You want to create a website that is easy to maintain? Keep it simple. Easier said than done, I hear you say. No, not really - not if you know what you are doing. Unfortunately, in order to write interesting, well-structured, low maintenance web sites, there are a number of skills that you should master, and a significant body of knowledge that you should at least be on nodding terms with. I'll be honest - just about anybody can create a web site that at least looks the part, using one of the many sophisticated web authoring tools that are available - some of which are even free! The problems tend to arise as these sites grow in size and complexity, and as the degree of sophistication and functionality you require from them increases.

I have written a lot of web sites, and continue to do so. For myself, for friends, and occasionally for small businesses. I do not do it for a living (although I have occasionally received payment). I already have a full time career teaching and don't currently have the time, or the energy, to pursue a career as a web author. I do, however, have a lot of experience. I have made a lot of mistakes. I have produced websites in the past that had many shortcomings. But that is a natural process that many web authors go through. I like to think that I have learned a lot, and that each new website I produce is better than the last one. You learn from your mistakes, and you learn from the mistakes of others (which, by the way, are usually easier to spot!). You can also learn from the many excellent websites that are out there - if you look hard enough.

So before you even start creating your own website, take a look at what others are doing. Don't be too impressed by sites that are visually stunning unless the superb graphics are accompanied by a logical navigation scheme, well organised and relevant content, and an acceptable level of performance. Acquire good quality reference books and other literature. Find and bookmark useful resources on the web. And learn the tools of the trade.

It is easy, as I said earlier, to create professional-looking web pages using authoring tools such as Macromedia's Dreamweaver or Microsoft's FrontPage. They will create the HTML code, they will create scripts, and they will even assist in the process of publishing your content to a web site.

But do you know what they are up to behind the scenes? Do you actually understand the HTML code, or the JavaScript code, or know where they have magically

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