Tools I use when I need to learn

January 10th, 2010

Here are some places I go when I need to learn something new:

  • W 3 Schools: when i was first learning basic html I turned to them often.  I love that they let you test what they are teaching – really helped me understand more about what I was doing.  And I still go there when I need a basic understanding of a particular technology.
  • Site Point:  I have several of their books and visit thier forums fairly often.  Lots of good solid information.
  • HTML Dog:  When I was working for a large Fortune 500 company I became interested in web accessibility.  At the time, our company was using a navigation system that required mouse clicks (you can’t see the mouse trail if you are visually impaired) and I wanted desperately to show my collegues that there was a better more accessible way to build navigation that still had the cool drop-down action.  I, and many others, are in debt to the developers at HTML Dog for  their “Sons of Suckerfish” tutorial
  • Accessify:  I’ve only recently discovered this site, but find some the tools very helpful.
  • Listomatic:  If you want some examples and code for quick navigation to here.
  • Dynamic Drive CSS Library:  Great starting place for tableless builds

What is a “Domain Name”?

October 30th, 2008

A domain name is a Web address, such as godaddy.com, that is linked to an IP address (which represents a physical point on the Internet). When someone types a domain name into a Web browser, the requested Web page displays.

A domain name consists of a top-level and a second-level domain. A top-level domain (TLD) is the part of the domain name located to the right of the dot (godaddy.com). The most common top-level domains are .COM, .NET, and .ORG. Some other popular top-level domains are .BIZ, .INFO, .NAME and .WS. These TLDs have certain guidelines but are, for the most part, available to any registrant, anywhere in the world.

The part of the domain name located to the left of the dot — “godaddy,” in this case — is called the second-level domain (SLD) name. The second-level domain name is the “readable” part of the address and refers to the organization or entity behind the Internet address. Second-level domain names must be registered with an Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN)-accredited registrar.

Once you decide on the name, one of the first things you need to do is claim your domain name. If you are anything like me, I had a list of several names that I wanted and soon discovered that many of them were taken. One of the features available at the “World’s Largest Registrar – GoDaddy.com” is the ability to put in multiple names and check their availability all at once.

Another is a great tool is, Instant Domain Search.  Just go to the site and start typing.  As you type your name the tool lets you know if the name has already been claimed.  Instantaneously.  The only disadvantage is that you can only check one domain at a time. Still, if you like instant gratification this is the tool for you.

Find a domain name now!
.com .us .biz .info .net .org .ws .mobi .me .co.uk .in .at .asia