Writing for the Web (eBook)

Note: CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials are not included.
This is the eBook version of the printed book.
Join today's new revolution in creativity and community: hackerspaces. Stop letting other people build everything for you: Do it yourself. Explore, grab the tools, get hands-on, get dirty...and create things you never imagined you could. Hack This is your glorious, full-color passport to the world of hackerspaces: your invitation to share knowledge, master tools, work together, build amazing stuff–and have a flat-out blast doing it.
Twin Cities Maker co-founder John Baichtal explains it all: what hackerspaces are, how they work, who runs them, what they're building—and how you can join (or start!) one. Next, he walks you through 24 of today's best hackerspace projects...everything from robotic grilled-cheese sandwich-makers to devices that make music with zaps of electricity. Every project's packed with color photos, explanations, lists of resources and tools, and instructions for getting started on your own similar project so you can DIY!
JUST SOME OF THE PROJECTS YOU'LL LEARN ABOUT INCLUDE...
Kung-fu fighting robots
Home-brewed Geiger counter
TransAtlantic balloon
Twitter-monitoring Christmas tree
Sandwich-making robot
Interactive Space Invaders mural
CNC mill that carves designs into wood, plastic and metal
Telepresence robot that runs an Internet classroom
Toy cars that are ridden by people
Bronze-melting blast furnace
Laptop-controlled robot fashioned from a wheelchair
DIY book scanner
JOHN BAICHTAL is a founding member of Twin Cities Maker, a hackerspace organization that has been collaborating for almost two years. Based in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota, Twin ities Maker has its own rented warehouse complete with a welding station, woodshop, classroom, and ham radio transmitter. Baichtal has written dozens of articles, including pieces for AKE, the D&D publication Kobold Quarterly, and 2600: The Hacker Quarterly. He has contributed to Wired.com's GeekDad blog for four years and blogged at Make: Online for two, publishing more than 1,500 posts during that time. He is now writing a book about Lego.

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With Writing for the Web, you'll learn everything you need to know to create effective Web content using words, pictures, and sound. Follow along as instructor and writer Lynda Felder combines easy-to-follow guidelines with photographs, lists, and tables to illustrate the key concepts behind writing nonlinear, interactive stories; creating succinct and clear copy; and working compelling images, motion graphics, and sound into your content. Many books offer instruction on how to use software programs to build Web sites, podcasts, and illustrations. But only Writing for the Web explains when and why an author might choose an illustration over a photograph, motion graphics over text, or a slice of Beethoven's Fifth over the sound of a bubbling brook. Focusing on storytelling techniques that work best for digital media, this book describes the essential skills and tools in a Web author's toolbox, including a thorough understanding of grammar and style, a critical eye for photography, and an ear for just the right sound byte for a podcast. This clearly written guide provides a fun and practical approach to Web writing that busy students and writers will be eager to learn and explore. Uses concise, straight-to-the-point style to illustrate techniques for writing sharp and focused Web copy, coupled with compelling visuals and sound Focuses on writing practices and guidelines, with exercises and prompts developed and tested by the author Features clear design, with plenty of pictures and visual elements, and a friendly and knowledgeable voice Take your learning even further with Lynda's companion book: The Web Writer's Toolkit: 365 prompts, collaborative exercises, games, and challenges for effective online content. For more tips, exercises, and suggestions for teachers, check out the book's Web site at www.write4web.com.