Q: How can I update our company web site by myself? Do I need to know HTML?

A: Greg Fredette of Saturno Design replies:
There are 3 ways to update your web site. First you can learn HTML (and possibly other languages) and edit your web pages directly. Second, you can use a WYSIWYG (short for "what you see is what you get") web page editor like MS FrontPage or HomeSite. And finally, you can use a web content management system. Here is a little about each approach.

HTML is easy, Web design and maintenance is hard
HTML is a relatively simple language but, unless you have a lot of time on your hands, I don't recommend you learn HTML with the goal of updating your Web site in mind. Additionally, HTML is not really enough to develop a good web site. You would eventually need to learn scripting languages like JavaScript, ASP, PHP, etc. to keep up. If you want to learn HTML or other Web languages then www.webmonkey.com is a great place for beginners to start.

WYSIWYG - What you see is what you get, sometimes
WYSIWYG (short for "what you see is what you get") software programs provide a graphic interface for designing Web pages. These programs work essentially in the same fashion as MS Word - you type text, add images, create tables, etc.

WYSIWYG editors are great tools for developers and designers, not so good tools for non-developers. These programs often create very messy HTML code and even non-compatible code. This means that your Web pages may break up or be non-viewable to some users. Developers have the knowledge necessary to view and clean up this messy code. So, unless you know HTML, I don't recommend using a WYSIWYG editor - what you see often won't be what you get.

Get in, get out - the power of customized content management
Web site content management applications enable quick, in-and-out web content updates. These applications are easy to use because HTML, and other scripting languages, are left out of the process entirely. These applications are set up by a developer on your Web server (or Web hosting account) to enable editing through simple forms and a central database.

For information about Saturno's E-Content Manager visit www.saturnoit.com/pr_sdwebback.asp

For more frequently asked questions, please visit:
http://www.saturnodesign.com/ask.asp

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