# The Begging of an HTML Bozo

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-begging-of-an-html-bozo/15763
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [April 10, 2000, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-begging-of-an-html-bozo/15763 "2000-04-10T15:35:00Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![abderian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de0a6/32.png) [@abderian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/abderian)
#### Post date: [April 10, 2000, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-begging-of-an-html-bozo/15763/1 "2000-04-10T15:35:00Z")

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First off, I confess to being an utter HTML bozo. Dumber than a bag of nails.

I am hoping that this humble admission will appeal to your charitable spirits, and you will help me figure out this HTML problem.

I am trying to help a friend re-build a website. He paid someone to build the original site, and while I know zip about HTML, I am savvy enough to recognize a tacky, adolescent design.

So, having cruised several thousand “How To” sites, I’ve managed to put together a fairly grown-up looking page—not too fancy, mind you—that more suitably represents this guy’s business image.

1st Problem: I’ve managed to code a “submit” button so that visitors may request to be added to his e-mail news list. It even works. But I can’t seem to create a space for the visitor to enter his/her e-mail address. Here is the code I am using:

\<FORM [ACTION="mailto:businessguy@smallbiz.com](mailto:ACTION=%22mailto:businessguy@smallbiz.com)?"  
SUBJECT=Add To E-Mail List" ENCTYPE=“text/plain”\>  
\<FORM NAME=“Please put user on e-mail news update list”\>  
\<INPUT TYPE=“submit” VALUE=“Request E-mail News”\> \<INPUT NAME=“Please add the following address to your e-mail news list” \>  
\</FORM\>

2nd Problem: I have coded the entire page in plain HTML using WordPad. The original page was built with MicroSoft FrontPage. My friend—even more of a bozo than I am-----knows how to “update” his pages in FrontPage, but no more than that. How can I stick my HTML coded page into FrontPage so that he may continue to use FrontPage to update it? I’ve tried opening a FrontPage file, pasting my HTML into the file and saving. But it re-formats things----such as taking my centered title and slamming it left. (What an annoying program…)

Here is where I insert truckloads of premature gratitude, words of worship, and a small sacrificial lamb. Any kind, helpful words from the teeming millions?

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### Author: ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)
#### Post date: [April 11, 2000, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-begging-of-an-html-bozo/15763/2 "2000-04-11T05:14:00Z")

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Portwest, all you need is a simple text box inserted in your form code.

You’d do it like this…

\<FORM [ACTION="mailto:businessguy@smallbiz.com](mailto:ACTION=%22mailto:businessguy@smallbiz.com)?"  
SUBJECT=Add To E-Mail List" ENCTYPE=“text/plain”\>  
\<FORM NAME=“Please put user on e-mail news update list”\>  
**\<INPUT TYPE=“text” NAME=“email” SIZE=“30”\>**  
\<INPUT TYPE=“submit” VALUE=“Request E-mail News”\> \<INPUT NAME=“Please add the following address to your e-mail news list” \>  
\</FORM\>

For a very easy to follow tutorial on forms, go to [http://www.htmlgoodies.com/tutors/forms.html](http://www.htmlgoodies.com/tutors/forms.html)

Check out that whole site. I really think you’ll like it, as it’s written in plain English with not only step-by-step instructions, but explanations as to how and why the codes work the way they do.

As for your Frontpage question, I can’t help. I have never used that program.

Good luck.

* * *

“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” - Anne Frank

“Mom, he’s a neo Nazi! He’s a doctor also? Well…” - WallyM7

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### Author: ![abderian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de0a6/32.png) [@abderian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/abderian)
#### Post date: [April 10, 2000, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-begging-of-an-html-bozo/15763/3 "2000-04-10T19:47:00Z")

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Shayna, thank you. It’s not perfect, but it’s working quite well now.

I _had_ cruised through the “HTML Goodies” site, but nothing there appeared to describe exactly what I was after. What you posted was very helpful, and made the instructions on the site more clear.

Thanks again.

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### Author: ![phouka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c5a1d2/32.png) [@phouka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phouka)
#### Post date: [April 10, 2000, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-begging-of-an-html-bozo/15763/4 "2000-04-10T19:50:00Z")

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Portwest, one happy place I like to send people for HTML tutorials and ideas is:

[www.bignosebird.com](http://www.bignosebird.com)

Quite the grooving HTML place.

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### Author: ![abderian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de0a6/32.png) [@abderian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/abderian)
#### Post date: [April 10, 2000, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-begging-of-an-html-bozo/15763/5 "2000-04-10T21:31:00Z")

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Hey, Phouka, that _is_ a cool site. Thanks!

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### Author: ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)
#### Post date: [April 10, 2000, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-begging-of-an-html-bozo/15763/6 "2000-04-10T22:05:00Z")

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ANother problem is you have two form tags.

\<Form Action…  
begins the form

\<Form name…  
begins another form

You need to say

\<Form action=“blah blah” name="blah blah  
in the same tag.

* * *

–  
I have over 2000 posts, dammit! Show some respect.  
[http://fathom.org/opalcat/showmerespect.jpg](http://fathom.org/opalcat/showmerespect.jpg)  
O p a l C a t  
[www.opalcat.com](http://www.opalcat.com)

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### Author: ![abderian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de0a6/32.png) [@abderian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/abderian)
#### Post date: [April 10, 2000, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-begging-of-an-html-bozo/15763/7 "2000-04-10T23:13:00Z")

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Shayna, Phouka, and OpalCat:

It’s working fine now. You can’t imagine how much I appreciate your help (on behalf of all the bozoes of the world).