3 ms·
Ok, this is a long shot, but if any forum is likely to know, it's HN. I first got my start in web development when I was around 8 (early 2000s) thanks to a ver
by jszymborski 4y ago
Ok, this is a long shot, but if any forum is likely to know, it's HN.
I first got my start in web development when I was around 8 (early 2000s) thanks to a very large (or at least it was to an 8 year old) purple book on HTML. There was one passing mention of how animated GIFs might be added to websites with an IMG tag. The example of the animated GIF they showed (they exploded the frames) reminded me of this image [0] on this wonderful site (although perhaps the seal was bouncing a ball rather than spinning the globe).
Anywho, if anyone can remember a large, big purple book on HTML from the early naughts, you'd make my day if you could send it my way.
[1] https://www.cameronsworld.net/img/content/10/7.gif https://www.cameronsworld.net/img/content/10/7.gif
- robjan 4y agoI think it was called "Mastering HTML4.0" or "HTML4.0 No Experience Required" if that narrows down your search. I also remember checking this book out from a library in my teens.
- izakage 4y agoAnother one with similar graphics might have been “HTML Goodies”
- taejavu 4y agoI got you fam: https://www.amazon.com/Yourself-Publishing-Professional-Reference-Second/dp/0672318385 https://www.amazon.com/Yourself-Publishing-Professional-Refe...
- icelancer 4y agoWhoa, major flashbacks. I absolutely crushed this book or some edition of it.
- _zetta 4y agoDuuude!!! thanks!!! I read this when I was 10 or 11 and I haven't stop making web since then.
- brap 4y agoNow we all want to see the gif
- jszymborski 4y agoSadly, I think it was a partial false memory. There is indeed a section on making animated GIFs, but instead of a seal bouncing a ball, it's just a bouncing ball sans seal. Here's a screenshot from the book (it's on Archive.org) https://dl.sphericalcow.xyz/private/hn/0e66b5f993de9e96aaaee989bfb6f39e/animation_sams_teach_yourself_html.png https://dl.sphericalcow.xyz/private/hn/0e66b5f993de9e96aaaee...
- wawjgreen 4y agonow the authors have updated your purple book in 2016: https://www.amazon.com/s/?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=HTML%2C%20CSS%20%26%20JavaScript%20Web%20Publishing%20in%20One%20Hour%20a%20Day https://www.amazon.com/s/?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&fiel...
- jszymborski 4y agoThis looks _really_ familiar. Will see if I can find a copy and verify! (Will also post the seal if I find it.) UPDATE: So I found the book on Internet Archive [0] and I really think it's the real thing. Only caveat: no seal. There's a whole section on creating animated GIFs (which I recall the book I had having), but the example to create a GIF is not a seal bouncing a ball but rather just a bouncing ball sans seal (pg. 261). I'm pretty sure the seal was a false memory at this point. I've thought of this book often, and I'm thankful to you for sending this my way. I'm 99% sure it's the book given the page count, cover, chapters, and year it was published. Even if it isn't though, it's a wonderful example of the sorts of references at the time. Thanks again! [0] https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780672314087/isbn_9780672314087 https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780672314087/isbn_97806723...
- samwillis 4y agoSimilar entry to making websites for me. Late 90s and this book “Creating Cool HTML 4 Web Pages” https://www.amazon.com/Creating-Cool-HTML-Web-Pages/dp/0764532014 https://www.amazon.com/Creating-Cool-HTML-Web-Pages/dp/07645...