HELP ME I AM NEW
How to navigate on a website
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Hi! Boy, this internet stuff can be really intimidating... Before you can really get into researching your family
tree, you will need to understand the internet. But, with a few practices, you too, can be an expert.
[NAVIGATION hints for MAK websites]
The first thing to learn is how to get around within a website. Let me illustrate how to do this using the parts of a book. The URL is like the callnumber on the book. The URL for WoodCoWI looks like this: http://www.rootsweb.com/~wiwood/ You should see this in a window at the top on your screen on your web browser, locating will vary depending upon your browser. The URL contains important information about the website, such as the name of the server, and the directory the information is located at on that server, and what subdirectory the file is on. Two questions come to mind. How can I tell what information is the server and what is the directory? And, why is that important for me to know? Well, using the example, notice each section is separated by a / . This URL has three sections, broken down as: http:// (All URLs start with this) www.rootsweb.com (This is the server name) ~wiwood (This is the first directory where all the website sub-directories and files are stored - the ~ means it will default to the index.html page of the directory and normally indicates the MAIN PAGE of the website. YIKES, another example??? Try this one: http://www.rootsweb.com/~wiwood/links/wood.html This URL has five sections, broken down as: http:// (All URLs start with this) www.rootsweb.com (This is the server name) ~wiwood (This is the first directory) links (This is a sub-directory) wood.html (This is the file or webpage you will be viewing when you go to that URL) Remember, when you type a URL in your browser, it will go to the exact location of that webpage. Now that you understand the parts of the URL, you can find your way around a website. Let's say someone sends you a URL for a page you really like, but you would like to find the main page (directory)... If this is the URL showing on your browser: http://www.rootsweb.com/~wiwood/history/photos/Vesper/foto-ves.html it is the page for Vesper Photo Album. Looking at it you will see it has seven parts. Just delete a part at a time, and you will systematically go backwards to the main directory. http://www.rootsweb.com/~wiwood/history/photos/Vesper/ (Index) http://www.rootsweb.com/~wiwood/history/photos/ (Index) http://www.rootsweb.com/~wiwood/history/ (Index) http://www.rootsweb.com/~wiwood/ (Main page) On MAK pages, you will always find a default index page (index.html), to prevent visitors from veiwing the index listing. If there is not an index.html file in the directory, then you will see an index listing and can click on any on the links. Most Archive pages are like that: ftp://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/wi/wood/bios/ (Click on URL to view an index listing) Once you are at the main page, NOW WHAT??? Well, the mainpage can either be like a book title or the index of the book. Some MAINPAGES have all the information on one page and others may just have links taking you to the pages which contain the "real" information you are looking for. Make sure to scroll all the way to the bottom of the page and see what is available. Then start checking for links to other pages within the site. There are several ways to find links. Many pages use "buttons", which will take you to the "real" information. Some will have a list of "links". Some will list links in brackets or use BOLD LETTERING or will tell you to CLICK HERE . Almost all links are a different color than the text for the page. Move your pointer, using your mouse, across the page slowly, and see if a URL appears at the bottom of your browser. If it does, click and off you go to another page. To get back, hit your back browser button. Also, be sure to check the graphics, too, as they can be "hot linked" to another site (again, using your mouse, move the pointer over the graphic. If it is "hot linked", the URL will appear at the bottom on most browsers - or an alternate name for the graphic will appear. If this occurs, just click on the graphic, and it will take you to the page which is "hot linked" to the graphics.) Most webmasters use some type of color coding system, so the viewer knows the pages belong to that website or to that section in a website... When in doubt, look at the URL and remember the parts. If the first three sections are exactly the same, you are still in that website. All of the WoodCoWI webpages will start with: http://www.rootsweb.com/~wiwood/ NAVIGATION hints for MAK websites: The mainpage only contains an index to take you to the main sections of the website. The links are in brackets, so all you have to do is click on the bracket using your mouse, and go to the next "page". On some of MAKs websites, graphics are required to identify the organization or project to which the site belongs. Most of those graphics are "hot linked" to the main page of the organization or project, so check them out. All MAKs pages are color coded. The MAKs county genealogy pages have a white background with red white blue stripe. MAKs Genealogy Site pages have a grey mottled background. MAKs Quilting Moose pages have a pale background with Quilting Moose Graphic at top. TheStorm pages have a sand background. The pages maintained for USC NROTC Alumni League have Cardinal and Gold graphics. I think you are getting the idea??? |
[AdamsCoWI Links Index]
[JuneauCoWI Links Index]
[LaFayetteCoWI Links Index]
[PortageCoWI Links Index]
[WoodCoWI Links Index]
[WI AHGP]
[WI ALHN]
[WI WLHN]
[WIGenWeb]
[WI IGGS]
[WISCONLINE Events]
Revised: --Monday, 08-Jan-2001 15:16:21 MST
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