Moon Over VNWR

By

MoonKitn

of

Content By Niche

Hello Everyone!

For those of you who have told me how much you look forward to the normal board "lowdown" here, I thank you very much for your positive feedback and apologize if you're disappointed to find something a bit different this week. However, those of us who have been around for a while know that VNWR is much more than just a message board and wonderful place for Newbies and more "advanced" webmasters to network and share ideas. This week I've thrown together bit of an outline of what else VNWR has to offer for those new to the board as well as those of us who need to get reacquainted with exactly how much there is to learn here.

This is an introduction to:

"The Newbie Quickstart Guide."
When a raw newbie is welcomed to the board, more often than not posters recommend they go here first and rightly so. Here you will find all the information you will need to get a grip on what it takes to get started in the business. If you're a newbie I highly recommend visiting the guide yourself and browsing each section thoroughly. I have outlined what each section has to offer, but to get the full benefit of this wonderful resource you should soak in each section in its entirety.

VNWR - What it means and Tag info:
General information about VNWR as a community and business and what it takes to earn your community member tag.

Start Making Websites - Info and Links:
Everything you need to know before you make your first site. From making critical first choices regarding hosting, niches, sponsors and content and links to sites where you can learn basic HTML, it's all here. This is definitely the right place to be if you are a raw newbie with no idea how to get started. This is the map you will need to guide you through the beginning of your crusade as an adult webmaster.

Helpful Slang and Terms - Understand Webmasters Posts
We adult webmasters do have our own language and the board jargon can be a little intimidating to those who are new to the business. Heck, terms still come up a lot that leave me scratching my head. If you see a scary looking technical term or strange acronym thrown into a seemingly normal conversation, chances are the definition is here as well as an occasional introduction to general community views on the topic at hand. Of course if you don't find it here, or need further clarification, don't forget that those who post on the board have been in your shoes and this is a community that thrives on assisting one another. Truly, there are no dumb questions.

Helpful Color Code Chart - For Building Professional Looking Sites:
Having trouble picking out colors for your site? This is a nice display of colors and the corresponding code to make your choices quick and easy. Yet another helpful tool to implement into your daily routine of working "smarter not harder."

Networking and Posting - Important webmaster info
Here you will find the definition of Networking as well as how to Network, examples of different Networking utilities, and proper Networking etiquette. If you are unsure about making that first post, or have made it and didn't get the result you were looking for this is the page to visit. In my opinion, as a raw newbie one of your most valuable assets is your ability to Network effectively. Opening up the lines of communication is often a very difficult first step. We all know how scary it is to make that first post or contact someone you don't know well for the first time. But we have all been there, and we are all still here and I don't think there is anyone that comes to VNWR that regrets making that first post. Just ask Sarettah. ;)

Tutorials by newbies for newbies
OK, whose the idiot who said newbies don't know anything? This is where they are proved wrong! In all seriousness. This resource page is a perfect example of why VNWR is such a success. Community members have provided one another with helpful articles and tutorials which they wrote themselves on subjects ranging from building different kinds of pages to .htaccess, image optimization, consoles, working with popular programs and just about anything else you can come up with. The real bonus? Because these articles are written by newbies for newbies, they are in terms you can understand, and if you don't you will find the authors on the board ready to answer any questions that may arise.

Basic Free Site Building - Step by Step
A detailed step by step guide to making your first free site. Voltar lays it all out for you with detailed explanations and illustrations. This tutorial is more than just an introduction to free site building. This is an invaluable walk through that gives you the basic foundation of knowledge that you will need in all of your building endeavors. If you are a raw newbie that has never built anything this is the first step in learning to build to make money.

Basic TGP Gallery Building - Step by Step
This tutorial walks hand in hand with the Basic Free Site Building tutorial. Not only does this tutorial give you the information you need to build a basic gallery page, it also explains selling techniques and some general rules you will need to follow when TGPing.

Learn the HTML code to make a site in an Hour
You want to be an adult webmaster? You really should learn this. HTML is not hard to learn and this tutorial makes learning the basics fast and easy. You will hear a lot of debate about the importance of learning HTML. I very rarely entitle webmasters to my opinion on such things unless asked, but I will this one time for the record. LEARN HTML. The effort is minimal compared to the advantages knowing this simple language affords you. Yes, there are programs and such that allow you to build pages without knowing the language, but if you don't know it I completely believe you will only proceed so far. Worst case scenario in my mind? There will come a time when you will see a page built on the web you are interested in, and if you don't know the basics of what makes it tick you will be left in the cold unless you resort to the despicable act of code stealing in which case you end up scorned, ridiculed and banned most likely by more than just the webmaster you ripped off and his ethical friends, but by other UNETHICAL webmasters who have no problem stealing your cool stolen code for themselves and not listing you anyway, cuz lets face it, if its that cool and they can't make it themselves they're just going to take it and why would they list your site when it just competes with the neat new one they will be making with the stolen code they stole from you? *deep breath* < /run-on-sentence> < /rant>(BTW, if you want to know what I mean by that last tongue-in-cheek chicken scratch ... learn HTML.)

*disclaimer -- the preceding statements are my OPINIONS and aren't in any way meant to imply that those who don't know HTML are cheaters. I know better than that. This was a cynical commentary on the importance of learning HTML that was meant to make a point in a FUNNY yet ENLIGHTENING way. If you're offended... LIGHTEN UP! ;)

Your First Domain - How to set up it's infrastructure.
When you set up your first domain on free hosting you will learn the importance of directory structure. Voltar once again provides the basics right here in black and white for you with helpful illustrations included.

Voltar's Past Newbie Projects - Some are very advanced, caution!
Every week Voltar offers VNWR a new "Newbie Project of the Week (NPOW)." Each one takes you step by step through building, marketing and linking techniques that will make you money. Although each project is laid out and illustrated so its easy to understand, they each also encourage development of your own webmastering style and provide you with many opportunities to "think outside the box" to develop your own projects and use multiple projects together. Look through the list. I have no doubt you will find a project that intrigues you and draws you in until there's no turning back. Its easy to see why Voltar is thanked so enthusiastically each week for his latest Newbie Project, no matter what it may be. There is nothing like the sense of pride and accomplishment you will feel upon completion of your NPOW. Except maybe when you realize that the epiphany you had while working on your NPOW has just given you an idea for an even more in depth money making scheme. Or maybe when you're depositing the money that keeps rolling in as a result of the Newbie Project that inspired that money making scheme... or... well, you get the point. ;)