loading no_name_lo... 1) click on the edit button or link in the menu 2) enter the new page name between square brackets. ex. my new page? 3) save your changes 4) the new page name will appear with a "?" link behind it 5) click on the link and your new page will open in edit mode. OR enter the name for you new page below and click on "make my page"

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Tech toolbox

This page offers some guidance on using web-based tools that I have found helpful. They aren''t necessarily the best tools, but they're the ones I'm familiar with, and they're all free.

The page is organized by topic, with the first several aimed at getting you up and rolling with a website and the rest providing various tools that can help you create, organize, and collaborate.

Getting your own website

You have two options here: using the space Lehigh provides and finding an external host

• Your Lehigh webspace
  • The main page for info about computing at Lehigh is http://www.lehigh.edu/computing/.
    
  • On this page the link to get started with building your website it located at the bottom of the left column: http://www.lehigh.edu/computing/web/building.html
  • Following this link, the first thing you have to do is set up your website.
    • Click the "Setting up your web space" link (left column; http://www.lehigh.edu/computing/web/start.html)
    • The resulting page will walk you through the process.
  • Once you've created your webspace, you're ready to go...get yourself a file transfer program and start building.
• External hosts: What's nice about these is that they come with features like templates and browser-based file transfer.
  
  • If you don't mind paying money, lots of hosting services are available. One service that I have heard good things about is bluehost: http://www.bluehost.com/
  • If, like me, you are averse to paying money, lots of free options exist. They aren't something you'd want to use for professional purposes, but for playing-around-with-it purposes, what the heck:
    • Geocities has been around forever: http://geocities.yahoo.com/
    • Freewebs is something a couple of my students have used in the past: http://members.freewebs.com/

File transfer programs

A file transfer program is used to move files between one computer and another. In your case, you'll move files between Thousands of these exist, and they all behave pretty similarly with varying levels of features. An oldie but goodie for me has been LeechFTP (no longer supported, but available via download.com: http://www.download.com/Leech-FTP/3000-2160_4-10122208.html)

• What it does: Moves files between computers
• Compare to: SSH, SecureFX, Fetch, CuteFTP
• Notes:
  • It will throw up an error message upon starting -- don't worry; just click OK and keep going
  • The interface is pretty old-skool. Don't be thrown off, just experiment
  • Connecting to Lehigh: hit "File" > "Connect" and fill in the following information:
    • host or URL = ws2.cc.lehigh.edu
    • username = (your computing ID)
    • password = (your password)
    • ...once connected, look for the folder titled "webspace" --that's your site
  • More info on connecting to and navigating the Lehigh network is available at http://www.lehigh.edu/computing/web/upload.html.
    

Lehigh has a license for SSH, so you'll find it on many campus computers. You can also download and install it, as long as you have a valid Lehigh computing ID.

• Download: https://www.lehigh.edu/security/download/
• Tutorial on how to use it
  • Multimedia-flavored: screen captures, audio narration, etc: http://www.lehigh.edu/helpdesk/docs/ssh/sshtutorial.html
  • Static (pictures-and-text) version: http://www.lehigh.edu/%7Ewww/make_www/ssh_ftp_web.html.

Webpage editors

Hundreds of these exist. The one I recommend is Kompozer (http://kompozer.net)

• What it does: Creates web pages
  
• Compare to: Netscape Composer, NVu Frontpage, OpenOffice web editor, Dreamweaver
  
• Notes:
  
  • If you're used to using Frontpage or Dreamweaver or OpenOffice, you might want to stick with that. If you're currently using Netscape Composer, I'd advise you to think about switching.
  • Fun facts about this software and its history: KompoZer is an update on NVu, which was in turn the old Netscape Composer with a better interface.
• Download it from: http://kompozer.net/
  • Which version do I want? Look at the lefthand menus and select the most recent version. (As of this writing, 7 Jan 2007, that's version 0.7.7) You PC people probably want to download (and then run) the win32 installer version.

Bookmarking

Many exist, I like del.icio.us (http://del.icio.us), a webservice that you create an account for

• What it does: Online bookmarking
• Compare to: A Favorites list in a browser, or other web services such as Google Notebook
• Notes:
  • A million times handier than having bookmarks on your local machine -- far more flexible, easier to organize, supports comments
    
  • Fun feature #1: tagging lets you organize subsets for different purposes. For example, I needed to share some things with a professor; I tagged them with his name and then sent him to that set. He goes to that page, sees exactly what I need him to see
  • Fun feature #2: seeing who else has bookmarked something. For example, I've bookmarked a chart of Bloom's taxonomy on the web, and I can see that 169 other del.icio.us users have also bookmarked it for themselves. I can then look to see who these people are and can also browse their bookmarks -- maybe they've found other things I might be interested in....
    
  • To see examples,
    
    • my delicious account is at http://del.icio.us/ansegne,
      
• Get an account at: http://del.icio.us

Blogging

Again, lots of options. The first fork in the road is whether you want to have your own install (i.e., set it up the engine in your webspace) or use an external host (less overhead/headaches, but may come with bugaboos such as ads, "next blog" links, or lack of services such as anti-spam filters)

The webservice I recommend is WordPress.com (http://wordpress.com)

• What it does: Lets you set up a blog
• Compare to: blogger, livejournal
  
• Notes:
  • The "next blog" button appears when you're logged in, but it's relatively discreet. Still, don't have K-12 students login.
  • Be sure to set your spam filter and be vigilant about it. (This goes for any blog, actually)
• Sign up for an account at: http://wordpress.com

The install-your-own I recommend is (surprise!) WordPress (http://wordpress.org -- note the different URL)

• What it does: Allows you to host your own blog or family of blogs
• Compare to: ...? I actually don't know any other blog source code options. I'm sure they exist, I just don't know them
  
• Notes:
  • You have to be a little bit of a geek to get this up and going, but it's not too bad
  • Gives you MUCH more control over things than any other blog service.
  • All the cool kids use it.
• Where to get it: http://wordpress.org/

Wikis

My favorite is seedwiki (duh). I like the GUI interface, I like the features, and it has no ads. Hooray for http://seedwiki.com!

• What it does: It's a wiki, i.e., it's a self-coding website -- you write your content and do some minimal housekeeping, and the wiki engine does the rest
• Compare to: other wikis: obiki, xwiki, MediaWiki
• Notes:
  • Seedwiki is my pick because the editing mode is more graphical: you have buttons that are pretty intuitive. Other wikis call for more coding. And if you have to [ or use the pipe sign (|), then FORGET IT. That's not fun and easy.
  • Sometimes gets balled up. In those cases, you are SOL, unless you have...
  • ...backed up your wiki in one handy click. Seedwiki is the first one I've noticed this feature one, and it has saved my bacon numerous times
  • The people who run Seedwiki are really freaking nice. If you ever luck into some money and need to dispose of it, throw some their way.
• Get a free account (or pay for a fuller-featured account) at: http://seedwiki.com

Image editors

Sure, you can pay for very nice image editors, and you have a minimal one for free. But how about a pretty powerful free image editor? Try GImP (you'll have to forgive the name; it stands for Gnu Image Processor) at gimp.org.

• What it does: Image editing: accepts pretty much any format, writes pretty much any format, gives you powerful tools for changing them along the way
  
• Compare to: Adobe Photoshop, Macromedia Fireworks
• Notes:
  • Some major look-and-feel differences:
    • file navigation is Unix-style, not Windows- or Mac-style. If you are comfortable with DOS, though, you should be fine.
    • palettes are exploded -- things sit in different windows. You need to be pretty comfortable with managing your windows.
  • Does a nice job handling lots of different file types. For example, reads and writes PSDs.
• Download it from: gimp.org

Audio editors

I don't own a Mac, otherwise I'd be crowing about Garageband. I do own a PC, so I'm smart enough to never recommend Sound Recorder for anything. A powerful, free tool I've used is Audacity (audacity.sourceforge.net); other folks have recommended WavePad as a superior product--I just haven't used it yet. So here goes for Audacity

• What it does: audio recording and editing
• Compare to: GarageBand?
• Notes:
  • Once you get used to it, it's great. Took me about a day to figure out that when the player is in "Pause", you can't edit anything until you take it out of pause (i.e., by hitting "Stop").
• Download it from: audacity.sourceforge.net

If you'd prefer a web service, try JamGlue ( http://www.jamglue.com/). I've had some frustrations with it, but I like the idea.

• What it does: Lets you record, edit, and mix audio online
• Compare to: Audacity
• Notes:
  • I have used it and have had files lost during the upload process
  • I've also never figured out how to get the final products to be exposed as an mp3 with a dedicated URL (instead of being accessible on an embedded player). I'm pretty sure it can be done, I just couldn't do it last time I tried.
  • Fun feature: Creative Commons licensing. This means you can make tracks available for OTHER people to make stuff out of. For example, I recorded a little guitar line and made it available to others; some other user put it into a mix of their own. (Slowed it down and ruined the jamminess...but so it goes. Note to self: slowing down a track really exposes the flaws.)
• Get an account at: http://www.jamglue.com/

Video editors

Again, you have your downloads and your webservices.

Downloads: iMovie is free on Macs, Movie Maker is free on Windows machines. If you're working from only images, iPhoto (Mac) and PhotoStory (Windows) are nice. But if you want to go off-label, the only thing I know of is VirtualDub (http://www.virtualdub.org/).

• What it does: Video capture and editing. Note that
  • It works on Windows machines only.
  • It's pretty bare-bones -- it ONLY works with AVI and MPG formats (for video) and BMP format (for stills)
• Compare to: Windows Movie Maker
• Notes: I have not used this yet. The Unstoppable Dana Riddle (Fall 2006) pointed this out to me. I think she used it, so contact her for more informed commentary.
• Download it from: http://www.virtualdub.org/

Webservices: I was a developer for PrimaryAccess/DigitalStoryteller, so I'm partial to them. However, they're designed for K-12 content area instruction (i.e., a classroom full of students working at computers), and so they're not as powerful and the backend management is more complex than it should be for a single user scenario. So I'll break this out:

• Single user? Try JumpCut
  • What it does: Lets you upload, edit, and share video online.
    
  • Compare to: MovieMaker + YouTube -- the former edits, the latter shares. Note that the components are also re-mixable by others, so in that sense it behaves like JamGlue.
    
  • Notes:
    • Haven't used it for anything serious, so I'm speaking from a position of ignorance
    • Have had one student use it and she punted--didn't finish the project in that format.
  • Get an account at: http://www.jumpcut.com/
• Instructional purposes? Try PrimaryAccess/DigitalStoryteller
  • What they do: Allow you to create and share movies online, working from still images
    • PrimaryAccess is for history and therefore emphasizes using online archival material (e.g., National Archives or Library of Congress American Memory project things)
    • DigitalStoryteller is more content-neutral and is probably a better choice for language arts or foreign language
  • Compare to: Movie Maker or iMovie, JumpCut (not full-featured, though)
  • Notes
    • I am a developer and did my dissertation research on this
    • This is in perpetual beta, so expect changes along the way
    • You can play with it to get the idea, but to start using it, you'll probably need a tutorial
    • Teaching with this stuff is really interesting -- lots of subtleties and need opportunities here. We're still figuring it out
  • Where to get accounts: http://www.primaryaccess.org/ or http://www.digitalstoryteller.org/

Three-dimensional modeling

I'm not a master of this thing, but SketchUp (http://sketchup.google.com) is groovy, powerful, and free.

• What it does
• Compare to: ...? A CAD program? A Sims mod?
  
• Notes:
  • Everyone finds it easy to play around with this thing, hard to master.
    
  • I've had a couple of students achieve INSANELY great results (e.g., Kit LeHuu, Spring 2007)...most students just hash something out and are not satisfied with what they've accomplished.
    
  • Awesome example of a SketchUp re-purposing: dude used it to create a 3-D concept map, then manipulated it and screen-captured it: French Revolution impacts
• Where to get it: http://sketchup.google.com

Screen-capture

Want to record something happening on your screen? It's a powerful but slippery task. Great proprietary products exist, but there's also a functional free version, called Wink (http://www.debugmode.com/wink/). Not as powerful as the commercial products, but good for monkeying around with the concept and doing some simple things.

• What it does: Makes a video file out of whatever's happening on your screen
  
• Compare to: Camtasia, Captivate
  
• Notes:
  • I've only played with this, haven't done anything serious
  • I don't think it captures the video layer, so you can't use this to rip videos. Sorry.
• Where to get it: http://www.debugmode.com/wink/