Website Builders

Once upon a time it was very hard and very expensive to create a standalone website using your own domain.  You really had to be good at html (the common construction language of the web) yourself -- or hand over a lot of money to someone who was.  Later, it became a little easier with menu-driven html editors.  That was when I entered the fray with my indopubs.com research site.  But one still had to know basic html concepts.  Making sites this way was still not a piece of cake.  And the programs cost money.  And were typically limited to certain platforms (mainly Windows). 

Now it's a different era.  Using tools from Friendster, Blogger, or Multiply, you are in effect making a personal website.  Beginner-level options are free, but you usually don't get a personal domain.  What you create has the the sponsoring services' name (or that of its website building software) in the unique URL which  you tell others is the web address for your blog or website.  And you get little opportunity to play with html to do something the supplied software doesn't do.  It's nice, fairly easy, but sometimes too rigid.  Still, for many (maybe most) people, this is all great fun and more than enough.

There is another option.  You can register your own domain with a free or paid web hosting service (there are many, google 'free web hosting' and 'paid web hosting').  Those services may offer their preferred software for building webpages (Frontpage is still a common option).  But our diligent reference librarian friends who often create their own websites to educate us and communicate with each other keep their eyes open for free, open source, cross-platform website builders.  Recently they brought two such no-need-to-know-html programs to their readers' attention.

One is called MySource, the other Nvu .  Their sites do a great promotion job and offer you the software for immediate download.  Though I have a web hosting account on which I could use either, I've not yet tried either, though indopubs.com could sure use some sprucing up (not to mention laborious updating).  But if the time isn't yet there for me to try out this newest generation of website builders, perhaps it is for you.  So if you have always wanted to build a nice personal website but feared failure, maybe your time for just a dose of bravery has finally arrived.  MySource, Nvu -- let me know how you make out.

Comments

[John]

Rio, you seem to equate all blogs to personal blogs. Actually, there are many kinds of blogs. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog.
Simplicity is a blog to support the Friendster Project announced on i-s list, so, it's a type of educational blog mixed with some fun. In time, it may become a collaborative blog. But first I must slowly grow a bigger network of researchers on Friendster. Then I (and others) will suggest wiki projects to 'construct knowledge.' Right know, IMHO, 'knowledge sharing' occurs mostly thru websites and lists.

[Rio]

Hi John, I think you should have a look at "Wiki" such as the engine that run Wikipedia, the "people's encyclopedia". By way of collaborative writing, this is geared more for knowledge sharing compared to blog that is more on the expressive. You can have personal wikis for free, this is just one example (free service) http://pbwiki.com/