web-friend.com started out as an effort to learn a little bit about HTML, and web page design.  I posted my first page  in the fall of 1997, with the first "real" page (including links and graphics) in July of 1998.  In October I registered the domain name web-friend.com with "Internic" and Network Solutions. On October 10th, my ISP got the 'OK' to use the name web-friend.com as a valid URL (Internet site) - and I moved my files up to the new site. 

The Evolution:

In 1998, most of my work went toward developing web pages, most of them had a ton of links to sites I had bookmarked into my "favorites" section over the year.  I started creating "help" pages from documentation I'd kept over the years, and posting it as my contribution to the Internet.  I added some personal information, some family pictures, and by the beginning of 1999 I started posting NASCAR related pages. 

By the middle of 1999 I was posting frequent stories about local sports news in Pittsburgh, recaps of national and political news, and even a Penguins and Steelers page or two.

Toward the end of 1999 and through early 2000 I got involved in chat rooms, and started making java rooms.  Learning what could be done with java application was a treat, and  I started creating my own pages that had moving water, changing colors, falling snow, and some music files.  The site saw a ton of traffic during this time, since many of the people who were on VP were coming to my pages while they chatted with their friends.

Much of 2000 and early 2001 didn't see a great deal of change in web-friend other than adding help content, and removing or moving much of the "personal" stuff to other free servers.  I started a business, and getting it off the ground took way too much time to keep up with the web pages.  I kind of 'disappeared' from the entire chat world as well.

By the end of 2001 I started getting back into a "learning" stage, and working with flash and 3d rendering.  Much of 2002 went in this direction, posting my 3d wallpapers, and flash experiments.

In early 2003 I decided it was time for some major changes to the site, I consulted some webmaster forums for advice, started exchanging links, and learned how to optimize a web page / site so that it was more attractive to search engines.  I redid some graphics, set up a new layout, added css and dhtml, and so far it's paid off.  My traffic has steadily increased through the first half of 2003.  The future will still see additional 3d wallpaper renders, but the heart and soul of web-friend, the HELP files will continue to grow as well.

Below are some of the efforts I've made in the past to keep track of the progress to improve the www.web-friend.com web site. At times I've kept a very detailed log of changes I've made here, while other times I've just noted major additions.  While I no longer post details other than updates to the Notice page or the "Whats New" page, here is how the beginning came about, the history of it all, and ... some pretty dull reading I must admit.

Highlights

2003

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Page listing of web-friend information in standard frames.