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GeoBuilder Central |
Sweet Tech's GeoBuilder Help and Tutorials |
| For newcomers to the internet and web page creation | |
| INTRODUCTION | |
| I am assuming you know something about using a computer, or you wouldn't be reading this, but I'm also assuming you don't know much about using the internet. | |
| What is GeoBuilder? | |
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GeoBuilder is a nifty web page generator for people that don't know, don't want to learn, or just can't seem to learn HTML, the programming language used to create web pages. GeoBuilder allows you to select graphics from your File Manager Directory, places them on the page for you, then allows you to drag and drop them anywhere on a page. There is a text editor where you can create regular text or HTML code. You can add counters, search boxes, Gadgets and other neat stuff to your page, using the GeoBuilder menu selections. you can upload files to your pages, add background music, guestbooks, and more. | |
| Do I have to learn HTML? | |
| It isn't necessary to become an HTML expert to create great web pages. Those who are crazy about HTML and know it well may not agree with me on that point, but I believe that what your web pages look like is more important than how you created them. Using GeoBuilder can give you an incentive to learn some HTML, though. There's always something you just have to have on your page, and could, if you typed in just this one short snippet of HTML...aha, see? It happens, and I have an assortment of those little snippets of code that work in GeoBuilder, here and there on my website. :) | |
| About this site... | |
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This site was created by a GeoBuilder user, so I know whereof I speak. If I say you can or can't do something with GeoBuilder, that means I've tried it myself. If you ever find that I was wrong about something, please email me and set me straight. I will investigate the matter, make corrections to my instructions if necessary, and put your contribution on my Clever Users page. I'm not afraid to stand corrected...my goal is to have accurate information on this site. I don't care if it's just a typo or a misspelled word. This is your site, too, so let's make it a great one.
Most of the tutorials are illustrated, because I really do believe that "a picture speaks a thousand words". Pictorial instructions are much less open to misinterpretation, more obvious in their meaning. And it sure saves me a lot of typing! | |
| Limitations | |
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GeoBuilder has its limitations. There are some things you just can't put on your pages; some things that are possible but just too much work with no guarantee on the results. Javascript, javascript applets, complicated tables...none of these are practical considerations for a GeoBuilder page. If you feel ready to tackle some of that stuff, you're ready for one of the other editors. You can create great HTML pages for your forms, ICQ panels and fancy tables, and link these pages to your GeoBuilder pages. That's what I did, and it works for me.
A keyword for using GeoBuilder is patience. If GeoBuilder seems to be working too slow for your liking, just think about how long it would take you to build that page on a learn-as-you-go basis. If you are patient and stick it out, you will produce a very impressive web page. Do this: go take a look at my main index page, http://www.oocities.org/SiliconValley/Monitor/9373/oldindex.html, and right-click on the page. From the Menu that comes up, select "View Source". See all that HTML code and Javascript? GeoBuilder wrote all that for me. Would you want to write it all yourself? Don't think so, not at this point, anyway. If you read all the instructions carefully and make printouts for reference, the process will go a lot smoother. GeoBuilder is a fairly involved program. Like Paint Shop Pro or ULead Photo Impact, you have to learn about the program before you jump in there to use it. There's one thing that you can do on a GeoBuilder page that the best of the HTML experts can't do on theirs, and it's one of my favorite GeoBuilder features: you can put things anywhere you want on your page. You can put graphics in a circle around some text. You can arrange them to form a diamond shape. That's pretty hard to do with HTML. I haven't seen it too often. So remember that...it's your GeoBuilder Advantage. :) | |
| Do your homework! | |
| GeoBuilder can help you create a great website, but it can't do it for you. You have to read instructions carefully, don't rush through things, take notes. I have a Contact page that offers you several ways to contact me if you need help. I am available every day. There's nothing I want more than to help you create great web pages, but if I can see by your questions that you have not done your homework and haven't read all the things you needed to, I won't...repeat...won't help you. I spent months creating this site as a teaching tool. I don't intend to build anyone's page for them. Enough said about that! | |
| Important | |
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A final word: reporting the problems you have to the GeoBuilder developers via Feedback is important, because that is how they find out what's not working right. How can they fix something if they don't know it's broke? | |
| GeoCities | |
| Yahoo! |