Re: web page help

[Brad Shue <jshue@PHYSICS.UC.EDU>]

On Sat, 16 Oct 1999, Leon Leonardo wrote:
> I've been assigned the task of creating a web page for
> my physics department at El Camino College. Our
> department consists of 3.5 full-time instructors all
> of whom claim they will use the web page for
> assigments, links, etc(?).

Let me start by saying that you are lucky to have a small department.

I was assigned the same task at the University of Arkansas.  (12 teaching
faculty)  Things ran fine until they wanted to create a committe.  :(

My best suggestion to you is to create a web page that has general info
about the department and links to the faculty web pages about certain
classes where they save their own personal class info.  You are NOT their
secretrary.  Provide them with the tools they need to publish their own
info on the web without your intervention.  ie: Acrobat, MS word.. etc.

RULE:
Let them post their own info on their own web site like they want it.

If you do not do this, and I can state this from experience, you will be
overwhelmed with updates and changes all the time.  In essence, you will
be doing the job of 2 people and your slack time will soon be eaten up by
all these updates and changes that they want after the fact.

Tell the faculty that you will link to their pages, but it is their own
responsibility to keep them updated.  And, it they start teaching a new
class, they should notify you and you will update the links.  Links are
easy.... don't get caught up in the "custodial" end of it.  It is a job
unto its own.

> I've also just enrolled in a course on Front Page which I've been
> encouraged to use for the web page construction.

I'm still on the fence.  Front page didn't agree with me because of all
the MS crap that it shoved into my code.  I'm really a hard core HTML
coder at heart and I tweak it anyway.  I have found that Netscape composer
interjects the least amount of CRAP CODE into my documents.  I'm working
on that today as a matter of fact.

> Is there any agreement on what constitutes the ideal web page? Any
> addresses? Any suggestions?

Personal preference mostly.  If you UL it and it looks OK under Netscape
and IE... go with it.  Don't trust your local browser to give you a real
online look at it on your local machine at home.  UL and view online
before you put it on the web.  RULE:  Do it twice to make sure.  Three
times if you are anal like me.

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James Bradford Shue                             jshue@physics.uc.edu
University of Cincinnati                        Voice phone:(513) 556-0140
Instrumentation Specialist                      FAX Number: (513) 556-3425
Physics Demonstration Manager
WWW Page                                        http: << working on it >>
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