• June Edition
• Issue Number Thirteen: June 2001
• Editor: don@arkvalwebworks.com 
• Publisher: Arkansas Valley Web Works
• http://www.arkvalwebworks.com/ 

1. What’s Up?: The Significance Of A Header.

2. Web Page Help: Caution, Java Ahead!

3. Promotional/Advertising: Web Site Design Made Easy.

4. Web Issues and Stuff: No Such Thing As A Free Lunch.

5. Web Humor and Entertainment: Horrid Scopes.

6. Ark Announcements: Dogpile.

7. Both Sides Of The Coin: Words of Wit and Wisdom.

Guests may have noticed a change in the header graphics on my site. The beautiful Arkansas Valley of Colorado grows lots of quality beef and corn; but that’s not why I chose to display pictures of them on my new header, although if the shoe fits, well I’m inclined to wear it.

As folks in the area, and the world, get to know me better they are becoming accustomed to my no bull, but corny attitude toward web development and life in general. What a better way to display that attitude right up front than to have a NO sign through an angry bull, then the words Arkansas Valley Web Works, followed by a jolly ear of corn? Well maybe there are better ways, but I haven’t thought of them yet.

My clients seem to appreciate that I spare them a lot of the bull that unfortunately we have all come to expect from some Internet companies. That bull takes the form of lofty expectations but sometimes rather diminished results. I also try to show my clients and guests that I enjoy what I do and then the corny side comes out. I just can’t help it!

My clients regularly tell me how much their customers love the work I do for them. They’re amazed that someone with such a corny sense of humor can do such great work. I tell them I’m good, but I don’t let it get to my header. Hey, that’s no bull!

Java Scripts and Applets are a part of what makes a web site appealing to the eye. Java is one kind of bell and whistle that can provide a unique experience for your guests. But about 20% of your audience never sees them because of one reason or another. Some folks don’t have browsers that support Java. Others have to wait for their virus software to scan them before they can be seen. Still others have Java capabilities turned off altogether.

For those people aforementioned, navigation on the web site in question may be impossible if alternative navigation is not provided, and many times it is not. Even if the scripts and applets work properly, they take awhile to load. Those with slow Internet connections may become discouraged while waiting and simply leave before the page in question has loaded enough for the Java applications to function.

When in doubt, it is best to warn your visitors about Java and provide them with an alternative, particularly when site navigation is involved. After all, those bells and whistles are only effective if they can be seen and/or heard by your guests.

A simple, Caution, Java ahead, notification to visitors might mean the difference between losing them and keeping their interest. Alternative navigation also lets all your visitors know that you were thinking of them when you designed your site.

My pal Booj, also known as Dennis Gaskill, at Boogie Jack’s Web Depot is offering his new book for sale on his site. It is entitled "Web Site Design Made Easy". The book is a very valuable resource for those who are learning the design process, and for those of us who have been at it for awhile. Yes there is something in the book for all of us.

Many web design instructors also see the value because they are using it as the textbook to accompany their classes, and with good reason. The book keeps readers’ interest with simple explanations and fun insertions of humor throughout. Any teacher will tell you that a book is far more effective when it is actually read by students.

Interested parties may find out more information at http://www.boogiejack.com. Just tell him, Don Hunter sent you.

We’ve all heard it said that there is no such thing as a free lunch. Some might say that is true anywhere else but the web. The truth is that it’s a fact of life in cyber land as well.

Some of the most frequented sites on the web are complaining that their advertising revenues are way down when compared to those same revenues a year ago. Visitors just aren’t clicking on advertising banners with the same frequency as they did even a few months ago. As a result those same sites are being forced to alter their business plans to adjust for those losses.

Most visitors don’t spend any money but still enjoy the freebies that those sites have to offer. Sadly, some of those same visitors are also the first ones to complain about advertisements. They say they are annoying and wish that web sites would remove them. But if they got their wish they would not like the results. There would be far less freebies being offered if their wishes came true.

Many sites are starting to "hide" their valuable content amongst an ever-increasing number of advertisements. Some sites are putting in pop-up windows displaying ads in an effort to induce their visitors to view advertisements. Still other sites, like several of the search engines, are being forced to charge for site submission. They don’t want to, after all, our web sites are their content; but it is either that or bankruptcy.

We Internet users are left with two choices. We can keep considering advertisers as intruders and watch the number of freebies diminish; or we can support our favorite sites by occasionally clicking on banners that draw our interest. Those advertisers will see that their ads are doing some good and thus bring revenues back up for web site owners.

The simple truth is that advertising revenues help keep the cost down for operating web sites. Without those ad revenues there would be far less "freebies" found on the web.

So the next time you are offered a free lunch remember that someone is paying for it. The least we can do is thank that someone by clicking on one of their banners.

I enjoy reading my horoscope to begin my day. I know I can’t depend on them to have an accurate forecast of the day’s events; but they are still fun to read. Is it no wonder I call them horrid scopes.

Sometimes those daily forecasts aren’t what I want to read. After all, every day can’t be a blue ribbon one; but by golly I’ll do the deciding on that thar Baba Louie. "Okay, Quicks Draw".

When my daily forecast is one of gloom, I merely go to another astrology site and read another forecast. One of them is bound to offer something optimistic for the day. My favorites are:

• http://www.rpa.net/horoscopes/

• http://www.easyscopes.com/

• http://www.excite.com/horoscopes/

• http://horoscopes.astrology.com/

• http://stars.metawire.com/.

One of those five sites is bound to offer words of encouragement to help make the day more complete. After all, how horrid can a horrid scope be?

There’s no need to scold the pooch. Your devoted pet didn’t leave a mess for you to clean up. No doggy dirt lies in shadowed high traffic areas to smear on unsuspecting feet.

Quite the contrary! Dog pile, http://www.dogpile.com is yet another search engine that I’ve had the pleasure to try out. Guests can search the web, for images, audio/MP3 files, auctions, news, FTP, discussions, and multimedia. Dogpile queries several engines to get results.

Check out my search page for more search engines and directories than you can shake a stick at, and for goodness sake don’t hit the dog with that stick. After all, we should always be kind to dumb animals because us humans are animals too. Now where did I put my flea collar?

"I never did give anybody hell. I just told the truth and they thought it was hell."