---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Thu, 18 Jan 1996 01:48:40 -0800 From: Thomas P. Copley <tcopley@GIGANTOR.ARLINGTON.COM> Subject: ANNOUNCEMENT: 1996 Make the Link Workshops MAKE THE LINK WORKSHOP (WORLD WIDE WEB FOR EVERYONE) The Make the Link Workshop (World Wide Web for Everyone) is an eight week long distance learning workshop conducted entirely by e-mail. It introduces the beginner to the World Wide Web (WWW), the Internet's distributed hypermedia information system, and enhances the skills of the somewhat more experienced user as well. The WWW is a powerful hyper-textual medium for integrating all of the resources of the Internet. You can read through a page of text, and on the spur of the moment, link to related information anywhere in the world. For example, after reading a short piece on twentieth century abstract art, you can link to and view a collection of color prints of paintings by Picasso, Klee, and Mondrian. High school history students reading about Sir Winston Churchill can link to a page where, at the click of a mouse button, recordings of his actual speeches can be played. A business woman in Paris, France can check out the "home page" of her counterpart in Montreal, Canada, complete with her picture and professional vita. There are thousands of computers throughout the world on the Web, and literally millions of interconnected WWW pages, and all are easily accessible from your desktop computer. The first graphical WWW browsers became available in 1993. Since the introduction of the hugely successful Netscape Navigator in 1994, WWW browsers have provided access to most of the main Internet functions, including the WWW, FTP, gopher, telnet, USENET news and e-mail. The WWW, or simply, "the Web" has become the Internet's "killer application" that integrates a variety of media, including text, images, sound, video and small computer programs called applets. For example, a chemistry student can view a three-dimensional picture of a molecule, and view it from any direction or simply make it appear to slowly rotate in space on the screen. New programming languages, such as Java and JavaScript, have been developed for creating a myriad of imaginative applets on the Web. On-line commerce has become a reality through the magic of HTML forms and CGI (Common Gateway Interface) scripts. For example, you can view an on-line catalog of CD-ROM games with Netscape, fill a virtual shopping cart with CDs you have selected, pay for your order electronically, and have your games delivered by express mail the following day. Having a WWW home page providing one's personal information has become the 1990's version of the business card, resume, voice mail, and on occasion, electronic recreation area, all rolled into one. In fact, the WWW provides an opportunity to participate and collaborate with others at many levels. It can be a great way to network with colleagues and associates or even to reach potential customers concerning products or services. The Make the Link Workshop will focus on how to gain maximum advantage from this simple to use, yet very sophisticated, Internet tool. During the workshop, you will learn: * How to gain access to the WWW, including information on setting up a direct TCP/IP connection to the Internet (SLIP/CSLIP/PPP). * How to link to specific Web resources using Uniform Resource Locators (URLs). This includes how to construct URLs for various kinds of resources, such as WWW, gopher, FTP, telnet, etc. * How to distinguish between various kinds of WWW browsers, including Netscape Navigator, Microsoft Internet Explorer, NCSA Mosaic, Arena, Lynx, etc. and the strengths and weaknesses of each. * How to navigate Webspace and use various searching tools such as Alta Vista, Infoseek, Inktomi, Wandex, CMU Lycos, WebCrawler, and others. * To make WWW bookmarks and organize your bookmarks with Hypertext Markup Language (HTML). * How to effectively and efficiently design your own home page with HTML, and how to install it on a server. * The principles of good home page design, in order to project a favorable image for you and/or your employer or business. * The advantages and disadvantages of HTML editors, such as Hot Dog, PageMill, HoTMetaL, and HTML Assistant, and related utilities. * How to understand the multimedia formats used on the Web, including those for images, audio and video. Dates: In order to accommodate difficult schedules, three workshops are planned. (Sessions I through IV were conducted last year. Session V.......... February 5 - March 24 Session VI......... March 4 - April 26 Session VII........ April 1 - May 26 The cost of the workshop is $20 US. Sign up for ONE session only unless you plan to take the Workshop more than once. To sign up for one of the Make the Link Workshop sessions, please send an e-mail message to the address: majordomo@arlington.com and in the body of the message, include: subscribe links5 to subscribe to Session V, or subscribe links6 to subscribe to Session VI, or subscribe links7 to subscribe to Session VII. This will automatically put you on the mailing list for more information about the workshop, and you will receive an acknowledgment with the particulars about signing up, and unsubscribing, should you decide not to participate. If you have any difficulty with this procedure or fail to receive a response, please send e-mail to this address: tcopley@arlington.com In order to get the most from this workshop it is helpful to have access to a WWW browser program, either by remote access, or by actually running one on your own computer directly connected to the Internet. If you wish to run Netscape or Mosaic you will need to have a computer with a TCP/IP connection, that is, a direct connection to the Internet. Information will be provided during the workshop about how to set up a TCP/IP connection. In order to participate in the workshop you only need access to e-mail. However, it is very desirable to actually use a WWW browser. The workshop leader, Thomas P. Copley, Ph.D., taught the popular Make the Link Workshop several times last year. During 1994-5 he taught the Go-pher-it Workshop almost a dozen times. Go-pher-it was one of the first Internet workshops taught entirely by e-mail. Dr. Copley is one of the founders of the Electronic University in San Francisco, and is an experienced instructor of distance learning courses via networks. In addition to consulting for Apple Computer, Inc. on hyper-textual distance learning software, Copley has served on the faculties of Washington State University, Antioch College, and Armstrong University. He is also the Editor of the electronic newsletter the TELELEARNING NETWORK SYNTHESIZER. ________________________________________________________________ THOMAS P. COPLEY tcopley@arlington.com Make the Link Workshop http://www.crl.com/~gorgon/