In this issue:

PARTNERS AND SPONSORS
1. Webmasters: want Free dynamic content for your site?
2. Developing for the web?

NETWORK ANNOUNCEMENTS
3. Note From the Editor: Announcing a New Ezine Feature
4. A1Javascripts.com: Archive Updates
5. PerlAccess: New Tutorials Added
6. 123webmaster.com: 3000 Resources Reached!
7. Looking for Submissions

WEEKLY FEATURE
8. Using Tables as a Strategic Sales Tool

READER FEEDBACK
9. Feedback About: Last week's article

DEVELOPER TALES
10. A Stone, Alone: Part IV - The Deception

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PARTNERS AND SPONSORS
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1. Webmasters: want Free dynamic content for your site?
http://x.moreover.com/123webmaster/wizpop.htm
In one minute, put the latest news headlines on your site...in any topic! Always fresh, fully customizable, totally free! Big Resources has partnered with Moreover.com the world's most comprehensive online news aggregation service, to provide you with the Big Resources WebFeed Wizards. With the wizards, you can choose from almost 1,000 different newsfeed categories or create your own! You can then match the look and feel of your site. Paste the webfeed JavaScript code seamlessly into your website and keep your visitors coming back.

Now available in Stone, or April flavors! 

Stone: http://x.moreover.com/123webmaster/wizpop.htm
April: http://x.moreover.com/a1javascripts/wizpop.html

(Stone and April are copyrighted mascots of The Big Resources Network)

2. Developing for the web?
Need the latest HTML, XML, ASP, and JavaScript code, content, and insights ASAP?  
How would you like it all for FREE?!?  Check out the Web Development section 
of EarthWeb’s IT online community at 
To visit click: http://www.fresherimage.com/rank/out.cgi?earth

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NETWORK ANNOUNCEMENTS
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3. Note From the Editor: Announcing a New Ezine Feature
I'm pleased to announce a new Ezine feature starting this week called "Reader Feedback". Often after our weekly mailing I receive some insightful feedback about our Network Ezine, and from now on whenever I feel that the feedback I receive is worth sharing, I'll do just that. You can check out the "Reader Feedback" section near the bottom of the Ezine between "Weekly Feature" and "Developer Tales". Keep in mind though, that this new section may not appear every week, only when I feel that the feedback I receive about the previous weeks Ezine has been worth sharing. If you have any feedback about this Ezine, you can contact me at: jason@bigresources.com to give me your input. You might just get published!

4. A1JavaScripts: Archive Update
http://www.a1javascripts.com
Ian McDonald has updated A1JavaScripts.com this week with several new scripts. Included in the mix are:

JavaScript PreLoader:
http://www.a1javascripts.com/essential_scripts/preloader.html

Monthly BackGround Changer:
http://www.a1javascripts.com/page_effects/bgchangerformonth.html

Colored Scroll Bars:
http://www.a1javascripts.com/page_effects/coloredscrollbars.html

Scrolling Time:
http://www.a1javascripts.com/time_related/scrollingtime.html

And a new DHTML script called OverLib:
http://www.a1javascripts.com/dhtml/page_effects/overlib.html

The OverLib script creates cool worded text boxes on image mouseover, and is used on many large sites such Intel, and even the KoRn website!

5. PerlAccess: New Tutorials Added
http://www.perlaccess.com
Looking to learn .htaccess? If not, you should be. Jacob A. Wheeler has added several new .htaccess tutorials to PerlAccess this week. Using the power of .htaccess you can prevent bandwidth theft from hotlinkers, redirect users when they encounter 403 and 404 errors, and password protecting directories on your server. 

Check out the updates directly at:
http://www.perlaccess.com/tutorials/File_and_Directory/Htaccess/

6. 123webmaster.com: 3000 Resources Reached!
http://www.123webmaster.com
Well, it finally happened, 123webmaster.com has finally broken 3000 links in it's directory. Among some big improvements in the directory you'll find a skeleton PHP category which will be built up heavily in the next few months, and a much improved Sponsors sub category (off the main category Commerce Center). The Sponsors category now contains many sub categories of sponsorship types including CPM, CPC, CPA, Pop Ups, Mailing List Programs, Variety Programs, and Search Box Programs. You can check out this much improved sub category directly via the link below:
http://www.123webmaster.com/Commerce_Center/Sponsors/

7. Looking for Submissions
We're looking for original articles, and product review submissions to be featured in both our Ezine, and on http://www.123webmaster.com. If you feel that you are a talented web writer, and are knowledgeable with website promotion, webmaster tools, graphic design, webmaster tips, or web scripting (any language) then please send your article submissions to jason@bigresources.com. 

All approved articles will be published with full credit to their author (including a link, email address, and any other information that you would like included), and will be read by over 40,000 webmasters. Submit today, and get published!
I'd like to thank our most recent contributor, Candice Pardue of http://www.webmastercourse.com, for this week's feature: Using Tables as a Strategic Sales Tool.

Jason M. DesRoches
jason@bigresources.com
Editor In Chief, Big Resources Ezine.

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WEEKLY FEATURE
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8. Using Tables as a Strategic Sales Tool
by Candice Pardue 
http://www.webmastercourse.com

If you're designing your own website using tables, you'll reap many benefits. Probably the greatest being web page organization. 
Below you'll learn two design techniques that will help turn your tables into a strategic sales tool. 

Why Tables? 
Tables have helped me to do the following while designing my website: 
1. Establish organization. 
2. Create sections on my web pages that are neat and uniform. 
3. Build a unique sales presentation with direction. 
With tables, I've been able to build an effective site that gets results, and you can too! 
Below are a couple of table tips to help you design a customer-oriented site for web success: 

Table Tip One - The Two-Column Web Page 
What I mean by "two-column" is to divide your table into two columns - one for your text writing, and one for your navigation bar. 
Which side your navigation bar will be on is up to you, but it is recommended that your side navigation bar be located on the left for the best results. The reason for this is that a person's eyes are generally drawn to the right of a page (even when online). So, you can see why it would be wise to have your "headline" and sales presentation to the right. 
However, if you're operating a site that's very similar to a mail order catalog with many products, you'll want to place your side navigation bar on the right. Have you ever noticed that most mail order catalogs have their listing indexes on the right-hand side of the pages? And, since your site will attract the same type of customers, you'll want to keep your web page looking close to what they're accustomed to seeing in the catalogs. 
Table Tip Two - The 600 Pixels Rule 

What's the 600 pixels rule? It's very simple. I discovered quickly that my web pages did not appear the same on every computer system available. And, because I have no control over which system my "potential" customers will use to view my site, I changed my table sizing to be "system" friendly. By making the overall "width" of your table 600 pixels, you'll have a much better chance of your website looking decent on various computer systems. 
Some people online use big screens, some small and some have special set-ups where space is limited for online viewing. 

A safe table width size for your web pages is 600 pixels. This size will help prevent your site from looking distorted on systems that are different than your own. I haven't had any complaints since I changed my table sizes to 600 pixels. But, before the re-sizing, I had several people to email me with complaints about my site's design. 
These two tips alone have helped my website tremendously! I've tried other techniques of design, but found that these methods get positive results. 
Give them a try!. 

To view this article online, please visit:
http://www.123webmaster.com/Articles/Using_Tables.html

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READER FEEDBACK
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9. Feedback About: Last week's article 

This week's feedback is courtesy of:
Nick Bishop
http://www.bigfoot.com/~nick4mony/

I found your weekly feature "Checking Your Site in Both Browsers by Candice Pardue 
(*Published Dec 12, 2000 in Big Resources #6, Vol II:
http://www.bigresources.com/Ezine/Ezine_6_Vol_II.html)
to be quite interesting. However I think there are a few more things that could have been mentioned in that article

1. Try viewing your site with graphics OFF. What does it look like? Is there enough meaningful information left on the page? Do you have ALT=attributes on your graphics tags?

2. Try viewing your site with Javascript OFF. What does it look like then? Can you make alternative arrangements for such a browser, or print up a message saying "Javascript required?"

3. You should also run your pages through a web validator. Try weblint ( http://www.weblint.org/ ), and there's quite a few others out there.

4. "Checking your site in Both Browsers" Both? It should be "Checking your site in As Many Browsers as you possibly can".

Try these browsers 1. Amaya (Sun Solaris platform). This is very good because it will lay out the structure of a web page and highlight errors. Also, if there is a mistake, it is sure to look REALLY BAD (visually speaking).

2. I-CAB (Macintosh). This has a green smiley face which turns into a yellow frown or a red sad face when html errors are encountered.

3. Lynx (linux & unix). Text only browser. This doesn't support tables, so use it to find out what your tables look like in such a browser. Little tricks like <br> at the end of each cell can help here.

3a. Bobcat (dos) is a lynx clone.

4. Emacs (linux/unix, and possibly DOS). Text only browser supporting tables.

5. Netroad, Chello, older versions of Netscape/IE, and anything else you find.

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DEVELOPER TALES
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10. A Stone, Alone: Part IV - The Deception
by Jason M. DesRoches

**This week we continue our saga with Part IV of our webmaster Stone's storyline "A Stone, Alone"**

"Wizard", Stone says, "I would very much like to have your help. How may I prove my worth to you, so that you would help me to build these paths to my oracle"?

A dark grin comes over the strange old wizard's face. "Excellent Ssstone", says the wizard, guardian of the Gemini oracle, "I will help your oracle grow large and powerful. I do not help many oraclesss, but each that I have hasss grown to be among the largessst in the foressst. You mussst trussst everything that I tell you Ssstone. Firssst Ssstone, you mussst build paths from your oracle to mine. You mussst build many pathsss to my oracle Ssstone, and I will help yoursss grow".

"Wizard", speaks Stone, "I can build these paths for you. My oracle provides many paths to fruitful places throughout the forest, I will get started."

"Wait Ssstone", gasps the wizard, "There isss more that you mussst do. You mussst build your pathsss at the gate of your oracle, you mussst send to me many who visssit your oracle if you want me to help you grow your oracle Ssstone."

"The gate!??!?", Exclaims Stone, "If I build your path at my gate wizard, then those who visit my oracle may not find what will truly help them."

"Do not worry Ssstone, I will help you make your oracle powerful and huge. After you build thessse pathsss to me, I will build pathsss to you. I will build them in the bessst ssspotsss that I have Ssstone". Says the wizard.

"Then you will build paths to me from your gate as well Wizard?" Inquires Stone?

"No Ssstone", replies the wizard, "I do not build any pathsss from my gate, but I have ssspots within my oracle that so many visssit, that more will sssee your oracle then they would from any gate of any oracle."

*End Part IV*
Will the Stone benefit from allying himself with the old wizard? Will the wizard do as he promised? Only one way to find out. Be here next week for part V of A Stone, Alone.

Sssend feedback to: jason@bigresources.com

Lost? Check out the full storyline by catching up on some past Ezines:
http://www.bigresources.com/Ezine/Ezine_4_Vol_II.html 
http://www.bigresources.com/Ezine/Ezine_5_Vol_II.html
http://www.bigresources.com/Ezine/Ezine_6_Vol_II.html

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