Email Link, GeoGuide, Guestbook

Since you can create a basic HTML page by scratch, it's time to add the fun stuff like an email link.  Most web sites have an email link to allow the browser to get in contact with you.  Email links are great to have if someone has a question, comment, or concern about your site.   The HTML code for email is just like a link code, but with a few minor adjustments.

<A HREF="mailto:poetspride@geocities.com"> Email Poet <A>

The above code is what I would place in my HTML Page when I'm editing it using the Advanced HTML Editor located in your filemanger.   When viewing my page the code will show up as this:  Email Poet

As you learned in Lesson 6, you can have an image as a link. This also applies to email links.   <A HREF="mailto:poetspride@geocities.com><IMG SRC="mail.gif"></A>

Remember to always add the closing link tag </A> to the end of the coding sentence and the quotation marks around your link and graphic. If your forget to add these to the tags your link will not work.

Place your email address on your page and save it using the email code above.

Geocities has special tools for their homesteaders such as geoguide, guestbook, counters and many more.  These are all optional tools, however they add a great touch to your web site, and helps Geocities to remain the best provider of Free web sites.

The first thing we are going to do is add what is called a "GeoGuide" on our page. The GeoGuide  is a customizable navigational banner that you design. It can help people find your "home on the Web" and provide a launching pad for surfing GeoCities. It also gets ride of the GeoCities pop up adds that appear when you view your page.

To set up your GeoGuide you need to log into your GeoGuide Manager. To the find the Geoguide Manager from your filemanager you would click on "Addons" located on the left hand side of your filemanager log in.  For your convience click the link above to enter the GeoGuide Manager.  

To enter it will ask you for you member name and password.  These are the same as logging into your filemanager.

Once you are logged in, click on the button that says "Create/Modify My GeoGuide" This will put you through the process of setting up your GeoGuide.

This site will give you a list of functions that are and or can be placed on your GeoGuide. Select the options you would like to be placed on your GeoGuide.  Once you've done that click on the "Next Page" button.

The next page will let you set up your color scheme for the top of the GeoGuide.  For this lesson, select the black background with white text.  Below the options for selecting your color scheme is the place to put your email address.  Fill this information out.

Under the email form there is an option to choose what type of banner will be placed under your GeoGuide.  The advertisement banners are random, however you can choose what level banners are suitable for your site.  An example would be if you had a site for kids, you would want to choose Level 1 banners.  If you feel your site is suitable for all ages choose "All Banners", and click on the "Set up My GeoGuide" button.

There are two more steps to do before we complete the process of setting up a GeoGuide.

The first step is placing the actual GeoGuide code onto your HTML Page.  Click on the "Filemanager" button to log into your filemanger.  Once there edit the class.html page using the Advanced HTML Editor.  Go to a new line after the opening body tag. And place the following code

<!--#geoguide-->

After you have done that click on save.  This will return you to your filemanager.  Once there click on "Add Ons" on the left hand side of the page.   Then click on "GeoGuide Manager" to log back in and activate your GeoGuide.

To activate the GeoGuide, click on the "Activate My GeoGuide" button. This will give you a list of html files that have the GoeGuide Code placed on them.  For now Click on the "activate all" button.

Now you're GeoGuide is set up and properly placed on your site, but dont close the screen, we will be using it to set up our new GeoCities Guestbook.

At the top of the page on the left hand side under "Add Ons" you will see a link for "Guestbook"  Click that link to set up your Guestbook.

Now you're looking at the set up page for your guestbook.

Sign in Book

Step 1:  Page Greeting.   When someone signs in your guestbook the entry below will show at the top of the page. You're welcome to change the default greeting to what you would like to welcome your signers with.

Step 2: Choose a background and text color for your sign in book.

Step 3: Fill out the remaining 6 information boxes with the type of information you want your signers to put in.  Examples: Location, Astrology Sign, Favorite (anything), What you like best about this site..etc.

Step 4: Choosing the layout of your information boxes.  I prefer Style #1, but you are free to choose whatever style you like for this lesson.

View Guestbook

Step 1: Choose a background an text color for your view book.

Step 2: Choose the colors for your links and visted links.  

Step 3: This entry will be what is placed in the <TITL> </TITLE> code

Step 4: Choose an internet seperator. These are long thin graphics that will seperate your               page title and the entries

Step 5: Choose an internet seperator that will seperate each guestbook entry.

Step 6: Just like your sign in book, the page title will appear at the top of the page.

Finishing Your Guestbook Setup

Step 1:  Copy the HTML code in the yellow box

Step 2: Click on "Save My Guestbook" button at the bottom.

Step 3: Log into your filemanager.

Step 4: Edit the class.html editor using the Advanced HTML Editor

Step 5:  Place the code you copies right above the closing body tag <BODY>

Step 6:  Save it and Preview it.  You will see text at the bottom to sign in and view your  guestbook.

The text will be displayed like this on your site:

Sign Guestbook View Guestbook

Let's proceed to Lesson 8 to add a few more things to our site.