Greetings! This is the second assignment from the About.com HTML 101 course.
At this point I'm supposed to know a little bit about formatting text, so you'll see paragraphs have been added in & there is some use of bold and italicized text. Although the underline tag was mentioned in th WebTech HTML 101 course, it doesn't seem to be included in the About.com course. Thus, you won't find any underlining on this page. The course did, however, address nesting of tags. So I can show you text that is both bold and italicized.
I'm still not supposed to know how to add colour, change the font, or use a background image at this point. Please bear with me; I'm sure these will be added as the course progresses. And since I'm not supposed to know how to put in hyperlinks, you'll have to excuse me for not allowing you any way to contact me or to navigate through my site from this particular page. Please use your browser's back button. You'll find navigation links and contact information on my home page. Thank you for your understanding.
In my last assignment I remarked that it's rather awkward to be reading part of the lesson in an email & another part online. It's still awkward, but I think I can see why the course jumps around so much: it seems to be built around a whole series of resources for writing HTML. One of these is an HTML Library that describes elements in a uniform manner (use, closing tag, content, legal context, etc.)
There are details in these resources that go quite a bit beyond what was offered in the WebTech HTML 101 course, which is good for somebody like me who is looking to perfect their knowledge of HTML. For a beginner I think the sheer amount of information offered would be too much, though. If you are new to writing web pages I'd think you would be better not to take the About.com course until you've mastered the basics.
Another difference I've noted is that after two classes (two weeks' worth of lessons) I have not been contacted by the teacher, nor have I been asked to turn in any kind of assignment. There is a forum provided where I can post a link to my homework, and there is also a weekly chat (the teacher's "office hours") that I can attend if I'm available. But neither of these is mandatory, and both the assignments so far have been accompanied by a note that says they are not going to be marked. It would appear that the only time students in this course have contact with the teacher is when they approach her.
I have the distinct impression that the whole ten lessons could be done without ever having contact with - or feedback from - the instructor. This might be a good choice for those who want to remain anonymous. If good use of the chats and forum is made, it could also be a comfortable setting for those who are a little uneasy with the standard student-teacher relationship. If you prefer to have a more personal relationship with your instructor, this course is probably not for you.
Well, I'm off to get the next lesson before I turn in for the night. Look for the next assignment soon!
Again, I'm not supposed to know how to use links. Please use your back key. Thank you!
Brightest blessings,
Willow
March 19, 2002