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PHP,  ASP, ASP.net, HTML, JavaScript ?????? Which should I know & where is the best place to learn?

You should be able to modify some simple source code and to do that it would bee beneficial to either have a reference book or know which web sites you can visit to get the answers.

While you can make a complete web site without having to know a single line of code if you want to be able to add some extra functionality (like add a Google map or like our newsletter sign up).  Both would require being able to use some very simple HTML code as they both use an IFrame to load the information into a page.

That being said where should you start?


Probably HTML would be the best place to start as you will not need to learn as much of it when you use an editor.  To start learning HTML you can get a great reference book like the one featured here.

I used the previous version when I first started out and found the Visual Quickstart Guide one of the best and easiest reference books available.  This by far is a very important addition to your arsenal. Especially now that it contains full CSS and XHTML support.  For more information on this book please click here

After learning a little bit about HTML it would be a good idea to familiarize yourself with JavaScript and how to modify simple scripts to get them to function for you and your web site needs.

A couple of examples where JavaScript is commonly used in in Form verification (Ever submit a form and forget a required field?) or using it to hide your email address from SPAM bots.

I never really found a book as useful for me on JavaScript as I did a web site that contains tons of scripts and tutorials on how to use JavaScript.  While there is a JavaScript and Ajax for the Web, Sixth Edition: Visual QuickStart Guide I find it just as easy to use http://javascript.internet.com/

At this point you have more than enough to create user engaging web sites (The HTML for formatting how the page looks, the JavaScript for adding functionality to your page).

However to get the most out of a web site you should learn or get a working understanding of a programming language, there are many including a whole handful that haven't even been mentioned here.  However some of the very basic are:

PHP (Personal Home Pages) - Runs on all servers (both Linux and Windows). This is the first one I had learned as the software is free and the Linux servers were quite a bit cheaper at the time.  

While it was not very difficult to learn and the server works great we do not hand code into PHP anymore.  However originally learning the code language has helped over the years to tweak scripts that I could easily download for free.

ASP (Active Server Pages) - Mostly runs on a Windows Internet Information Server (IIS), however some companies have made some ASP applications and software that will let you run some of this programs on a Linux server. (Generally with a lot of effort and it still is not the same as using a windows machine.  

When we started working with ASP it was a better alternative than PHP and was mostly used for Enterprise level companies. With ASP we were able to make database driven web sites and Internet applications.  This was a great language for many years, while a working knowledge of it would be helpful in working on some older scripts ASP is no longer the Microsoft recommended.

.NET (Asp.net) - So where does that leave us as we move into 2009 and beyond? Well the one language I would learn ASP.net.  It is the latest dynamic language released by Microsoft for creating interactive web sites.

The .NET Framework is Microsoft's comprehensive and consistent programming model for building applications that have visually stunning user experiences, seamless and secure communication, and the ability to model a range of business processes.

Microsoft has released many FREE tools for using this software.

MLM, Network Marketing, Affiliate Programs, SPAM- How do you make money online?

Well, you can make money on the internet, generally it is not a Get Rich Quick scenario but more so either Get Rich Over Time With Hard Work or make a modest side income to help supplement your daily life.

So let's say you are ready to start exploring earning some extra money or starting some sort of business, where should you start with all the promises of easy money on the internet.

Well for starters lets focus on an online business model as it is the cheapest and easiest for you to run, if you are new at self-employment.

When running an online business some fo your choices may be:

       * Selling services online
         (like web sites and hosting).

       * Selling information
         (like a how-to manual, e-books, recipies)

       * Selling digital goods
         (eg. software you write or buy resell rights for)

       * Selling hard goods
         (retail products online, selling on ebay)

What you DO NOT WANT TO DO  is get involved with MLM (Multi-Level Marketing) generally you make money on MLM by bring more people into the program to be in a downline and you make money when they bring more people in. 

The biggest problem with MLM is to make money you need to bring in the new people, it is the business, they really do not have a product, or  a weak product that isn't proven and the key is to hype it to new people to recruit them and take their money.  It is then put back into the system to pay those above you.

It is essentially a Pyramid or Ponzi Scheme and sometimes even borders on or is illegal, the

US Federal Trade Commission has a lot of information on MLM, Pyramid Scheme, Ponzi and more.

Something that is worthwhile to look into is becoming an affiliate for companies that sell real goods and services and are looking for people to help them market their products for very low up front costs. 

Essentially you become a commission salesperson for the company and every qualified lead you send them you get paid something when they purchase from the merchant.

WebmasterNotRequired.com has an affiliate program

To insure our affiliate program is legitimate and run professionally we actually outsource our affiliate program to Click2Sell a company dedicated to running and managing affiliate programs world-wide. 
For more information on Click2Sell click here

Regardless of what you decide to do to make money online you MUST NOT SPAM.

So what is SPAM?

SPAM is unsolicited commercial email or unsolicited bulk email. While not only is SPAMMING annoying (we have all had some by now), uses up bandwidth and can be offensive to the recipient it is also illegal in many jurisdictions and can cost you plenty of money in fines and possibly PRISON TIME

For Full Details on SPAM Click Here

How should you pick a good Domain Name for your online business or web site? 

For starters you should concentrate on one of three paths you can take:

1. Pick your company name if it is still available, however  this is harder and harder everyday as you will most likely need a unique business name to start with.  Examples of this type of doman name:

2. Pick a domain name that describes something about your business, for example if you wanted to run a local tree trimming business in Your Town you might find something like:

www.YourTownTreeTrimming.com
www.YourTownTreeFalling.com
www.YourTownTreeAndHedge.com

This is the path that was taken with our web site WebmasterNotRequired.com which basically lets a person know that they will not require a high priced webmaster or developer to get a web site up and running. Also using this method will help you place better in search engines if your keywords are in your domain name.

3. Pick something brand able:

Examples here would be:

www.Yahoo.com
www.Google.com
www.Travelocity.ca

CLICK HERE TO START SEARCHING FOR A DOMAIN NAME NOW

Ok, Now that I have a marketing list how do I email it without being flagged for SPAM?