Haven't jumped aboard the runaway Web train yet? Not everyone needs a site, but if you maintain a private Internet account with an ISP such as BigPond, OzEmail or Zip World, it probably permits you to post a Web site. Advertising your business isn't the only reason to publish a site -- the Web is a good way to share photos or information with family and friends, or to share your expertise in a particular area with people around the world.

Probably the easiest way to start is to launch the Web-authoring tool that comes with your browser. Netscape's Communicator includes Composer; choose Start-Programs-Netscape Communicator-Netscape Composer to run it. Starting with version 4.0, Internet Explorer includes Front Page Express. To launch it, choose Start-Programs-Internet Explorer-Front Page Express (Start-Programs-Accessories-Internet Tools-FrontPage Express with IE 5).

If Front Page Express isn't installed on your PC and you use Internet Explorer 4 as your Web browser, choose Start-Settings-Control Panel, double-click Add/Remove Programs, pick the Windows Setup tab, double-click the Internet Tools entry in the Components list, check Microsoft FrontPage Express in the resulting Components list, and click OK twice to start the installation. If your browser is IE 5, you can download FrontPage Express 2 from Microsoft's Windows Update site (windowsupdate.microsoft.com).

You can use these tools to get an uncomplicated site up and running quickly, but it pays to know the basics of HTML (short for HyperText Markup Language). The authoring tools don't always do a perfect job of generating HTML, and they don't let you create every kind of HTML command, or tag. PageResource.com offers dozens of Web design tutorials, including beginning HTML guides, at www.pageresource.com/html/hclist.htm. Or go straight to the source: HTML 4.0 lead architect Dave Raggett's "Getting Started With HTML" at www.w3.org/MarkUp/Guide.