This is a multidimensional course and you will need multiple
resources. The books in the required section will be the core
of our discussions and a good reference set for your learning.
The recommended books are also excellent sources of information
and you may consider purchasing them at least among the members
of your group.
(Not directly used in class but you may find them useful
depending on your interests. Do not rush out and buy the books
below. Wait until the groups are formed where you may share
resources and related costs.)
We will use Firefox as our official browser. Of course,
you may use other browsers on your own computer if you wish.
You should keep in mind that even different versions of the
same browser may render Web pages differently. There are important
differences between Microsoft Internet Explorer which you
should find and learn. Because of these differences, they
may render your pages differently. When you use browsers and
develop HTML documents for them, remember these differences
and test your work on as many browsers as you can. In general,
Microsoft Internet Explorer is more forgiving than Firefox
in rendering faulty HTML. So, make sure to check
it in Firefox which will alert you to the HTML problems more
readily. Your documents must render in the modern browser like Firefox an in IE7 properly.
We will spend time learning to use Firefox browser. You
will find that there is more to using a browser than "clicking"
here and "clicking" there. I expect that we all become highly
proficient in Firefox and its many options that users may
configure to suit their needs. HTML and Web tools
HomeSite
You will learn how to use HomeSite, an HTML editor, and make
extensive use of it. Although I will cover the basics of this
editor, you will learn how to use it on your own. In addition
to being an excellent HTML editor, HomeSite is also a good
reference source with its extensive HTML help system. There are other HTML editors
out there, some are low cost-no cost others come with a steep price tag. After we
go through basic HTML and you have a grasp of the language, I will point some free
editors that you may consider downloading and using on your computer.
DreamWeaver
After getting comfortable with HTML, you may consider using
a graphical page layout tool. There are several good ones
in the market. DreamWeaver is an excellent one and you can
use DreamWeaver MX on campus computers. You are allowed to
download a trial
copy of DreamWeaver and use it for 30 days free. After
that it will stop functioning.
Image Editors & Manipulators
The need for designing graphics will be modest and simple
software will suffice. There are many image editing software available, from the
mighty Photoshop to free Picassa and many in between.
If you have a digital camera, you may already have some software for image editing.
If you want to try others, here is a short list.
If you must have access to a scanner and cannot find one, I may be able to help if you are willing to drive down to my house. The Academic Media Services in Feinstein has many tools, if you make an appointment you may also receive help from the people there as well.
A. Cemal Ekin, Ph.D.
Department of Marketing
Providence College
Providence, RI 02918 ekin@providence.edu
401-865-2660