File links will be easier to maintain because you won't have to
take directories into account.
A good reason to use subdirectories
is if you have a large number of files (to keep FTP directory
listings reasonable), or if you want each sub-topic in its own space.
This will keep your URL as short as possible, since you won't need
to include the file name in your main URL. For instance, instead of
http://www.vashti.net/mysite/index.htm
it becomes simply
http://www.vashti.net/mysite/
That is, the file name proper should be no more than eight
characters long, and the file type no more than three.
Not only will this ensure the proper operation of your site,
but also downloaded files will be less likely to be
renamed by the computer receiving them.
Usually, you will have at most three types of files in
your site, and the file types must be correct if you want it all
to work right:
There are two kinds of links, absolute and relative.
An absolute link looks like this:
<a HRef="http://www.vashti.net/mysite/page2.htm">
You have to use absolute links to URLs outside of your site.
But to refer to other files in your site, use a relative link:
<a HRef="page2.htm">
Doing this allows you to work on your site offline with your browser
- it will work the same as when it's uploaded to Vashti.
The total bytes required by a single page, including itself and
any graphics, should be limited to 30-50k or you'll start losing
viewers. 30k is about 15 seconds on a fast connection and a server
that's not busy. In the real world, it can be a minute or more.
Ask yourself how long you'd wait on a page to finish before
punching the 'Stop' button.
Another complication is that some browsers (especially on a slower
connection), when confronted with a page with numerous images,
often will fail to load some. The more images on a page, and
the larger they are, the more likely this is to occur. Be especially
careful about using large background images.
Your pride-and-joy that you've sweated over in IE or Netscape
may be incomplete, chaotic, or downright dysfunctional when viewed
with another browser. The
Mosaic Browser
is a good benchmark for being sure your site is at least reasonably
compatible.
If you want to use specialized browser features, that's fine,
but if visitors can't see something important
because they're not using the 'right' browser, you've lost a viewer
and maybe even made someone feel angry or shut out. Announce the
alternate 'enhanced' site in a link and maintain a non-enhanced path
for those souls who, for whatever reason, aren't using your
browser of choice.
And please, no 'Download Netscape now!' or IE icons.