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Help with Web Design (URGENT!)

  • 12-12-2010 08:13PM
    #1
    Gothamite
    Closed Accounts Posts: 26 ✭


    Howdy.

    So long story short, I have to design a news website and my class (which comprises of 5 people) are going to create content (video, podcasts and articles) that I'm going to upload.

    Problem is, I've only got until Thursday to do it. I got ISS to temporarily boost my personal web space. But NOW I need to actually be able to design a website! Now don't worry, I'm not a complete novice. I designed a website in first year for Media Tech and granted it certainly wasn't YouTube, it wasn't terrible looking, either.

    Does anyone know what the software is for designing websites that's on the DCU lab computers? I remember it being at least decent and not requiring an unlimited knowledge of HTML.

    If not, is there any good open-source software I could get to grips with quickly? Also, what's a good software for podcasts?

    I'm pretty confident I can do this, as long as I have a half-decent software and a bit of patience. I've done crazier things before.


Comments

  • #2
    Skylinehead
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,690 ✭✭✭✭Skylinehead


    Dreamweaver?


  • #3
    Gothamite
    Closed Accounts Posts: 26 ✭Gothamite


    Skylinehead wrote: »
    Dreamweaver?

    I seem to recall Dreamweaver having a 600+ page handbook...

    In any event, is it easy to use? Is it open-source (I don't think it is).


  • #4
    PowerTaxi
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 37 ✭PowerTaxi


    It has a 30 day free trial. 300Mb(or thereabouts)

    Haven't used it though.


  • #5
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    If web design were easy there wouldn't be people making so much money from it. :rolleyes:

    Looks like you're going to have to do a lot of hard work.


  • #6
    ironclaw
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,004 ✭✭✭ironclaw


    Thursday? Forget it. Dreamweaver you could practically do a degree it. Depending on complexity, grab a template and edit it.

    With regards uploads etc, your not in the best position. Have you worked in HTML, PHP etc before?


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  • #7
    Gothamite
    Closed Accounts Posts: 26 ✭Gothamite


    ironclaw wrote: »
    Thursday? Forget it. Dreamweaver you could practically do a degree it. Depending on complexity, grab a template and edit it.

    Forget it? Really? Yeah...really all I want to do is find a software that will give me a template, knock a few bits up and then upload it. It doesn't have to be the most intricate and beautiful pieces of Intarwebs ever seen. This is not a multimedia assignment. It's a journalism one. I'm not being judged by the aesthetic brilliance or originality of the site. Just the accessibility of the content on it.
    With regards uploads etc, your not in the best position.

    How so? I've done it before, no problem. There's a software you use, you just plug in every file and the coding and up it goes.
    Have you worked in HTML, PHP etc before?

    Yes. I got a crash course years ago and I edit the HTML on my Blog on Blogspot all the time to put roll-over captions on photos and stuff, as well as embedding YouTube videos. I'm not an expert (I'm not even a whole lot more than a beginner), but I'm able to grasp the basic concepts of it.
    Deleted User wrote: »
    If web design were easy there wouldn't be people making so much money from it.

    Looks like you're going to have to do a lot of hard work.

    And if people who posted just to turn their nose up at something and not provide any actual advice (or even constructive criticism) channeled their distaste into productive activities, we might not be in a recession.


  • #8
    Diarmsquid
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,584 ✭✭✭Diarmsquid


    I've never actually used it, but iWeb, a free application that comes on a Mac, looks pretty easy to work.

    There's even a section for podcasts. Pretty sure the programme is on the Mac in C101 or C107.


  • #9
    Gothamite
    Closed Accounts Posts: 26 ✭Gothamite


    Diarmsquid wrote: »
    I've never actually used it, but iWeb, a free application that comes on a Mac, looks pretty easy to work.

    There's even a section for podcasts. Pretty sure the programme is on the Mac in C101 or C107.

    Now we're getting somewhere. There's Macs in the Fiontar Labs. I'll see if they have that programme. :cool:


  • #10
    slasher_65
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 647 ✭✭✭slasher_65


    Also investigate RapidWeaver. I know it's not available on the Macs in the college, but if you have your own, it's a great piece of software.


  • #11
    ironclaw
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,004 ✭✭✭ironclaw


    Forget it? Really? Yeah...really all I want to do is find a software that will give me a template, knock a few bits up and then upload it. It doesn't have to be the most intricate and beautiful pieces of Intarwebs ever seen. This is not a multimedia assignment. It's a journalism one. I'm not being judged by the aesthetic brilliance or originality of the site. Just the accessibility of the content on it.

    Sorry. I was refering to Dreamweaver. Takes a while to get to grips with.

    How so? I've done it before, no problem. There's a software you use, you just plug in every file and the coding and up it goes.

    Again, I was refering to using code to upload files etc. You were thinking of FTP. Crossed:) wires!

    iWeb is pretty good. Doesn't MS Office have something similar? Name escapes me now. Have you looked at WordPress? Grab a template for it and your sorted, provided you have access to a SQL Database etc to run it.


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  • #12
    Gothamite
    Closed Accounts Posts: 26 ✭Gothamite


    iWeb is definitely what I'm looking for. All I have to figure out now is how to get all of my FTP server/username/password details from ISS so I can upload the whole thing (can't remember any of them for the life of me).


  • #13
    Noodleworm
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 717 ✭✭✭Noodleworm


    dreamweaver has templates in it, If you don't know html or css the design view should still be some help to you. Just find some internet tutorials and follow them?
    alternatively try and just make a wordpress, tumbler, blogspot etc? like a website but really as simple as a bebo page, pick a layout/style etc

    what were you taught? I had an module of web last year, and that was really just covering the basics, the rest we were expected to teach ourselves.

    also, if your looking for iweb, is that included in the ilife suite that should be on every mac?


  • #14
    Gothamite
    Closed Accounts Posts: 26 ✭Gothamite


    Mr.S wrote: »
    camac.dcu.ie

    username is your DCU username
    password is your DCU password

    Pretty sure it can only be accessed when on the college network too.

    Yes! Thank you. I'll let you know if that works.
    Noodleworm wrote: »
    alternatively try and just make a wordpress, tumbler, blogspot etc? like a website but really as simple as a bebo page, pick a layout/style etc

    I already have a blogspot page and a wordpress page, but thanks anyway.

    I think my lecturer doesn't really want a blog layout to the site.
    what were you taught? I had an module of web last year, and that was really just covering the basics, the rest we were expected to teach ourselves.

    The basics of Frontpage, and the basics of using the camac server. There was a lot of self-teaching involved, but when you're using an editor, it's not that difficult. All you have to remember is to have the content in the right place, so that you can upload it.


  • #15
    JohnyDarko
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 59 ✭✭JohnyDarko


    Would you be able to use Joomla?

    Its a free (you have to register for technical support though), open-source content management system, but it also has many, many, many free templates and modules you can add to it to do anything from embedding a twitter reader to a podcast rss system... and best of all its web based (after you install it anyway) so you can edit it from anywhere logging in through www.yoursite.ie/admin, and you can make your classmates managers with certain privileges so they can upload videos, etc themselves, even with no experience - be perfect for a news type website.

    http://www.joomla.org/about-joomla.html


  • #16
    Gothamite
    Closed Accounts Posts: 26 ✭Gothamite


    Okay, update. I have the index more or less designed (using iWeb) and Camac is apparently letting me upload the site, etc.

    But I'm getting this.

    Help?


  • #17
    Green Hand Guy
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 337 ✭✭Green Hand Guy


    Gothamite wrote: »
    Okay, update. I have the index more or less designed (using iWeb) and Camac is apparently letting me upload the site, etc.

    But I'm getting this.

    Help?

    What kind of file is Iolar_Nua? Did you forget the extension?

    Also, have you tried just this?

    http://www.student.dcu.ie/~oconchr2/

    Seems to work for me.


  • #18
    Gothamite
    Closed Accounts Posts: 26 ✭Gothamite


    Green Hand Guy wrote: »
    Also, have you tried just this?

    http://www.student.dcu.ie/~oconchr2/

    Seems to work for me.

    That's the crappy old site I made in First Year using Frontpage. We had to have all the content on one page (!) so I had to downgrade it to that.

    Anyway, that's not important. I decided to abandon using the DCU server and just make another Wordpress site. It's pretty good I think and I'm planning on upgrading it to an independent domain at some point, using the existing format.


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