Here are a few of my favorite places on the Internet. There are HTML help sites, programming and Internet Application sites, and general references listed. I have also thrown in a few definitions of terms I find meaningful and some sites that are just FUN.
CMS Sites - Fun Sites - Reference SitesWeb Building Sites
- The W3 Consortium - This is the international standards organization of the World Wide Web. Not everything you find here is considered "law" by browser builders such as Microsoft or even Mozilla, but many more of the standards are followed now than years before
- W3schools.com - This place has GREAT quick references for all the basic HTML, XHTML, and CSS questions you might have. While they do not tell you exactly how to do something like build a pop-up-menu in CSS, all the information is there. It is the sort of place you can come back to when you need a refresher on how to write a particular element.
- DevGuru.com - I frequented this site often quite a few years ago, but I used it mostly for javascript reference. I've gotten away from javascript lately but still find many of the tutorials useful. The author has a very readable style and some nice history and explanation of the web.
- CSS Zen Garden - Some day... I hope to be good enough to get my design posted here. The idea is: take a straight HTML page and create a CSS style sheet which makes it a work of art. If your creation is good enough, then you "make the cut" and get included in their site list. It is similar to trying to create a MySpace layout that doesn't Totally Suck because of the MySpace limitations. Oh, here's my attempt at that: Greg's MySpace
A brief intermission for a definition:
- C.M.S.
- An acronym which expanded is Content Management System and refers to any number of systems available for managing content on a web site. The basic idea is to create a system by which any sort of content may be displayed in an attractive manner and provide a simple way for users to publish information without resorting to full HTML layout. You type and the CMS codes.
CMS Sites
- Joomla - Currently my favorite CMS. Both GetNetEZ.com and TucsonCab.com are built in Joomla. They just released version 1.5 which is a major step forward for the CMS as a communication vehicle.
- Mambo - The original project from which Joomla was split. Still a great CMS option.
- Xoops - The CMS I was using before I got into Joomla. I have two modules released for this one. One module collects XML virus warnings from Sophos.com and displays them in a table with links to a full history. Google for sophosFlash to see its usage. The other module is a search engine for a Xoops website which can be loaded through the administrator panel. It is a port of the PHPdig search engine.
Fun Stuff (There's fun stuff on the web? I thought it was just about programming! )
- Runescape - I've played.
- NetHack - Back when we used to call it Rogue, this little UNIX adventure game was the most addictive waste of time EVER. It still is. There are no real graphics in a game of nethack, but you should try it at least once to see if you are a "Roguer". I am somewhat sure the site at alt.org is not a security problem, but I don't vouch for it. Consult your system administrator, computer guy, or your mom before you play. Alternatively, you can download LINUX, flatten your box and install an alternative operating system just to play on your own server.
References
- The Internet Archive - A world of information including free electronic books that are out of copyright and in the public domain.
- The CIA World FactBook - What the CIA knows (and will tell you) about almost any country in the world.
- The Wikipedia - OK, so it is free and open contribution and some things you read may not be completely accurate. That being said, I don't dis the Wiki.
Greg Gray's Links Page