In case you're wondering how you can get a handle on this HTML stuff and become a full-fledged "Web developer," here are Aunt Mary's suggestions:

• Check out the Beginners' Tips. If you're a newbie, you'll find little tidbits here that can keep you out of trouble and get you off to a good start.

• Take a course. You'll find your path much smoother if a teacher holds your hand as you take your first trembling steps. It's so much nicer to ask a person than to look something up in a book. (If you're a typical computer user, you probably call all your friends before you resort to looking up something in the manual! Right?)

• Enjoy free online tutorials. Take advantage of the wealth of free tutorials on the Web. Just click on the "Tutorials" menu option in the left panel.

• Get a book (or books) on HTML and Web page design. If it's not convenient to take a course, get some books. The computer stores carry a dizzying array of them. Pick ones that seems to suit your needs. You'll find books on creating Web architecture, graphics, CGI scripts, JavaScript, Active Server Pages, or anything else you're curious about.

  Be sure that any book you get defines the HTML 3.0 and 4.0 codes, with indications of which codes are "safe" to use in older browsers. The 4.0 codes are the latest that have now been approved by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), the body that officially sets standards for the Web, but you'll find that not all browsers support all the latest approved codes, so if you want to be absolutely sure your Web pages will display properly in such browser as Netscape 4x, concentrate on learning codes that even the older browsers can interpret (HTML 3.2 or earlier).

• Get an HTML editor. Keep in mind that HTML code is simply ASCII text, and the old-timers simply clacked it out in a text editor. Which means that Windows folks could use Notepad and Mac aficionados could use Simple Text. Or you could create a page in any of the Microsoft Office97 products and instantly convert them to HTML. But most folks find it makes things easier to use an HTML editor. See "Which HTML editors are best—WYSIWYG or non-WYSIWYG?"

• Start building Web pages. You will only learn by doing. You could start by finding a Web page you like, copying it to your hard drive and messing around with it. Look at how it was done and adapt the code to your needs. By imitating the work of expert Web designers, you'll soon develop your own style.

• Subscribe to a list. After you've gotten comfortable with your ability to put a Web page together (that wasn't really so hard, was it?), subscribe to one of the many lists for Web developers. They come in all flavors. There are lists for newbies and experienced developers. There are lists for those who specialize in JavaScript, Java, CGI, graphics, animation. Each major software application has one or more lists. You name it, there's a list for it. Lists are where folks ask questions, give answers, and generally share information. You'll find some lists on the Youngstown State University site and the Yahoo e-Groups site.

• Use a validator to check your code. As you work on your Web site, use a "validator" to analyze your code and tell you what's wrong with it. Some HTML editors include a validator. Some (such as Dreamweaver) even tell you which browsers will and will not display your code properly. Fortunately, there are free validation services, such as W3C HTML Validation Service and the Backward Compatibility Viewer.