Bringing People Together through Internet Technologies
TCFN is a nonprofit organization that uses Internet technologies to bring people together in communities of shared interest or need. We've been linking the people of Minneapolis, St Paul and neighboring communities since 1995.

Getting Started: Web Page Production

All pages published on the World-Wide Web must be coded using HyperText Markup Language, or HTML. This document outlines the steps required to produce and publish a page on the Twin Cities Free-Net.
Step 1: Write Your Document

The words come first. You have several options:

* Use a simple text editor (like EDLIN in DOS, NotePad in Windows, or TeachText on a Mac).
* Use a word proccessing package on your home computer. Save your file as a text file, or in ASCII format. Do not format your document with the word processor.
* Use an HTML generation program - more and more of these are being introduced in the marketplace. Examples include: Frontpage, HotDog, and PageMill. Check out this website for shareware: http://www.tucows.com.
* Edit right on line - follow these instructions 

Step 2: Add HTML Tags

Next, add HTML tags to your text file. You will decide what you want to be headers, bullet items, and so on. The Beginner's Guide to HTML, written by folks at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications, is one of the best places to start learning how to use HTML. It includes an overview of all of the HTML tags, examples of how to use them, a good glossary, and hyperlinks to other useful HTML references.
Step 3: Add Graphics (Optional)

You may want to prepare some graphics in the proper file formats, or use some that are available in libraries at various Web sites. The Beginner's Guide to HTML provides a good overview on graphics. Also take a look at Hypertext Places, which points you to a number of graphics libraries and a collection of graphics converters.
Step 4: Test Your Page
Use our HTML Validation Service to check your HTML code and find out if you have made any errors. We recommend you use it on all new documents before are really ready for prime time!
Step 5: Publish your File
When you are satisfied that it is ready, move it up to your work directory on the TCFN server. This link provides step-by-step instructions for how to "publish" a Web page on TCFN.