Progress Log

This is an ongoing rambling account, although not always a thorough one, of how this page developed.

  This page has been constructed to help me learn html.It
will be my project this summer to experiment with html to 
learn the different ways that I can improve and enhance a 
web page's appearance.My first experience with editing a web 
page in HTML was on 6\19\99 adding a counter to the start 
page.Maybe not Neil Armstrong landing on the Moon but still

                "One small step for a man...".
Today,6\27\99,the much awaited merger of Yahoo! and GeoCities was completed.I am continuing my project of manipulating this page by seeing what use of different HTML tags will accomplish.If anyone reading this page has any input on what I might do to enhance this page PLEASE let me know!
7\1\99 I have changed the color of the background on the page as well as the color of the links.I created a subdirectory and uploaded a file to it. I will work on creating an internal link so that the file in subdirectory can be accessed from main page.As always I'm looking for new ideas to try. Anyone know how to record music to use as a background for the page?
7\2\99 I have completed seperate pages for the Links and Progress Log and will put connecting and return links to/from the start page.
7\4\99 There are now 3 sub-directories with their own pages.My goal is to create a web site that has the feel of an electronic book with the start page being the table of contents and the sub-directories being the chapters.
7\5\99 I have now added background color and re-formatted the text position and size in the sub-directories.In saving the MS Word files to HTML the centering of titles as well as all indentation of paragraphs is lost.To present a truly professional looking web page it will be necessary to make adjustments of all text files for such conversion errors.
7/8/99 A new link was added today. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and cosmology so it is only appropriate that I add a link to one of our greatest tools in the advancement of this cause,the Hubble Space Telescope.
7/11/99 I have found a way,albeit a cumbersome one,to add indentation to a paragraph that has had such attributes stripped away during conversion from MS Word to HTML. I doubt this is the best solution but as previously stated this is a project for experimentation and growth as learning continues.
7/17/99 Using skills that I developed from creating and updating this page I have now completely redesigned the UNLV SAA page which is available on the Links page.
7/19/99 I am creating a sub-directory to experiment with all the ways that an HTML table can be used on the net to display information. Unfortunately GeoCities seems to be having problems saving files today.
7/21/99 The HTML Demo Table is now up. This will be my major area of concentration for a while as I fine tune this page. I will link each of the thumbnail pics to a different way that information can be presented on a web page. The diversity of the different possible formats will showcase just how valuable a presentation on the web can be.
7/23/99 One of the great unknown truths involving designing web pages is how time consuming all the little details of getting that "just the right look" can be. In the past couple days I've replaced pop-ups with the GeoGuides, added a Guest Book, replaced some of the DemoTable pictures and reset the links for the thumbnails so that the pictures for them need not be duplicated in different files. By outward appearances not all that much changed on the page but about 3 hours each nite was consumed to accomplish these goals.
7/25/99 Yesterday I spent most of the night designing how the DemoTable page should look to convey the concept of a progressive display of multimedia.The idea is to go through the slides so that they increasingly show how a web page can produce images that will both inform and be visually pleasing to the internet viewer.The display will begin with merely an expanded version of the thumbnail and go through a table that will show an expanded version of the the thumbnail as well as links to related sites on the net(the ULTIMATE multimedia show!).
7/29/99 I'm now working on my most challenging task so far. For one of the thumbnails on the DemoTable I'm going to post both a picture of the surface of Mars as well as a bar graph depicting surface temperatures. There have been a few problems finding the best way to convert both items to a format readable in HTML but I have found a rough method that I will work on perfecting.
7/30/99 After 3 days of trying different ways of putting both the bar graph and the picture together I finally was able to put the bar graph on PowerPoint and then save the slide as a "jpg" file. I then uploaded both "jpg" files and put them side by side using a table format.
8/1/99 Building on the knowledge gained from creating the bar graph and picture presentation I copied the table used for that and merely replaced the files needed to create a presentation with a picture and spreadsheet. It was necessary to adjust the spreadsheet using the MS photo editor but otherwise went off very smoothly.With each new frame in the DemoTable I am learning how to create based on knowledge I've already learned.
On an unrelated note it requires constant vigilance to keep a web site current and thereby relevant. For some unknown reason the Web site for the Utah Shakespearean Festival is now password protected. No other public access is available so for now I am removing it from the Links Page. This is a shame because this festival is one of my favorite vacation spots and should be shared by all.
8/4/99 This site was created to let me learn and improve my HTML skills and it has certainly afforded me plenty of opportunity to do that. One of my most recent lessons learned is that the number of cells in each row of a table must be equal unless the COLSPAN tag is used and if that is done the stand alone cell is only equal in size to a single cell in the ajoining row. If it is desired to create a cell of equal size to a nearby row then a seperate table must be created. Since the text I've been using had no examples to show this I spent a long time re-sizing the table before figuring out the problem on my own.
8/5/99 Tonight has been a good lesson in just how time consuming constructing a web page can be. I spent a full three hours designing and redesigning a single graph for the shuttle page on the DemoTable. It requires far more time and attention to detail to present a web page that conveys to the viewer the message that the webmaster intends than is immediately apparent.Whenever working with several different software packages care and attention must be exercised at each step of the process to make sure that the desired final product is attained.
8/8/99 The DemoTable is now completed with all 10 thumbnails having expanded multimedia presentations behind them. I will slowly fine tune some of the slides by adjusting font size or perhaps background color but this is the last major project that I'll be working on for a while. School starts again in 3 weeks so my discretionary time will be very limited.
8/11/99 The password protection was removed as suddenly and inexplicably as it appeared on the The Utah Shakespearean Festival so that site has been reinstated to my Links page. For those who have not had the opportunity to enjoy Shakespeare in an authentic setting based on the original Globe Theatre this is a treat not to be missed.
8/22/99 EUREKA!(Why people shout the name of an obscure town in northern Nevada when they discover something is beyond me but it's a convention so I'll continue with it.)I found the HTML code to create indentation.I will go through the text files and introduce the indentation that was stripped away during the conversion from Word files to HTML.Those who are following the development of this site will be able to appreciate how this simple change can improve the visual appeal of a web page.
    Also,added just for fun, I've added a Take My Survey page mostly for purposes of viewer entertainment and involvement. Many thanx to the folks over at Gigapoll for the use of their facilities for that.
8/29/99 The Fall semester starts at UNLV tomorrow, my last as an undergraduate,so updates will be infrequent for some time. There will be updates on the UNLV SAA page for those interested in that area. I will be working on the usage of forms on the web but given the other constaints on my time development of a new section on this site for that pursuit will be slow in coming.
9/9/99 Well the dreaded day came and went without all the predicted systems failures. I suspect Y2K will be much the same. Not really much going on with this site but for those interested in watching a site evolve I am continuing to update the SAA page which is available on the links page.
10/7/99 My Gigapoll account was terminated due to lack of activity so I'm taking it offline. As a webmaster maintaining a site is a constant process of refining and adjusting what you present to the viewing public.
11/25/99 Happy Thanksgiving everyone.Over the next couple days I will be putting up a new addition to the School Assignments page on the Cannondale Corporation that I did for my Bus 495 class. This is a three part analysis covering several areas of the company. As the accounting profession continues to evolve this type of business analysis will slowly replace the traditional image of the accountant as a "bean counter".
12/29/99 After 5 long years I have finally graduated from UNLV. I will begin a CPA review course on Jan. 3rd. Between my preperation for the CPA Exam in May and my regular job updates will continue to be infrequent for some time.In the next week I will be putting up a bio page including some pics of me in my natural habitat.
1/1/2000 WE MADE IT!!!To quote The Bard Y2K was "Much Ado About Nothing". After months of media induced hysteria the non-event has passed,Welcome to the 21st Century.
3/27/00 Updates have been infrequent as of late as I finish my CPA Review course. I'm considering doing a more extensive Webmaster area with a lot more pictures but I think I'll wait till I get a digital camera before I post more pics.
6/7/00 I completed the CPA Review course and sat for the exam last month. I have started my interview process but it is slow going because most Human Resource centers in Las Vegas close by 3PM limiting the time I can go out mostly to Wednesday. On a more web page related note I have been considering for some time how I can expand this web site to make it more interesting. I'm at a bit of creative block at this point so any input would be appreciated.
7/1/00 A new chapter has opened up in my life. Thanks to an offer by an old friend I will be servicing accounts of a bookkeeping and tax service. As part of my association with that firm I have also volunteered to work on friend's web page. I will be making references to my new work which for the present will be on a part-time basis.In the near future my friend's web page will listed on my links page.
7/4/00 Most web pages have certain sections where only regulars get inside information so I'll include some here. As part of helping my friend set up his web page I'm testing what some of the format would look like here. This link shows what a suggested tax newsletter might look like for his clients Tax Newsletter
7/8/00 I'm experimenting with scanning objects and uploading them onto the webpage.I scanned my Army discharge and added a link so that it could be viewed on my About the Webmaster page.
8/3/00 My first month as a working accountant has gone by and the check has hit the bank.I'm enjoying the work a great deal and look forward to the time when I can do it fulltime.
9/10/00 I love learning how to do new things and I finally found out how to create the scrolling banners that run across a web page.In working on my friend's site and looking at how other sites are created I continue to learn and evolve.I have had to teach most of what I know about computers,the Internet and web design myself and sometimes that lack of formal training can be frustrating but each time I pick up a new skill like this I am able to rededicate myself to the task of increasing my design abilities.
9/24/00 I've added a link to show my degree in accounting on the About the Webmaster page
9/29/00 I have now completed 3 months as a working accountant.I have found it is important when working 2 jobs that I set aside time to socialize and unwind from what can otherwise be a very hectic schedule.I've put up a link to show me relaxing at a couple local restaurants when me and my friends are out Socializing
12/30/02 OK so I haven't updated this section in a while but I have valid reason, or at least a passable lame excuse. Anyways since I last posted here I have been on the job for 2 1/2 years now and a lot has happened since I started. One of my diversions from the pressures of keeping the company successful has been to attend my 30 year high school reunion. Here's a pic from that get together. At the Reunion
4/10/06 I've been an accountant for almost 6 years now and have broken off on my own with an office in a new location.The wonderful new landlords at the old property made their first offical act to inform the tenants that they wouldn't be renewing anyone's lease.I had 6 months to go on mine and didn't want to be moving just as I was gearing up for tax season so I moved almost a year ago.
I started a page on MySpace.Com so you can check out more of me there.
8/30/07 I've been out on my own for over 2 years now.Only about a year and a half till I have the business completely paid for.Really looking forward to that.The money has been kind of lean while getting that paid off but once that's done things will be pretty smooth.I got a new fridge and a washer and dryer for the house but other than that I'm trying to keep discretionary spending to a minimum.

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