Internet Skills

[HeinekenMan]

Okay, I have some free time on my hands these days. Despite my repeated assertion that newspapers will never survive if they go to the Web, it's becoming apparent that I'll need online abilities to survive in today's news world.

Ten years ago, I fiddled with HTML enough to make one of those amateurish personal Web sites. I followed that up a few years later with a fairly amateur, and altogether lame, personal blog site. I built that using Dreamweaver, but it was fairly basic drag-and-drop stuff.

So, I ask now, what exactly do I need to know and how do I learn it? The technology is changing so rapidly that I'm not sure where to begin. Will basic HTML and the ability to use Dreamweaver land me a job? Should I take some classes? Do I need a degree? Is an hour a day of self-education enough? Is there a reporting workshop that I could attend?

 

[melock]

Okay, I have some free time on my hands these days. Despite my repeated assertion that newspapers will never survive if they go to the Web, it's becoming apparent that I'll need online abilities to survive in today's news world.

Ten years ago, I fiddled with HTML enough to make one of those amateurish personal Web sites. I followed that up a few years later with a fairly amateur, and altogether lame, personal blog site. I built that using Dreamweaver, but it was fairly basic drag-and-drop stuff.

So, I ask now, what exactly do I need to know and how do I learn it? The technology is changing so rapidly that I'm not sure where to begin. Will basic HTML and the ability to use Dreamweaver land me a job? Should I take some classes? Do I need a degree? Is an hour a day of self-education enough? Is there a reporting workshop that I could attend?

Start by asking the tech guy that works at your paper. Unless they're someone that would run and tell the bosses you're trying to pad your resume by brushing up on HTML and such.

 

[shotglass]

Start by asking the tech guy that works at your paper. Unless they're someone that would run and tell the bosses you're trying to pad your resume by brushing up on HTML and such.

In which case, find him in a dark hallway and steal his lunch money just so it's not a total loss.

 

[HeinekenMan]

Okay, I have some free time on my hands these days. Despite my repeated assertion that newspapers will never survive if they go to the Web, it's becoming apparent that I'll need online abilities to survive in today's news world.

Ten years ago, I fiddled with HTML enough to make one of those amateurish personal Web sites. I followed that up a few years later with a fairly amateur, and altogether lame, personal blog site. I built that using Dreamweaver, but it was fairly basic drag-and-drop stuff.

So, I ask now, what exactly do I need to know and how do I learn it? The technology is changing so rapidly that I'm not sure where to begin. Will basic HTML and the ability to use Dreamweaver land me a job? Should I take some classes? Do I need a degree? Is an hour a day of self-education enough? Is there a reporting workshop that I could attend?

Start by asking the tech guy that works at your paper. Unless they're someone that would run and tell the bosses you're trying to pad your resume by brushing up on HTML and such.

Well, I'm a freelance guy. So I could ask just about anybody. I figure this is a good place to start.

 

[Babs]

Honestly, the web publishing software is becoming so easy that you don't really even need training. I would say that reading more blogs and familiarizing yourself with what today's readers expect would be more helpful than technical training.

 

[Sxysprtswrtr]

Okay, I have some free time on my hands these days. Despite my repeated assertion that newspapers will never survive if they go to the Web, it's becoming apparent that I'll need online abilities to survive in today's news world.

Ten years ago, I fiddled with HTML enough to make one of those amateurish personal Web sites. I followed that up a few years later with a fairly amateur, and altogether lame, personal blog site. I built that using Dreamweaver, but it was fairly basic drag-and-drop stuff.

So, I ask now, what exactly do I need to know and how do I learn it? The technology is changing so rapidly that I'm not sure where to begin. Will basic HTML and the ability to use Dreamweaver land me a job? Should I take some classes? Do I need a degree? Is an hour a day of self-education enough? Is there a reporting workshop that I could attend?

First of all -- are you wanting to stay a reporter, or are you open to learning other jobs such as a copy editor, designer, online producer, web designer, etc.?
The web skills required for a reporter are not as extensive as say, a web designer.

 

[Cadet]

I would familiarize yourself with digital photo, audio and video formats, which ones work best for what purposes, how to optimize and properly upload them to the web, and learn the programs with which to do those things.

 

[Tom Petty]

look for more porn. thehun is a good start.

 

[Pringle]

Nunchuck skills, bowhunting skills, computer hacking skills ...

 

[thebiglead]

My interenet skills are still extremely raw, but here's a good place to start:
http://www.blogger.com/start
Just start your own blog. Tinker, have fun, and if people begin reading, you'll see how addictive it is.
Another good link
http://www.webmonkey.com/webmonkey/reference/html_cheatsheet/

I'd advised you to come up with a snazzy URL and buy it ... but then you have to host the site yourself or find a place to host it for you ... and that costs some money. Blogger is free.

As a former journalist, I can assure you I've never had this much fun. Even though it's netting me hardly any money, it's a creative outlet. And it's fun to not have a filter (except Dad, who occasionally calls in to say there are too many cusswords or too many photos of women; or when the soon-to-be father-in-law emails to say he likes the site, and I realize I just spent 100 words fawning over Jenn Sterger's tits).

 

[SF_Express]

At our place, we're much more interested in reporting and writing skills (for writers) and word skills (for editors) than we are about your HTML experience. We've hired people with pretty much zero of that. It's not hard to learn to be able to do the basics, and our production software handles much of the coming anyway.

A degree in this CERTAINLY is not necessary, unless you're making a complete career change.

 

[Left_Coast]

At our place, we're much more interested in reporting and writing skills (for writers) and word skills (for editors) than we are about your HTML experience. We've hired people with pretty much zero of that. It's not hard to learn to be able to do the basics, and our production software handles much of the coming anyway.

A degree in this CERTAINLY is not necessary, unless you're making a complete career change.

How much hiring are said places doing, if you know, SF? I see a lot of openings for newspaper writing and editing jobs, but not so much for Web sites. Though, it's probable I'm not looking in all the right places, either.

 

[SF_Express]

At our place, we're much more interested in reporting and writing skills (for writers) and word skills (for editors) than we are about your HTML experience. We've hired people with pretty much zero of that. It's not hard to learn to be able to do the basics, and our production software handles much of the coming anyway.

A degree in this CERTAINLY is not necessary, unless you're making a complete career change.

How much hiring are said places doing, if you know, SF? I see a lot of openings for newspaper writing and editing jobs, but not so much for Web sites. Though, it's probable I'm not looking in all the right places, either.

We just hired a new desk editor and have openings for a couple of people in a small expansion. Knock wood, there's no current indication we're going to do anything but grow, or certainly stay status quo. Our desk isn't that big as it is.

 

[crustacean]

For anyone learning Web design now, you should first get a high-level view of how the Web works, then learn XHTML and Cascading Stylesheets (CSS). Later on down the road, you should probably start picking up JavaScript. ...

For a great, quick overview -- relating the Web design medium to the print design medium -- check out "The Art and Science of Web Design" by Jeff Veen. Veen was a former news design guy back in the day before he jumped into Web design in the late '90s. On his book's fifth anniversary several months back, he put his entire book online, via PDF download here:

http://www.veen.com/jeff/archives/000747.html

Next, read Jeffrey Zeldman's "The Art and Science of Web Design", a bible of sorts for designing with XHTML and CSS:

http://www.zeldman.com/dwws/

... Why CSS and XHTML?

Check out the CSS Zen Garden site (below). Each one of the pages linked is the same sheet of code, but each uses a unique stylesheet. Basically, the idea is this: If you have your entire site designed uniformly, by changing one file you can redesign your entire site, repositioning and reskinning everything, instead of paying X number of IT guys at $X per hour to go in and overhaul each page.

http://www.csszengarden.com/

For JavaScript, there are a kajillion books out there, but I'd recommend taking a class if you can find one. Learning a programming language is, not surprisingly, like learning a second language. You really need to get hip deep in it to progress. If you're a self-motivated person, you'll do fine with a book and cajoling information out of more advanced coders when you get stuck. If you need a frequent kick in the ass every once and again while learning stuff, then find a class. Here's a JS book that was recommended to me:

http://www.amazon.com/Sams-Teach-Yourself-JavaScript-Days/dp/0672322978

 

[lantaur]

If you want to be a web producer, I'd say any place you go to has their own publishing tool so you don't really need to know any computer language (and XML seems to be used more than HTML these days).

Having a familiarity with Photoshop wouldn't hurt (basic skills). If you know any more - such as Macromedia - you'd be on the upper curve. Certainly don't need it.

If you want to be a reporter (and I'm not sure how many online-only reporters there are), I'd say you'd need to know no HTML/XML, etc., just a willingness to let the online people help you get situated and then post as quickly and as often as possible. Remember in online, "the deadline is now."