1. Make Pages Have a Consistent Format
   Please see MariaPia's Designs' Stylesheet Guide. It shows two of the three ways to put consistent formats on your page by referring your code to point to a NameOfFile.CSS stylesheet. To upload .CSS files to your directory, either use a program like FTP Explorer as described in How To Upload To My Directory, Part B, or Hot Tip: Do as my friend does: Rename the file to .HTML, upload it, then Rename it to .CSS once it is there.
2. Link to Pages
   In your HTML Editor, type A HREF=http://www.yahoo.com, then a descriptive name and then the /A closing tag. To get the links without underlines, in your SCRIPT for JavaScript put 'text-decoration: none'.
3. Learn How To Code Pages
   To code your first page, you might go back to HTML in 5 Minutes, or try an automatic free Homepage maker, like www.flfsoft.com/html/features_20.html, or at www.arachnoid.com/. It will ask you where to put the file when it is finished; you advise the URL address, like 'http://www.oocities.org/SouthBeach/Breakers/7452'. Go to that file and study the code. You can even click Copy, copy to a new name like 'Page2.html', open it and change a few words to make your next page. Then go back to the first page and put in this link, A HREF="Page2.html". Also, visit sites and for those that you find attactive, right click on it and select 'View Source' (or select from the 'View' directory on your Browser Toolbar. Study this code, save snippets and experiment. Finally, go to www.yahoo.com or other Search Engine and search for 'HTML help'. You will get more than you can handle. You can help yourself to any helpful information on this site, and surf the 'HTML Writers Webring' under HTML Associations at the top of the preceeding page.
4. Have Music Play When Your Site Opens
   Go to www.yahoo.com or other Search Engine and search for MIDI or WAV files. Click to save them to your 'Desktop' directory. Upload them to your online directory as described under Download and Upload. Open the code page where you want the music to play. Insert code like EMBED SRC="midi/wonworld.mid" WIDTH="145" HEIGHT="60" HIDDEN="false" AUTOSTART="false" LOOP="false". This code makes a little music player appear on the page. For a link to click, type A HREF="midi/wonworld.mid" and the viewer's own music player will open up. I am not a fan of making the music play automatically without user intervention, but to do that, simply change AUTOSTART from "false" to "true".

1. How do I upload to my directory?
   When you save a file, it is easiest to always save to one file, for example 'C:\Download' or 'Desktop'. Then you can always find your files for uploading or downloading. Then you need 'FTP' capability to upload from your Homepage Host's File Manager. If you do not have a 4.0+ browser, it is really worth it to upgrade but if you haven't, jump to B.
   1. If you have a 4.0 browser, you simply scroll down to the Upload area, click your cursor in the first entry box, click the button to upload, find the 'C:\Download' directory, doubleclick it to open, find your file and doubleclick on it. Finally, click the button to complete the upload. Your file will be in the same directory.
   2. Browser not 4.0? Then you need a program on your computer that uploads. I like 'FTP Explorer' at www.winfiles.com under Windows Utilities. Click the link to download to your new 'C:\Download' directory, and unzip it; it's free! See instructions below to Unzip a File. Put your 'Screen Name' in the Profile Name box; put your Host's 'ftp address' on the next line (like ftp.oocities.com); put '21' in the Port box; put your 'Login name' in the next box, 'password' in the next; put '3' in Attempts, and '10' in Retry Delay; put 'C:\Download' in the Download Path box, and retype your Password in the Description box. Now simply click Connect and wait a moment, depending on how fast your modem speed is. Hot Tip: If you have trouble uploading, lower your Modem Connection Speed in your ISP, for example, from 28,800 to 15,600. You will open to your own Host directory. Click File, then Upload. You will be taken right to your Download directory; find the file and doubleclick. Wait for it to upload, then close 'FTP Explorer'.
2. Download Java Applets and programs
   Go to www.yahoo.com or other Search Engine (see many in Ways to Get Hits List) and search for 'Java applets'. You will get more that you bargained for! Look for free and large collections. Simply go to the site, review the applets, and click on one you want. Put it in your 'C:\Download' directory. (Under no circumstances attempt to link from your site to the site offering the applet. If you can figure out how, it is "bandwidth theft" and very unprofessional.) Now perform your Upload as discussed above. Put the special Applet Class Code you were given in the HTML page in which you want it to appear, and adjust the code to point to where you placed the Class file. If you put it in your main directory online, you need only make the link read the name of the Applet. If you have a special Subdirectory, put the subdirectory name, a slash, then the Applet name. It should work. If it doesn't, find help or email MariaPia's Designs.

1. Create a Subdirectory
   Your Host must allow you the capability, and you will know it if you can. Most do. Click the button for Create Subdirectory, type in the box something like 'img', and you are done! This is easiest if you are starting up, but if not, then simply move all the objects you want over to the new directory by clicking the files, then Move to Subdirectory and clicking the new name, like 'img'. In all your HTML pages, change your links to IMG SRC="img/mypicture.gif", or whatever the correct file name is. You can have subdirectories for any large body of files that it makes sense to classify, like GIFs, JPGs, JAVA, CSS, MIDI, WAV, etc.
2. Unzip a File
   You must have WinZip from www.winzip.com. It is the most worthwhile utility you can own. You simply doubleclick any file ending in .ZIP after WinZip is installed, and it unzips for you. There are little directory-decisions to make as you unzip, but they are minor. Hot Tip: Keep a notepad near you when you are working on the computer to keep track of what is located where and you will be doing yourself a favor. I keep a notebook at my side, so I can keep ideas in the future.

*To change the page your Browser opens to, click "Tools", then "Internet Options", then in the top block of "General", type in the http:// address (URL) of your favorite site.
*If you are in AOL, I beg you to minimize the AOL window and use the Internet Explorer or Netscape Communicator browser on your Desktop. The features and quality are far advanced, and ... who knows what information AOL is collecting about your surfing habits, for free and without your permission!