Dusty, I use , webs.com. They are very reasonable and have great customer support. You have full control over designing your site, and for me to be able to build a site was something I never thought I could do. Check them out.
Strumelia, that seems like good advice. The fact is that what I want to do with the website is pretty simple, but that does not mean I'm happy with the generic design elements of these prefabbed websites.
I took a look both at the website you and Brian did and the wordpress site, and it looks like it might be a good plan. At this point I'm leaning to wordpress and one of the web hosts that are designed specifically to integrate with it.
Thanks for the suggestion.
Thanks, Kevin. That is helpful information about the <header> section. The link above is to a webs.com site, which I used only because I was able to give it a try without paying anything. Now that I want to register a domain name and develop a more permanent website, I am not sure webs.com is what I want. Among other things, it does not let you code in HTML on your own. I guess I'm still searching for a web host.
I do indeed do some instructional design, but I am not an instructional designer. I teach online classes, and over the last few years I've found it easier to design my own courses than try to give the "content" to someone else and have them do it. For similar reasons, although I would love to have one of your students design a website for me, I really need to learn to do it myself. In the past we've had people who found a really nifty way to present some content in a course, but then 10 months or a year later we want to make some changes only to find that individual has moved to a different job and no one knows what they did.
Anyway, thanks for your response. I may have some specific questions for you as I get more into this.
Dusty have you really considered Wordpress, or wordpress with using their social network plugin = BuddyPress? Sounds like it might be quite do-able with the simplicity of what you are talking about.
Check out the Wordpress site that Brian and I had a big hand in designing and setting up for our local village's new site:
We got to choose all the colors, fonts, layout, our own banner, etc. This was done even without a BuddyPress plugin. We did pay a very small fee for the calendar, which was better than the free ones.
Dusty,
What you are wanting to do with the banner picture will require a <div> tag or putting the image in the <header> section of the new HTML 5 code. I teach Web Design and Interactive media, if you would like to have a hosting site I would recommend almost anybody except GoDaddy.com. I have had nothing but trouble with them and I don't like their business practices. If you would like a simple site designed let me know and I might be able to talk a student of mine into designing something for youas a project for my class. I am always looking for real world examples for them to be able to put in their portfolios for graduation. On a side note, did I read correctly that you work as an instructional designer? That is what I do for my full time job also.
Talk to you more soon.
Kevin
Thanks, Bobby. You confirm that webs.com is a reasonable site. At least they let you built a website before you decide if you want to upgrade and start paying. The other cheap web hosting sites out there want you to pay upfront before you start building a website.
I hadn't explored the podcast app, but I'll look into it. I did add an audio file to the home page.
I guess what I find frustrating is that you have to choose a backdrop for every page based on the pre-fabricated templates. I would like one template that is just a blank page so that I can customize that backdrop. I did make myself a banner. It is in .jpg formate and I can resize it to any size. But I can't seem to make that banner part of the backdrop of the pages. I am stuck with webs.com templates.
One final question for you: have you ever used customer service at webs.com? I am curious how responsive they are on the phone or through text messaging or whatever.
Hey folks, I seek advice about how to start a website.
I want to find acheap web hosting service that will allow me set up a basic website for my local dulcimer group so I can keep a page of tab for the songs we play, a list of local events, some pictures, and so forth.
I started using one free web service that offers dozens of basic templates for the website, but I really want more flexibility. I don't know HTML code, but I do design online courses, so I have some experience with this stuff. The problem is that I have a vision of what I want for each page and am frustrated stuck in the pre-fab templates the web service offers. I would much prefer something with blank pages that allows me to just move items (pictures, text, audio files, etc) to where I want them and resize them at will.
For example, this is what I have so far: http://rivercitydulcimers.webs.com/ . But I want to be able to put my banner (that image with the Sacramento River and skyline with the words overlaid) on the top with the tabs for the different pages underneath that, as well as customize the rest of the page. This free web service has me locked in to one prefabbed format or another. It seems to me that what I seek is pretty unsophisticated and basic.
Before I pay to register a domain name and to get some kind of medium amount of customer service, I want to make sure I have a web host that will let me do what I want.
Any advice you can offer would be most appreciated.
Great display, Mike! I knew you could come up with something creative!
"Sweet" (No. 56) is just about done now. I'm trying to get her to her owner by Christmas, but I'm running out of time.
It feels weird to work on such a small dulcimer now...
Well Mike, a big thank you to your wife and daughter. They did a great job!!!
It's a monkey from some movie (ah, Monkeybone). He was there when we moved in and has established that window as his territory. He often plays whatever instrument happens to be displayed there. My wife and daughter though it humorous to dress the monkey as Santa and Uncle Eddie as an elf.
Merry Christmas to you Mike and to your family and everyone at the shop!!! Thanks for posting a picture of Uncle Eddie all decorated for Christmas! By the way, that almost looks like a sock monkey Santa
Merry Christmas to all of you at the shop. Can't wait to come visit again.
Merry Christmas from "Uncle Eddie" and the guys in the shop.
Well, we did actually consider decking Uncle Eddie out with Christmas lights and other seasonal adornments. What ensued was one of those conversations where we considered the likely reaction of his namesake to such shenanigans. Most of his part of the conversation is not appropriate to repeat on this forum but it did include "if I'm going to be lit up for Christmas, it won't be with blinking lights" (some descriptive terms deleted).
We did tastefully encircle the window where he looks out over town with a string of white, non-blinking lights. I'll see if we can get a decent picture tomorrow.
John, Merry Christmas to you!!!
Hey Mike, you do need to dress up Uncle Eddie for Christmas and post a picture .
Thaks for the kind thoughts, everyone. It's been quite a ride.
Hey, Mike S., have you and Doug dressed Eddie up in Christmas lights or anything? That would be a cool thing to do this cool time of year.
Merry Christmas to all, just one week away now!!
I just know Uncle Eddie is a world record .
5 times bigger'? Length? Width? Volume? -- I believe it qualifies on all those accounts. I think Guiness has instituted a "minimum" bigger/stronger/faster etc. to stop folks from claiming a record by simply beating the current record holder by a small amount on a single occasion. Saves their staffers a huge bunch of work too.
You took the words right off my fingertips, John.
John Tose said:
And what do they mean by `5 times bigger'? Length? Width? Volume? If it's the latter, then you've probably more than done it.
And what do they mean by `5 times bigger'? Length? Width? Volume? If it's the latter, then you've probably more than done it.
Shoot, just call it the biggest until someone proves you wrong!
I would be willing to guess that that is if not pretty closed to being 5x bigger than a normal normal dulcimer. It is the biggest Dulcimer I know of out there.
NEWS FLASH!
Dateline: Tuesday, December 17, 2013
"Uncle Eddie" may very well be the ( unofficial ) world's largest mountain dulcimer!
I received an email during last month's southern tour from the Guinness World Records folks that a dulcimer must be at least 5 times "normal" size to qualify as the world's largest mountain dulcimer. But they gave no details on who had previously made one of these, or where or when, etc. However, I received another email from them stating that there were currently no entries in that particular category! This made me wonder what was going on. I questioned them, and they wrote back, saying in effect that their minimum starting requirement was 5 times normal size. WHY?? Seems arbitrary to me. So... doesn't it follow that "Uncle Eddie" would be the de facto world's largest mountain dulcimer?
Thank you, my dear. I needed a little cheering up.
But I wasn't trying for a record when I built him, so why should I be disappointed that he isn't a world record holder?
He is what he is--- a very large musical tribute to the man who started much of the legend of Kentucky dulcimer building.
UE says chill, it's all cool 8)
John, sorry to hear that but I'm sure yours is the largest Cumberland style. He sure is a beautiful dulcimer too
Patty....
I heard back... from Guinness World Records.... on last week's trip...
The news is... not good, I'm afraid.
They claim that the world's largest mountain dulcimer (currently) is 5 times normal size!
But they give no more details! I imagine it's a modern-style instrument, but it would have to be nearly 15 feet long and weigh something like 100 pounds.
I'm pretty sure Uncle Eddie is the largest Cumberland-style dulcimer out there, but I can't be sure...
It was a let-down, to be sure.
I'll definitely have to do that John. Thanks for sharing Uncle Eddie with us! Please let us know when you hear from Guinness World Records
John C. Knopf said:
Patty,
All you need to do is jump on Interstate 66 west, to 81 south, to US 23 north, to KY 15 northwest. Nothing to it.
Shouldn't take you more than half a day!
Patty,
All you need to do is jump on Interstate 66 west, to 81 south, to US 23 north, to KY 15 northwest. Nothing to it.
Shouldn't take you more than half a day! Uncle Eddie is looking forward to a visit.
Glad you are back home John!!! Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family . Uncle Eddie has a home in Hindman. I've just got to find a way to get out there. Not only would I love to see Uncle Eddie but I would also love to see the shop and maybe Mike can teach me how to make a dulcimer.
I thought lots more folks would see Uncle Eddie in a shop like that than in my Michigan basement!
Tourists look for dulcimers in Hindman... Most Michigan people don'teven know about them (or care).
It was an interesting trip, but I'm glad to be back home, especially with the worsening weather.
I thought lots more folks would see Uncle Eddie in a shop like that than in my Michigan basement!
Tourists look for dulcimers in Hindman... Most Michigan people don'teven know about them (or care).
It was an interesting trip, but I'm glad to be back home, especially with the worsening weather.
Mike, that's so cooooool that the giant one will be in your shop window for a while.
Robin, he is indeed spending some time in Hindman. He now occupies a position of prominence in the display window seen at the left of my above picture. He did continue wandering a bit before returning to Hindman, including stops in VA and in Richmond, KY, where I hear that he drew an admiring group of dulcimer enthusiasts and got his picture in the paper.
Patty,
Wait'll you find out where 'Uncle Eddie" will be living for a while...
(HINT: He didn't come back to Michigan).
Patty,
Wait'll you find out where 'Uncle Eddie" will be living for a while...
(HINT: He didn't come back to Michigan).
Great pic Mike!!! I just finally realized that Uncle Eddie is bigger than the door
Finally figured out how to add the pic from the Hindman stop on John's journey, I think.
