The following are REQUIRED materials for the course:
Laura Lemay, Sams Teach Yourself Web Publishing with HTML and XHTML in 21 Days (4th ed.) (March 2003).
The most thorough guide to (X)HTML I know about, with step-by-step instructions. If you decide to continue your web design endeavors once this class is over, Lemay's book is all you'll need. You should feel free, however, to use additional guides, including ones you will find on the Web. I do. No reference book has all information in it, nor is it always presented in a way best suited to your own learning style.
You must plan to use the Web as a text as well. You will be required to search for websites relevant to our class discussions and send your selections to me via e-mail. You may also be asked to peruse links on the Links page, or those already identified as part of an assignment, such as those noted on the Schedule.
You also need access to an MLA Style Guide. You must use the MLA documentation style for this class. If you don't have one left over from your 105/109 days (and neither does your roommate), you can get a cheap guide at the bookstore. Others are available on-line; see the General Resources for Online Research Links page.
It is understood that you have a reliable college-level dictionary (in hardcopy).
Finally, because the classroom computers' hard drives are erased regularly, you should have some form of removable media to facilitate saving your web pages. You can use either:
E-mail: you can access webmail sites (such as AOL, Hotmail, Yahoo, etc.) from the classroom. Pros: no removeable media necessary; perfectly portable. Cons: some services add code to your pages, or collapse your well-spaced pages into one long line of code, which can be particularly annoying when you want to pick up where you left off. My recommendation: try it, but be prepared to regress to using a floppy disk.
Floppy disks: buy singly or in packs at the Co-Op. Pros: cheap. Cons: mass-produced and can be unreliable; only hold 1.4 MB max (which is plenty for what we will do in class). If you go this route, don't forget to buy an inexpensive case to protect your time and labor investment.
100 MB Zip Disks: Pros: if you have 'em, just bring 'em; a more sturdy, more reliable option than the floppies. Cons: more expensive, can you buy one at a time? You won't need this much space for class.
250 MB SuperZip Disks: Pros: if you have 'em, just bring 'em; Cons: most expensive option, can you buy one at a time? Will never need that much space for class.
The following are OPTIONAL materials for the course:
Angus J. Kennedy, Rough Guide to the Internet (2002 ed.).
A nice, inexpensive introduction to the Internet, including a walk-through of Netscape and Microsoft Internet Explorer, the ins and outs of e-mail and search engines, and even includes a history of the Web. If you're more of a technology novice, I highly recommend you pick this up (it's around $10). Even if you think you know everything about the Internet, get this book for the "Weird Web" section (good clean fun). Get as much as you can out of this little gem during the semester, then re-gift it to your (grand)parents.
