Abundant information on how to build web sites from scratch is available on the Internet, and yes, it is all yours for the asking! The purpose of this brief introduction is not to duplicate efforts of trained computer scientists and software engineers, rather it is to provide you with a guide for locating accurate information.

If you are new to web publishing but too impatient to find out how to begin from the snippets I shall provide below, call up any reputable search engine and input: web content development primer. This search will yield 2000+ pages and since you have no constaints on your time, you may sift through and maybe find that information you need. The Internet is a wonderful medium that provides answers to almost all questions about the Internet.

If you have come here for a short cut to some of the valuable information then this page is for you, stay and benefit. Here are a few considerations for the absolute beginner:

1. You must have an idea about what you would like to publish on the Internet - Take down your note pad and write down your idea. For instance if you already have a business, you may be looking for a place to publicize your product or service, and to inform customers about how to reach you. (This site provides users free space for web publicity.) If you do not have a business but you are now contemplating what to do, it may be a good idea to lay off a bit to concretize your plans and revisit this site for more ideas. Alternatively, you may not be interested in using the Internet for business, you prefer to build web pages to share information about your hobbies or to share some personal information with a select group of people like small businesses in Vancouver - well, that is an idea so write it down.
Summary: Write down the reasons why you must publish a site.

2. After you have determined the nature of the web presence you require, personal or business, it will be time to select a web name commonly referred to as domain name. You may use your search engine to find out more about choosing domain names and registration procedures. Take a look at webmonkey.com, they have an interesting article on this (I used the webmonkey pages a lot when I started developing web content.) Search: How to choose and register a domain.
It is always a good idea to shop around for deals, but your are welcome to try these 2 domain registrants who are reputable, namely: Network Solutions, a veteran registrar, and Webnames - an excellent registrar for the local market, it is 100% Canadian and they provided several payment options.

3. You remain adamant, you must go ahead to develop a site. Be forewarned, it will cost you several hours in time and probably several dollars. Before we examine more options, you must place a good anti-virus software and a firewall on your shopping list. You will upload and download data several times and you must protect your computer and your data. Advice: Procure Anti-Virus and Firewall Software.

4. Now you are ready to acquire your virtual estate. Like real estate, the nature of your construction and the amount of money you are willing to spend influences your choice of  location - to build a small cottage, you go out of town, to build a skyscraper you select the snazziest location downtown. Whatever you decide, once construction is complete you have a place to lay your head. You have broadly speaking 3 options here:
a. hosting your own server (you must be technically inclined for this),
b. starting from a free personal web space provided by your ISP (or Internet service provider who also provides you e-mail). Using your ISP's free personal web space is a good option for a beginner. You do not have to pay rent for your web presence, however, you are limited by the regulations of your service provider, such as:- no e-commerce, no cgi's, not permitted to say beaver tails unless you know where to find Sparks Street in Canada, and what have you? Check the conditionalities of your service provider, they may not be as extreme, and in fact, they may provide you with an inexpensive way to test your web presence!
c. buying domain hosting service, then you must find a good one. Search for one that allows e-commerce if that is what you seek, one that has customizable templates for web-forms, one that has templates that allow you to password protect your documents from prying eyes, one that provides 24/7 help desk support, one that works with you to staunch spam etc. Using your note pad, prepare a list of things you would like to do on your site and select a hosting service that will enable you or help you to accomplish those goals; call up their sales agent and go over your list step by step. It is OK to admit that you are new and exploring, the only provider who will be worth your dollars is the one who is patient to talk to you and explain how they can meet your needs.

Having done your homework, you may be ready to begin, but not so fast! The Internet as I have already mentioned is a great tool for knowledge research using hyperlinks and search engines. But it is second to face to face communication with knowledgeable people - yea human intelligence created the Internet, it did not just become. There are a few places in Vancouver that will provide you with crash courses on Internet literacy. Some are exploratory and some are full curricular programs hence:

5. How about continuing education programs? Before I provide a list for your consideration I must tell you about an excellent gateway - this gateway is Vancouver Community Net (VCN.ca). Many good things happen at this volunteer driven and donor supported nonprofit. They have introductory lessons on Monday afternoons on HTML which is the magic that transforms your ideas into web pages. Go to their web-site, e-mail them or call them up and they will give you all the help you need. Other places to look at are Vancouver Schools' Board, Vancouver Community College - City Centre, Vancouver Community College - Langara, British Columbia Institute of Technology, and University of British Columbia. This list is not exhaustive, I bring them up because I noticed courses for web content development in their Spring edition continuing education brochures. Research and select a program that meets your needs, prior knowledge, and your budget.

And last but the most important way to start your research is your local library!

6. Go to the Vancouver and Burbaby public libraries, any public library, and do a subject catalogue search for web content development. Do not discount the Dummy and Idiot series, they are only silly in name but they provide excellent introductory step by step information. Whilst researching books, do not forget to look for The Non-Designer's Web Book by Robin Williams for a superb introduction.

Still not sure where to begin? Contact info@hunuhouse.ca for a discussion.