When web pages are removed from your site, the server will generate a 404 when a visitor attempts to view that page. After reviewing my own web logs, I decided to customize my 404 pages with working hyperlinks from my site and added several banners so that the 404 page not only explained that the page they were looking for no longer existed, but helped direct them to another area of my site instead of risking the chance that they might just navigate away!

ActiveX, Flash, Java, JavaScript, Shockwave, Real Audio, Real Video - those are only some of the different multimedia platforms you need to be aware of! Decide what effect you want to have before you try to find a program to use. For simple animation, Javascript or Java should be sufficient. For movie-type presentations, the most popular are Shockwave and Flash. Flash is the more sophisticated of the two, as it allows streaming presentations. For audio presentations, consider Real Audio, another streaming program. Keep in mind that almost all of these (except Java and JavaScript) require a browser plug-in or a downloaded program. If you use any multimedia functionality in your website, let your visitors know before they go to your website that they will need the plug-in or program to view the page. Do not put multimedia on your front page and require plug-ins just to view your site. That is a sure way to lose visitors!

While third party or open source libraries can save you time, make sure they really fulfill the needs of your project before you commit. You could end up spending many hours of your time debugging and enhancing code you don't understand very well.

Improving a forum is a long, difficult process, but a high quality, welcoming forum will earn respect. The first step toward improving a forum is making sure the rules are clear. Make sure they are easy to find and easy to read.

The second step is making sure registration and cancellation are simple. If there are complicated steps, try to eliminate them.

The third step is making sure it is simple to contact a person in charge of the forum. Ensure that contact information is not hidden.

The final step is making the forum organized through maintenance. Delete irrelevant or abusive messages. Cut down on cross posting. Treat each member equally.