Various tools are available which attempt to simplify the actual creation of web sites, ranging from some that are so complex you will need a computer science degree to work them to those that are so simple they are incapable of doing anything for you. Many of the best web sites have been written with nothing more complex that the free Windows Notepad - and that or a similar text editor are all you need to work with the material in this feature. Avoid wordprocessors or desk top publishing software that claims to write for the web at all costs. All I've seen produce poor web output that is virtually impossible to edit. They have their uses, but producing well designed web sites requires different methods.

The About Sitebuilder is a new platform for personal Web pages for About members, powered by About's new partners at Trellix. It's free to join About and you get 15Mb of web space to use - enough for a very large site. You can start creating your own personal web pages immediately by logging on at http://membership.about.com/pwp.htm (use the About Sitebuilder link in the box). You can either use the online tools provided or upload your own pages. Trellix have provided special support for users of such programs as FrontPage and Dreamweaver, but you can upload code from any standard html software without problems. There are also has many templates and pre-designed pages suitable for anyone without previous experience.

For the experienced user, using the site templates is a slow way to build a web site, mainly because each change you make has to be sent over the internet and you are waiting a second or two for the reply, but for those without experience they provide a lot of guidance and allow you to experiment while stopping you making mistakes. Of course the page designs are made with quick sites for the amateur in mind, but it is possible to adapt them for more serious use. I found it easier to start with a simple 'Welcome' page as a home page rather than to use one of the specially provided photo album templates, and soon had it licked into shape and a new home page up and running.

One thing that really works well is the integrated file management, allowing you to select and upload files from your computer to your web site through a simple browser interface. Again it is a little slower than using ftp, but saves having to learn new software and ways of working. New user sites will be at http://homepages.about.com/membername and in a couple of months you should also have an alternative, slightly shorter, address in the format http://pages.about.com/membername available. When viewers access your pages they have a small 'About' header to show you are an 'About' member and also an advert at the top; despite this extra material, pages I made seemed to load fairly fast.

Sitebuilder strikes me as a good and easy way to learn a little about web sites and to actually get your toes well into the water, but it is designed for the user who wants his own homepages rather than as a solution for the professional on the web. The 15Mb available does however give you plenty of space to play with, and if you just want to share some of your pictures with others it could be all you need.

Source: photography.about.com