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Why Create a Web Page?Most genealogists are not just looking for details on their families, they also hope to make connections with other researchers and family members. A personal genealogy web page will allow you to share your family data with (literally) the entire world--the entire online world, that is! If you are conducting a one-name, surname specific study, or other genealogical project, you know that the ability to correspond and let people know about your project is vital to it's growth. A web page will allow you to reach millions of people with relatively (pun intended) little fuss and bother. If you are responsible for publicizing your genealogical or heritage society, you need to reach not only people local to your area, but researchers globally who are interested in the services and products your group offers. The answer (surprise!)--a web page!!! :) What is involved?Your level of involvement depends on your goals. If you simply want a basic list of family data and contact information, the amount of time you spend creating and maintaining your web page will be significantly different than if you wished to create a comprehensive database of family, sources, scanned documents, etc. Generally speaking, the bulk of your time will be spent creating the html documents which make up your genealogy web page(s). After that, there is a testing period where you will ensure your pages work, and a promotional period where you submit information about your site to search engines, web page lists, etc. Finally, there's the maintenance phase...if your web page is complete (or nearly complete) when you upload it maintenance will be low. If your page is a work in progress, you may spend more time updating the information, adding new pages, links, data, etc. Creating a web page can be a fascinating and time-consuming hobby! If you have limited time available but grandiose plans, consider an abbreviated version of your project until you have more time. What should I know how to do?For this class you will need:
How Much HTML Will I Need to Know?Certainly the more knowledge, the better--however, you can get by with
only a modest amount of HTML under your belt. Virtual University is also
offering basic and advanced HTML classes which have been very successful.
If you are just beginning, or need a brush-up, I highly recommend the
Maricopa site at Here are the basic type of tags I expect you to be familiar with:
As well, you should be familiar with the mailto: and basic link commands.
If the tags above look familiar, you should be just fine. If you know such
things as tables, blockquotes, font commands, etc., you should cruise through
the class with few problems. If nothing looks familiar, be sure to drop by
the beginning HTML class also taught at VU.
Important Note: This class will *NOT* concentrate on the fundamentals of
HTML! If you are looking for the basic building blocks of a web page, join
the Beginning HTML class! Our class *WILL* concentrate on the design and
creation, via a variety of genealogical programs, of a genealogy web page.
Reviewing the HTML lessons at Maricopa (if you need them).
If you are planning on placing genealogy data on your web page, be sure
the genealogy program you are using supports GEDCOM export--if you've never
exported a GEDCOM, you may wish to experiment with your program to make sure
you know how when the time comes.
Get out your surfboard, and hit the web! Locate three web sites which
strike you as interesting. Make notes of what you like and dislike about each
page (be constructive in your critism, not cruel--remember, that could be the
web page of a fellow student!). If you don't know where to find genealogy web
pages to review, enter the word genealogy into any search engine.
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