I have recently upgraded to the web development package from
Macromedia which includes Dreamweaver MX and Fireworks MX. Fireworks
is a nice way to build graphics for a Web page and export the
graphics and html code to Dreamweaver.  Of course, I have been a
longtime fan of Macromedia products.

I have some issues with FrontPage. Some of the code -- especially
hover buttons -- do not work on Mac OS X, not even in Internet
Explorer.  FrontPage includes way too much coding to do simple tasks
such as creating a list, setting font style and sizes, and paragraph
breaks.

With all that, I have to admit that there are times when I recommend
FrontPage.  A small organization may have a secretary or a volunteer
trying to maintain a small web site. The person maintaining the site
may not be a computer person, but can do okay with Microsoft Office
products.  In this case, there is a low learning curve and
maintenance is easy.  It is also easy to set up a small access
database (with one table) to run on the Web.  Of course, there are
some security issues here and maintaining an IIS server can be a
fulltime job. I call the FrontPage solution the path of least
resistance. Anything beyond a basic level requires some investment in
expertise, such as asp scripting to work with databases that have
more than one table.

If an organization is going to invest any time and effort in a Web
site, Dreamweaver is the way to go. There are some other products
such as GoLive that are also very good. Some of the new tools in
Dreamweaver make managing sites easier than ever.

Once again, the goals of the organization and the goals for the Web
site should drive the decision.

John


>I agree with Steven.  I am a curator, but also maintain and build our
>website along with 10 others.  I teach FrontPage at the local community
>college, but would never use it personally.  I use Dreamweaver UltraDev.  It
>is a little more expensive, but you can get a non-profit discount.
>
>I am often having to "fix" problems that are caused by people using
>FrontPage.
>
>David Lynx
>on 6/12/02 8:30 AM, Steven Allison-Bunnell at [log in to unmask] wrote:
>
>>  As a professional Web developer, I cannot strongly enough advise against
>>  Front Page. It may be easy, but it creates poor-quality code that can cause
>>  trouble both for users and later development efforts. If it's the difference
>>  between getting nothing on the web at all, then maybe it's worth it.
>>
>>  Otherwise, for a site you intend to put any effort into and maintain over
>>  the long term, a professional tool like Macromedia Dreamweaver, which is now
>>  a very mature and user-friendly tool, is far more appropriate.
>>
>>  On 6/12/02 8:47 AM, "Brian Bray" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>>
>>>  For beginners Microsoft Frontpage is an easy way to develop a
>>>simply website.
>>>  Even though you are limited with what you can do, it is as easy
>>>as creating a
>>>  word document.
>>>
>>>
>>
>>  -------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>  Steven Allison-Bunnell
>>  Senior Producer & Writer ~ Educational Web Adventures
>>  533 Blaine St., Missoula, MT 59801-4118
>>  voice 406-829-3876 ~ fax 309-273-3718
>>  [log in to unmask] ~ http://www.eduweb.com
>  > -------------------------------------------------------------------------
>

--
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------+
John Chadwick, Ed.D.
Sr. Web Developer/educational technology specialist
Arizona K-12 Center
Northern Arizona University -- Central Phoenix Office
2715 N. Third Street, Suite 210
Phoenix, Arizona 85004
E-mail: [log in to unmask]
http://azk12.nau.edu
602-728-9522 or direct line: 602-776-4608

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