I'm not very good at web editing but I'd like to construct an online portfolio for my daughter to show her work. I thought of going to a web editing forum for advice but I would be more likely to be baffled by the experts there, promoting their own preferential methods. Basically, I'm wondering whether I should go for an off the peg Wordpress template or attempt the simplest, go it alone tutorial I can find?
I built my own. Really to learn enough basic HTML to create a gallery is not so hard.
Lots of people find wordpress works,. but I found it harder to understand how it worked than to write my own code.
Try mocking it up in BlueGriffon which at the basic use level is a drag and drop wysiwyg interface but will let you look under the hood too. It is also free (although they charge for the manual).
Depends really how complex you want to go. Irfanview can be persuaded to output reasonable web gallery HTML script to tinker with too.
The code WordPress generates for the simplest website is something appalling.
That too.
It amuses me the amount of 'we need cookies for this site to function' crap as well.
Gridwatch sets no cookies at all. Only if you donate will PayPal set one
+1 +1
Usually so they can mither you with targetted ads for ever more.
BTW any chance of allowing it to scale to full HD 1920x1200 displays? It seems to max out at 1280 x 800 pixels.
The free hosted Wordpress at wordpress.com is so limited it's hardly worth bothering with (their ads, no custom themes, no plugins, no Google Analytics, etc). You'd be better using Google Sites IMHO.
If you want powerful Wordpress you need to pay wordpress.com (quite a lot of) money for a 'business', or use a Wordpress installation on your own server (self hosting), which unless you have your own physical server usually means paying someone for a virtual server - and most of those can automatically set up a standard Wordpress hosted site with a couple of clicks from a package manager.
Basic HTML is okay for static sites but once you want to add in responsiveness to smartphones and tablet browsers, commenting and social media plugins etc I'd be looking at some form of Content Management System, of which Wordpress may be most suitable.
If it's good enough for the White House, Cap Gemini and Network Rail ...
There are scripts to import a free wordpress.com site into a self-hosted wordpress.org site if you want to start simple/free.
Owain
I know there are a lot of Wordpress critics, probably for very good reason. I saw a youtube vid on using a free template that was basically a customisable portfolio setup. I may regret it ultimately but I'll probably learn something useful from the experience.
Always informative and encouraging, you've convinced me to give it a try.
It also depends on whether you want accessible web sites for disabled users. Wordpress has a good record on this I gather, at least we dont have to suffer flash created sites any more. Brian
Next week, I'll be taking questions about minor surgical procedures.
I played with free Wordpress a couple of weeks back, it really is so limited and everything is a sell to try to get you to upgrade to a paid plan.
Owain
You must be Psychic! You can clearly understand just how many minor surgical procedures I need. On which day do you do bum lifts?
Is this so even if I build a portfolio locally using WAMP, and then host it on my own, or my daughter's site?
I'd like to think I could eventually develop the ability to produce a site that was accessible to the disabled. Truth to tell, I'll be lucky if I can manage to come up with something that's accessible to anyone at my level of expertise.
The day after they've been demonstrated by The Yorkshire Vet. I'm a quick learner.
No, if you use the wordpress.org software on your own LAMP/WAMP host it's free (apart from any plugins/themes that have been developed commercially).
Owain
Hope you don't charge vets rates, or I'll have to start doing the lottery fast.
I can see from what you say that I''l be able to get far enough in to learn something useful. Thanks.
There's a free sandbox setup at
adding alt tags to pics is easy.
NT
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