Netscape Navigator 3.X Tips #9



*1. GOLD FRAMES?

Can you build frames-based pages using Navigator Gold's HMTL 
editor? The short answer is no. The long answer is sort of. 
Frames are just individual pages, so you can build those using 
the editor, then use a text editor such as Notepad to fold in 
the HTML code that creates the frames. To learn the codes you'll 
need, visit simple frames-based pages and use your View, 
Document Source command to study the raw HTML. It's not terribly 
difficult, but it may take a lot of time to get the frames to 
look just the way you want. 

Before you embark on such a project, remember that most people 
find frames really annoying. Just thought we'd mention that.


*2. BE A SELF-PUBLISHED AUTHOR

After you've created your Web pages with the Navigator Gold HTML 
editor, the next step is to publish them to the Web. Assuming 
you've already got an account with an ISP that provides you 
with Web storage, here are the steps. (If not, stay tuned for 
upcoming tips on where to publish your Web pages for free.) 

First get your settings in order. Choose Options, Editor 
Preferences and click the Publish tab. Make sure you've 
selected the two check boxes for Maintain Links and Keep Images 
With Document. Next you'll need to check with your ISP about 
what to put in the Default publishing location fields (or check 
its Web site first; many ISPs routinely include this info in 
online FAQs). This is the trickiest part of the whole 
operation; if you're unable to publish your pages later, it's 
probably because you screwed up these entries. 

The user name and password you supply will likely be the same 
ones you use to log in to your Internet account. An optional 
step: On the General tab, supply your name, the paths of any 
external editors you plan to use, and any other information you 
like. On the Appearance tab, set any appearance defaults you 
wish (when creating individual pages, your new appearance 
settings for a given page will override any defaults you've 
selected here). 

Whew! Now to publish your page: Choose File, Publish (or click 
the Publish button on the toolbar--it looks like a lightning 
bolt on a sheet of paper). This opens the Publish Files box, 
which should incorporate the data you already supplied in the 
Editor Preferences box. If your Netscape configuration is 
fairly secure from prying eyes, you can convince this box to 
save your password so you don't have to supply it every time 
you publish your Web pages. Just click the Save Password check 
box near the bottom. If everything else looks good, click OK.  

If you're lucky, the page will publish to the Web without any 
problems. If not, don't despair. Just check your settings again 
carefully, maybe talk to your ISP, and keep trying. You'll get 
it figured out eventually. Once it works, it works!


*3. THAT'S 28 IN DOG YEARS

Geocities has been offering free home pages since June 1995 
(that's a long time in Net years). Its offer still stands these 
days, and it now includes a whopping 11MB of storage, 
subdirectories, tools, technical support, and a free e-mail 
account. Its premium GeoPlus account costs only $4.95 a month 
and offers 25MB of storage and a personal URL. Either of these 
is a great deal. You can sign up at 

http://www.geocities.com


*4. SO DOGGONE EASY

It's also quite easy to use the Geocities File Manager to 
upload Web pages created with Netscape Navigator Gold's HTML 
editor. After you gain access to the Geocities File 
Manager--it's at  

http://www.geocities.com/members/tools/file_manager.html 

--by entering your user name and password, scroll down to the 
EZ File Upload area.  

Here you can upload up to 20 files at a time (the default 
setting is for 5 files; you can change the default using the 
pull-down menu next to Number Of Files To Upload and clicking 
the Display button).  

Click the first Browse button, and a File Upload dialog box 
appears. Navigate around your drive until you locate and select 
the HTML file you've created and wish to publish. After you 
select the file, click Open, and the file name appears in the 
first text box on the Geocities page. Don't worry if the path 
reflects the directory structure of your computer's hard 
drive--this won't cause a problem with the Geocities upload, 
nor will your Geocities site duplicate it anywhere. Once you've 
got all the file names you want in their little boxes, click 
the Upload Files button to start the file transfer. 

When you're done, the uploaded file(s) should now appear in 
your Geocities directory. Click the View link beside the file 
name to see how the page looks online.


*5. HOME-PAGE SHELTERS

Of course, Geocities isn't the only free home page provider 
around. Some of Geocities' notable peers include the following: 

Tripod 
http://www.tripod.com 
Where Geocities has "neighborhoods," Tripod's calls its 
interest areas "pods." Instead of a pod moderator, each area 
has a poderator. A free Tripod membership includes 11MB of 
storage, page-building utilities, and use of an "online 
answering machine." 

Angelfire 
http://www.angelfire.com 
Angelfire only sounds like a Stevie Nicks song. It's really a 
source for 5MB of free storage (the first 200K of which is 
advertisement-free), and access to page-building and management 
tools and the Angelfire graphics library. 

Xoom 
http://www.xoom.com 
Xoom boasts that it's the second-fastest growing Web site. 
(What it doesn't mention is that competitor Angelfire is THE 
fastest-growing site.) Xoom also offers 11MB of Web storage, an 
e-mail address, a chat room for your site, and access to a 
large clip art collection.


*6. SIGN OF THE TIMES

If you approach the Web as a reporter would, you might like to 
use the same home page as the reporters and editors at the New 
York Times. The CyberTimes Navigator is a quick-loading page 
crammed with links to online reference materials. You can take 
a look at the page here: 

http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/reference/cynavi.html 

If you want to make it your starting point on the Web, just go 
to Options, General Preferences and click the Appearance tab. 
Under Startup, where it says Browser Starts With, click the Home 
Page Location radio button and type the URL listed above (or 
just copy it and paste it in).


*7. HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE MACINTOSH

Douglas Adams is attributed with the following zinger: 
"Macintosh--we may not do everything right, but at least we 
knew the century would end." For those of you who "think 
different," there is a newsgroup for Macintosh users of 
Netscape Navigator 

snews://secnews.netscape.com/netscape.macintosh 

where you can get the personalized attention you need. You 
should be able to click this link to travel directly to the 
newsgroup, which hangs out on a secure server at Netscape, and 
once you've arrived we recommend that you subscribe to the 
group so you can get back. This is likely to be the best place 
you'll ever find for answers to your questions about using 
Netscape products with your Mac. (And of course, it's also a 
great place to bond with other Mac users.) 

Meanwhile, as part of the Unofficial FAQ prepared by the 
Netscape "Champions," those power users who answer questions in 
the Netscape newsgroups, there is also a Mac FAQ with answers 
to common questions at 

http://www.ufaq.org/mac_faq.html


*8. SIGNATURE STYLE

Do you envy those who end their correspondence with a flourish? 
A witty aphorism, perhaps, or maybe just an alternate e-mail 
address? Here's how to join the signature crowd. Use a text 
editor such as Notepad to write up your signature file. Keep it 
simple--maybe just your name, e-mail address(es), and 
affiliation (if you have one you want to crow about). If you 
absolutely must include a quote or an effort at ASCII art, know 
that a signature file in excess of five lines is considered 
excessive.  

Once you've got the sig file the way you want it, save it to 
your Netscape program folder as Signature.txt. Back in 
Navigator, choose Options, Mail and News Preferences. In the 
Preferences dialog box, click the Identity tab and then click 
the Browse button next to the Signature File box. Select your 
Signature.txt file and click Open. Click OK. Now all your 
outgoing messages should bear your signature mark.


*9. SIGNATURE STARTER

Having trouble coming up with the perfect sig file? Check out 
these signature compilations for inspiration:  

Coolsig   http://www.coolsig.com 

Esther's Massive Signature File Collection of Doom   http://www.contrib.andrew.cmu.edu/~moose/sigs.html


*10. I'D RATHER FIGHT THAN SWITCH

Want to use multiple signature files? Rather than switch 
profiles or Preferences, put all the signatures into a single 
text file, then just delete the parts you don't need.
