Exercises 1

Here are some things to try out to test you HTML skills.

1. Make an index.html file in your public_html directory. Put some appropriate filler there. This could end up as your homepage, or you could just make it note about where to look for the good stuff. Either way, give it a whirl.
2. OK, now make a homepage for yourself. It needn't be fancy or complete, but put something up. I'd suggest putting your name, some contact information (a mailto: link is highly recommended!), and maybe a short biography of you.
3. Make a page for your favorite links. Link it in to your homepage. Check the links to make sure that they work!
4. Now it's time to play a bit. Go to this archive of backgrounds and pick a few out. Try some of them with your homepage (or another page you've written). Now try playing with the colors of the text (including links and viewed links). What you're looking for here is something that is legible and also hopefully not painful to the reader's brains. (I can suggest some color combinations that have quite enough contrast but tend to cause brain hemorrhages for sheer lack of color coordination.)