Have you ever thought about putting yourself on the Net? It is well worth considering. Joining the millions of people already represented digitally on-line needs not be intimidating or complicated if some thought is applied to the matter.

First, some consideration into the "why" of becoming a Netizen might be in order. There are many reasons for extending one’s field of influence outward into cyberspace. Grandparents might construct a web site to help keep in touch with an extended family scattered across the nation. Kids might create pages that reflect budding interests such as scouting or church activities or a favored hobby. A teen might erect a cyber monument to a favored star or a particularly enjoyed experience, such as gaming or acting in plays. An entrepreneur of any age might set up an e-venue.

Whatever the motivation, building a web site makes a statement, "Here I am. This is me. I love to do this. I seek others who appreciate what I do - to surf my world."

The nuts and bolts of web construction can be learning intensive, but needs not be daunting. A good web construction program such as Microsoft Front Page 2000 can be an invaluable resource in making a web site look good. In a point and shoot environment such as this, no knowledge of HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language, the code of web pages) is necessary.

Finding a place to actually locate a site is not particularly difficult either. There are many hosting services that offer free web sites; notably, geocities.com, or angelfire.com. A service called live universe.com even provides tools to quickly and painlessly publish your own site.

Some free web sites are much closer to home. Connect Internet Services and Southeastern Internet Service are two Information Service Providers in the Pensacola area that offer free personal web pages to their own dial-up subscribers. Other local ISPs such as FreedomNet, Network Telephone, Spydee, Gulf Coast Internet, DFSI or SCTI can be contacted individually for their requirements. Even when they charge for your web space, it is seldom a big lick unless you are doing big things.

For those of us needing a lot of storage capacity (50 MB is a lot and 300 MB is a whole lot) or expect to draw a lot of visitors requiring a large bandwidth (the more hits, the more bandwidth), a hosting service might be in order. This option would be considered if you were going to put up a commercial web site or a download intensive one with a lot of graphics.

GH-1 (www.GH1.com) is an inexpensive hosting service that offers web space to both individuals and commercial concerns. The storage and bandwidth limits are generous and such perks as extra email accounts and FrontPage support are part of the standard package.

Why pay for web space when so much is available free? Free space often has tight limitations on it that may include storage and bandwith use concerns, not everyone supports Front Page, some offer the ability top maintain only through proprietary interfaces. Paid space is most often a step, where the user enjoys advanced options that allow him to do commercial or larger applications.

Regardless of your need for web space, whether it be for pay or for fun, the Net is the place to be. Why not join the millions who have gone digital? By thinking seriously about putting up your own web site? Complex or simple, commercial or personal, you’ll be glad you made this 21st century leap into the technology pool.

  © Copyright 2000 by The Bob Liddil Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.