I Am So Frustrated!

[Feralpeg]

I spent 30 years of my life working in the IT industry. Over the years, I was a systems analyst, a programmer and a systems manager working on large mainframe computer systems. So, WHY AM I COMPLETELY INEPT AT WEBSITE DESIGN?

I have been trying to build a new website. It is a rather complicated website. It contains about 15 pages and links to multiple tables within an Access database. I need to be able to read and write to the database. I need to be able to compute totals to display. And, I need to be able to tie to Paypal.

I have this huge manual I've been using which I'm about ready to toss out the window. I am using Frontpage 2003. It is a great tool, but so many of the things I want to do I cannot test until I upload the website. I don't want to upload it. I have no idea if it will work! ARGH!

Why is it that kids everywhere can figure out how to do complicated websites and I am a total failure?

I'm so ashamed!

 

[icebrat001]

I know several people in the IT industry and they have the same struggles as you.

 

[escape]

Why do you have to upload it? Can you not test it through a preview window in Front Page?

 

[Feralpeg]

Why do you have to upload it? Can you not test it through a preview window in Front Page?

No. To access the database I have to upload it to a server with ASP code interfaces.

 

[DisneyArk]

I can relate! I'm a great programmer/systems analyst for a mainframe system. But I struggle to setup a web site.

I really need to take a class. But I'm scared that I'll look really stupid next to the 12 year old kids who are great at that.

Good luck! Hopefully you'll figure it out soon.

 

[disneymom3]

I can understand your frustration vicariously. DH is a programmer and actually did a stint as a website designer as well. Many days and nights of cursing and mutterings happen around here. Good luck!!

 

[Towncrier]

I am using Frontpage 2003. It is a great tool...

I've never heard FrontPage and great tool used in the same context. All I can say is "good luck". It's funny how a poorly written application can make you feel like a noob.

 

[Duchie]

My DH swears by .Net. Says it has totally changed how he and his company manage their web sites. He keeps encouraging me to learn it but I just can't find the time to sit down with it. Maybe one day.......

By the way, you sound like me. Many many years in IT, worked my way up to a manager of a large system. I've done web sites before, but simple ones. One day I'll get into the more complicated kind......

 

[GoofieRuthie]

Well, you're ages ahead of me, if that makes you feel better. lol My DD13 shows ME how to use Word and how to set up a basic web page. My husband has his own website, but I think he uses HTML, nothing fancy. I really admire anyone that is so computer savvy. I know my way around a computer but most of the jargon goes right over my head. My brother in law is in IT for the state and he has issues with websites too. Good luck to you though. I can only imagine how frustrating it is.

 

[Tigger_Magic]

I've never heard FrontPage and great tool used in the same context. All I can say is "good luck". It's funny how a poorly written application can make you feel like a noob.

FrontPage is a tool alright... exactly what it is "great" at is open for debate. I agree with Towncrier; FP can make even the most experienced web designer feel like a complete nerd. It's the nature of the beast. There are better and much easier tools, although it sounds like this is your company's choice. Don't beat yourself up over having to use a saw to hammer a nail.

 

[JCJRSmith]

Any chance you can copy the data to a test server and try it there? How about using Virtual PC or VMWare Workstation (Virtual PC is the less expensive of the two)?

 

[Patch'sD]

First off for thirty years, you have been following the model, test, test, and test some more. And anything that you uploaded for final production worked and worked right. Today in the Microsoft World, the model is get into production now and fix it later. I don't know how many times I watched the E-mail Server or Labor Collection system come down during the production day, for Emergency Maintenance. Christ, if we did that 20 years ago we would all be fired.

 

[Feralpeg]

First off for thirty years, you have been following the model, test, test, and test some more. And anything that you uploaded for final production worked and worked right. Today in the Microsoft World, the model is get into production now and fix it later. I don't know how many times I watched the E-mail Server or Labor Collection system come down during the production day, for Emergency Maintenance. Christ, if we did that 20 years ago we would all be fired.

Isn't that the truth! I am doing this for my home based business. I should probably take a class or admit defeat and hire someone to do it. My pride is telling me that I should be able to do this. I have found that I get less frustrated if I work on it during the day. By evening, I have no patience!

 

[ducklite]

I've never heard FrontPage and great tool used in the same context. All I can say is "good luck". It's funny how a poorly written application can make you feel like a noob.

How very true.

The ONLY thing that Frontpage does well is convert a Word document in a unicode language to HTML without losing formatting. In fact it's the ONLY product on the market which can do this. At my last job I built web sites for branch offices worldwide, including China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, etc. Most of those were dual language English/native. The branch would send the content in Word, and I can't say that I can read Chinese. Saving as an html file in Word didn't work because it added all sorts of junk code, and when you are working in Unicode, the alst thing you need is junk cluttering things up. Copying the Word doc onto a blank FP page, then cutting and pasting the HTML into Dreamweaver was a perfect time and headache saving solution.

Peg, unfortunately you're facing two issues. The first is Db connectivity, the second is the Frontpage "bots" which basically are for the most part javascript or cgi calls which are built into the architecture and work server side, not client side. That's why pages built in FP usually don't work on servers that aren't loaded with FP extensions--unless the programmer avoided all FrontPages capabilities and used exclusively static html code on the page.

Two options--does your web host company have a sandbox you can upload to and test? Next is put it out and pray.

I am proficient in Dreamweaver (all versions), GoLive!, and FrontPage, plus have used a few others, and for the most part, have found the Dreamweaver product to be the best. My favorite version is by far UltraDev, although I'm currently using MX. You might want to look into that for future projects.

Anne

 

[Disney Ella]

I found FrontPage very frustrating and not very logical, at least my idea of logical. DH likes Dreamweaver.

 

[Feralpeg]

Anne,

Thank you for the information. I've always leaned toward Microsoft produts because that was what my company used. I've had no experience with the others, but I'm certainly willing to learn. I will check out your recommendations. It can't be any worse than where I am.

I hate to admit this, but I was trying to avoid learning html. I thought Frontpage could shield me from this. At this stage in my life, I have no aspirations of doing anything grand regarding web design. I just wanted to get a website up for my business that would make life easier. Of course, short cuts usually never pan out. I guess it is time to bite the bullet and actually try to learn the basics behind what I'm trying to do.

 

[ducklite]

Anne,

Thank you for the information. I've always leaned toward Microsoft produts because that was what my company used. I've had no experience with the others, but I'm certainly willing to learn. I will check out your recommendations. It can't be any worse than where I am.

I hate to admit this, but I was trying to avoid learning html. I thought Frontpage could shield me from this. At this stage in my life, I have no aspirations of doing anything grand regarding web design. I just wanted to get a website up for my business that would make life easier. Of course, short cuts usually never pan out. I guess it is time to bite the bullet and actually try to learn the basics behind what I'm trying to do.

Peg,

Let me know if you get really stuck and I'll try to help you out. I'll be the first to admit my FP is rusty, but I'd be happy to see what I can do for you. If you get it up and want some QA/Usability testing I'd be happy to do that as well.

Anne

 

[WebmasterAlex]

We use Dreamweaver for all the boards and wdwinfo. No pro web designer I have ever heard of uses FP. There must be a reason

 

[Disney_1derland]

Another Dreamweaver fan here. FP NEVER got me where I needed to be and I wound up frustrated. Switched to Dreamweaver and had my site up and running in a week. And that's coming from a background which involves no programming at all and only a very basic knowledge of html!

 

[dcentity2000]

I cheat and use RapidWeaver



Rich::