>
> LOL, I read this and the "tone of voice" was hilarious.
> Anyway guys, I'm not a moron.

Didn't think you were...

> I just want some advice on software's that may be able to help my
> situation. (please don't say: "notepad")

Crimson Editor? (excellent text editor and project manager)
Kompozer? (reasonably good WYSIWYG editor)
WAMP? (so you can run a web server on your development box)

Do you need links?

Have you utilized any HTML/CSS tutorials or training yet?
( http://htmldog.com/ )

Use the HTML 4.01 Strict doctype:

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01//EN"
"http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/strict.dtd">

> There has to be a "most popular" product that I could use to get the
> things I need accomplished.

There are so many ...

> I mean, the guy who created this generic site was a moron. lol... he
> got further than I have, so far.

Well, um, if *he* was a moron ... <stifle rest>

> "oh...*sigh*"

That too.

--
-bts
-Friends don't let friends drive Vista
 >> Stay informed about: Starting Web design 

Scott wrote:

> Then have it sent to us, using formmail code. (I already have this
> much)

Justin Case, I hope you don't mean "Matt's Formmail" ... It is a
security sieve.

Also note that nefarious bots will be scanning your web server looking
for files named "formmail.pl" and other iterations. If found, they will
attack it.

--
-bts
-Friends don't let friends drive Vista
 >> Stay informed about: Starting Web design 

Scott schreef:

>
> I just want some advice on software's that may be able to help my situation.

[irrelevant remark snipped]

>
> - Scott
>

Use Notepad

--
Rob
 >> Stay informed about: Starting Web design 

Scott schreef:

> Maybe a form with 200 items and a quantity selector (not sure) I have not
> seen many samples yet.
>

IMHO this is just one example that shows you just don't know what it
takes to design and build a good commercial website.

It's been said before: go hire someone who knows what she's doing.

--
Rob
 >> Stay informed about: Starting Web design 

"John Bokma" <john.TakeThisOut@castleamber.com> wrote in message
news:Xns9A4474741A841castleamber@130.133.1.4...
> "Scott" <altglyphics.TakeThisOut@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>>
>> "John Bokma" <john.TakeThisOut@castleamber.com> wrote in message
>> news:Xns9A446AA16291Bcastleamber@130.133.1.4...
>>> "Scott" <altglyphics.TakeThisOut@yahoo.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>> I was think that I should have my boss purchase the Adobe Suite.
>>>> I am very familiar with photoshop and illustrator, so I thought maybe
>>>> their other products would work in similar fashion.
>>>
>>> Your boss should hire someone instead of buying software
>>
>> And hiring our web host, would cost 6000 dollars.
>> This company itself can not handle that kind of cost.
>
> Time is money. Your boss should consider it an investment, just like
> buying software to do a job. Having someone do it with zero experience is
> bound to fail many times, and in the end might cost more. Especially
> taking into account that while you're working on it, you can't work on
> your normal job.
>
> BTW, if you (or your boss) shops around you might find someone who could
> do it for about 3000 dollars or less.
>
> --
> John Bokma http://johnbokma.com/

John, you're killing me!
I am the graphics guy and the web will become part of my job.
So where should I start to grasp this the whole thing?
 >> Stay informed about: Starting Web design 

Rob Waaijenberg <robwaaijenberg.TakeThisOut@hotmail.com> wrote:

> go hire someone who knows what she's doing.

Damn, does that mean I have to shave my legs, wear a dress, and talk with
a high pitched voice again? There are limits to customer satisfaction, you
know?

--
John Bokma http://johnbokma.com/
 >> Stay informed about: Starting Web design 

Scott wrote:
> John, you're killing me! I am the graphics guy and the web will
> become part of my job. So where should I start to grasp this the
> whole thing?

You will need a better specification than you have now.

You will need to understand web design and how people use the web. You
should understand why frames are evil.

You will need to know HTML and CSS.

You will need proficiency in some server side scripting language.

You will need some level of proficiency in database design. Your spec
isn't clear enough to determine just how much proficiency. In all
likelihood, the spec will change and become more complex as you go. A
more complex spec will require greater proficiency in database design.

You should have a working knowledge of web security.

You will probably want to test this on a local machine before posting
it, so a fundamental knowledge of server software will be necessary.

If your company insists that you do this project yourself, you will
probably also want to brush up on your resume writing and job search skills.

Or not. You came here to ask people more knowledgeable than you what it
will take to do this project. You don't want to believe our answers. OK.
You can do what you want.
 >> Stay informed about: Starting Web design