WHAT IS WEB PUBLISHING?

            At its most basic level, web publishing consists of making various computer files available to Internet users through the World Wide Web. These files may be of several types:

            Plain text (.txt)

            Hypertext (.html)

            Multimedia

            Graphics (.gif or .jpg)

            Audio (.wav .au .mid)

            Video (.mpg or .mov)

            Scripts, Java applets of other Web program files (.cgi .class .js .asp)

            Files in proprietary formats (.pdf .doc)

            Downloadable files (.exe .zip)

WHY PUBLISH ON THE WEB?

            In recent years, the World Wide Web has become the primary system for distributing information on the Internet. Its growth in popularity has been the result of its ability to incorporate graphics and other multimedia effects, the development of robust software tools such as Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer to access a variety of file formats, and its flexibility in incorporating new technologies. Publishing on the web can be an effective way to disseminate almost any kind of information.

WHAT IS WEB SITE HOSTING?

            Web site hosting is an Internet-computer that holds your Web site, and sends copies of it to whomever makes a request to see it. Your Web site is an interconnected group of computer files that contain text or images. In many ways, the files composing a web site are similar to your word-processing documents, and exist on the designer’s hard disk. For the world to view these web pages, copies of these files are placed on the hard disk of a server that is operated by a Web hosting company or service. This server is a computer that is connected to the Internet 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The connection is of very high-speeds. This high speed is required to allow hundreds of people to simultaneously view web pages on that computer. In addition, the web host computer must run special software. This software connects a specific domain name such as www.myinn.com to the appropriate group of web pages.

COMPONENTS OF WEB PUBLISHING

1. Web server. It is compulsory that at an individual or enterprise subscribes to an information system service providing access to the internet. Organization which have substantial computing resources can set up their own HTTP server and connect to the internet.

1. HTML authoring tool. To compose the Web pages an authoring tool is needed. Web pages are made of HTML which is an ASCII text file consisting of HTML tags. Common text editors can be used for this task. To create commercial or more complicated HTML, such as multimedia Web pages, a higher functionality tool such as Perl.

1. Web browser. Web browsers are client software which can be used to navigate and access the large volume of Web pages stored in different Web servers on the internet. The browsers are text and graphics-based, however the later is more preferred because they can display graphics and icons which are more users friendly. The most commonly used Web browsers are Netscape Communicator (Netscape Communications 1998) and Microsoft Internet Explorer (Microsoft Corporation 1998).

 DESIGNING WWW DOCUMENTS

            The World Wide Web provides a easy way to make information available to a wide audience. When you decide to be an ‘information provider’ using the Web, there are many design issues to consider before you actually start entering the information into a document and adding the codes to make the information readable by a Web browser.

Some of these issues are:

Structure

Typically, your information will be presented in segments, called pages. The structure of your information system is the way these pages are connected. Some common structures are a sequence where the information is meant to be read form the beginning to the end, a grid where connections between pages does not make a regular pattern, and a hierarchy where a parent page provides access to a number of different sequences. Each of these structures has advantages, and will be appropriate for different projects.

Audience

You can provide information that caters to specific needs of the audience, such as a novice level and an expert level. The information can be structured to provide alternate views of the information.

Ergonomics

This means making your information easy and pleasant to read from a computer monitor. Studies have shown that people do not like to do sustained reading from a screen. It is usually true that people will be happier to see the information they want immediately rather than having to hunt for it. Therefore, you will want to structure your information so that the person retrieving it will see the pertinent information on the screen, without scrolling for it. Information designed for paper publishing may have to be rewritten so that it is suitable for on-screen presentation. The World Wide Web provides an easy way to make information available to a wide audience. When you decide to be an ‘information provider’ using the Web, there are many design issues to consider before you actually start entering the information into a document and adding the codes to make the information readable by a Web browser.

Long Term Considerations

Besides the initial effort of preparing the documents to be published, a Web site requires a long term commitment for maintaining the documents. This maintenance is required because of information changes, structure changes, revisits by users.

Information Changes

            Information is useful only when it is current. Outdated information leaves a very poor impression on those who visit your site. So, keeping a web site current will require constant attention to making sure the information contained in it is correct and up-to-data.

Structural Changes

            Once you have set up many files, linked to each other, it becomes more difficult to make changes without leaving parts of your site “stranded”. This can be particularly problematic when the original designer of a site leaves the organization and someone new must take over. Planning for this eventuality may save considerable effort later.

Revisits by Users

            Users who have visited your site may have book marked it for future reference. If you remove your web site then the next time that the bookmarks are referenced the user will be met with the response that your site does not exist. This is not good advertising. So, make sure that you are fully committed to ongoing maintenance of a web page before hosting your Web site.

HOW TO SUBMIT A SITE TO A SEARCH ENGINE?

            Everyone with a site should at least start by individually submitting their home page and/or other main pages to a dozen or so of the main Search Engines.

The technique one would use is.

1. 1.                                    Go to the home page of the Search Engine and look for a link called “Add URL” or “Submit a Site.”

1. 2.                                    Click on this link then look for a link to a Help page. The difficulty here is that each Search Engine seems to have it’s own rules. They might be confusing but not unfathomable.

Here are some basic questions to find answers to before submitting to a search Engine:

1. 1.                                    Does it require just one submission of the home page or will it allow submission of other main pages or even all the pages in the site?

1. 2.                                    Does it index content or meta tags? Before submitting to any Search Engine that uses Meta Tags, spend some time developing good ones for your pages.

1. 3.                                    Do you have frames in your site and does the Search Engine index sites with frames? (A few do, most don’t)

1. 4.                                    Is it directory-type Search Engine (like Yahoo) that requires the person doing the listing to find the correct categories

WEB PUBLISHING TOOLS

Macromedia Dreamweaver

            http://www.macromedia.com/software/dreamweaver/

            Macromedia Dream weaver is both a “visual HTML” (WYSIWYG) and HTML source code editor. Dreamweaver supports table and frame creation though a drag-and-drop environment, Cascading style sheet (CSS) standards, CSS-P (CSS positioning), Netscape Layers, and Java Script including image rollover effects, and animations. Dynamic HTML can be saved for 3.0 and 4.0 browsers. Dreamweaver also includes some site management capabilities. Two of the most noteworthy features are link checking or editing and a library for commonly used content. Dreamweaver is provided by Macromedia Inc. and is available for Macintosh and Windows 95/NT.       

Net Objects Fusion

            http://www.netobjects.com/

            Net Object Fusion is unique in that it offers a “site-oriented approach” rather than a simple WYSIWYG page editor. In other words, it allows users to visually map out the site structure, make global changes, automatically update links, and construct and organize individual pages without using HTML or Dynamic HTML coking. Database publishing is also supported, although support varies according to platform. Once the site is designed, the entire site structure, including the HTML pages, is generated form a Net Objects database. Net Objects Fusion is provided by Net Objects, Inc. and is available for both Macintosh and Windows 95/NT.

DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT

            Every firm must have and manage evidence – the proof of their actions, such as dealing with clients, customers, other firms, other firms, etc., as well as the other way around. In short, every firm should be able to prove all their actions were done efficiently and effectively, That’s why in many companies, thousands and even millions of documents have been accumulated and more documents are added daily.

            As the time is passing, more and more the proof is moving from traditional paper documents to electronic media, so electronic documents management is a significant part of any agency’s business operations. But, it also means that no single medium now holds all the documents relating to an agency’s business activities. If electronic document management is not done to the full extent and/or not all traditional records management disciplines for paper documents are applied to electronic documents, it can result in:

1. confusion between different versions of a document

1. loss or destruction of documents that should be kept

1. questionable authenticity, because of possible manipulation of text in electronic documents

1. loss of context of documents due to lack of linking of related documents

1. document inaccessibility because of technological change in record management software or records storage media

Which is naturally a consequence of inadequate document management model an business record retention policy, and not due to creating and keeping documents in electronic form

DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT

Modern digital technology has created a situation where documents are easily copied and transferred from one medium to another. Electronic document imaging is the conversion of paper documents into electronic images on a computer. Electronic document archival and retrieval provide conditions for:

1. Improved, instantaneous and more efficient, access to documents, records and evidence than ever before

1. Preventing misfiling and loss of documents

1. Reducing indexing time

1. Conserving storage space.

1. In addition to the above, electronic document imaging systems keep an exact scan of every original document, protecting them from wear and tear as well as preserving the fragile ones. Electronic document management saves valuable time, increases work productivity, reduces distribution costs, enhances security and improves public service.