Putting things on the web using iZotz can be really easy. As your needs evolve, it can get more complicated. This introduction and overview will give you a foundation to use as you learn to leverage iZotz and make it do what you need to do.

Introducing iZotz

iZotz was born from the simple idea that it shouldn't be so hard to put things on the web. After all, everything you see on the web is really nothing more than text, graphics, some HTML,  and script code on the back end that organizes it all together. We thought that we ought to be able to build some tools that would allow nonprogrammers to put things on the web without a lot of muss and fuss. Not just simple webpages...but complex websites full of fancy modules containing lots of dynamic data stored in back end data warehouses. After all, it's all just text. It shouldn't be so hard to put that stuff on the web.

What is iZotz?

iZotz is two things: a collection of components that you use to build websites and web projects, and a tool that you use to do it. The collection of components includes webpages, function modules, graphics, content,  stored in a backend data warehouse, and appearance skins that control how your webpages look. Using the iZotz tool, you assemble these components to produce the websites and web projects that you put on the web.

The iZotz Universe

This collection of components is called your iZotz Universe. These components...think of them as building blocks...are assembled in various combinations to build websites and web projects.

The key and fundamental concept that forms the foundation of how iZotz works is this : each component exists as a stand alone entity. Each can be considered a unique and individual building block. To build something for the web, you assemble these building block components into whatever shape fits your needs.

Inherent in this concept is the most powerful of the ideas behind iZotz. By giving you the ability to mix and match components into various combinations, we've given you the ability to assemble a virtually unlimited number of different web projects, minimize the work by enabling projects to share modules and content, and leverage content by distributing it in an unlimited number of ways.

Think about it like this and you'll begin to see just how flexible the iZotz universe can be, and you'll probably begin to envision a lot of new ways to leverage the internet to help you run a business, personal life, or just about anything else that requires some kind of interaction between people or collection and distribution of information.

Components include:

• Projects : A project is what you'd traditionally think of as a website...the thing you see when you go to some URL in your web browser.  And it can also be a single purpose webpage, maybe just full of static text, or maybe something that performs a complex task...like creating an online newspaper or photo gallery. The project is the fundamental building block in iZotz.
  
  note: A website as we traditionally envision it is really nothing more than a collection of stand alone project modules organized together by a navigation menu. It's useful to begin thinking in terms of "projects" rather than websites. In the iZotz universe you can put both complex websites and single stand alone function modules on the web. Both are called projects.
  
  
• Navigation Menus : A navigation menu is what websites use to organize webpages in such a way that you the viewer can find things. Navigation menus are one of the fundamental building blocks in your iZotz universe. Your website projects use these navigation menus to combine projects into websites.
  
  note: only website projects use navigation menus. Stand alone projects don't need them.
• Graphics : Most websites contain graphics. Your iZotz graphic library contains all the graphics that you'll use in your projects or on webpages. iZotz includes tools to let you upload graphics into the library, and edit graphics already in the library.
  
  note : in additon to the primary graphic library, some modules also have their own private graphic libraries. For example, the photo album module builds a library for photos. These graphic libraries are separate from the primary gallery, and in most cases the graphics within them are private to that module and can't directly be placed into other webpages or templates.
• Appearance Skins : Appearance skins are template files that control the visual appearance of the the way your projects look to users. The skin library contains dozens of prebuilt appearance skins, and it's easy to customize the standard skins to look like just about anything you want.

These four components are the fundamental building blocks in your iZotz universe. They all exist as independent entities, and you can have as many as you want of each. Your job is to assemble these building blocks into shapes that you can use to do useful things on the web. To do that, you use the iZotz tool.

The iZotz Tool

The iZotz tool is actually a collection of tools which are designed to allow the nonprogrammer, including those with very limited knowledge of webpages, websites and how everything fits together, to design, build, and assemble the web components necessary to put something on the web. With as little muss and fuss as possible.

Called the iZotz Administrator, you reach this tool by going to http://myizotz.net, and signing in using your iZotz username and password. Once signed in, you'll see the administration homepage, which gives you quick access to your projects and all the administration tools.

note: you can also access the iZotz Administrator from within your web projects. Called DirectEdit, this feature gives you direct access to all the admistration tools while you view your projects in the browser.

The iZotz tool allows you to create projects, edit content, customize appearance templates, set permissions, upload and edit graphics, and pretty much everything else you need to do to maintain something on the web.

What You Need to Know to Use iZotz

iZotz was designed for the nonprogrammer, and for the person who might not have much prior knowledge of webpages, websites, and how it all fits together. With a couple mouse clicks, you can easily put complex websites and web applicatons online and be using them in a minute or two. Content is easily added and edited using tools familiar to anyone who has ever used a word processor. And organizing your projects into navigation menus is a simple drag/drop operation.

Like with everything, there is a learning curve. But to do the basics, that curve is very short for most people.

As you move beyond the basics, and want to change the appearance of your webpages or modify the way modules function, what you'll need to know grows. The iZotz tools try to make it easy to do just about anything you want to do...but you'll often need to take some time to figure things out. You won't need to be a programmer, and you won't need to be a web designer, but you'll maybe need to have a little patience, experiment a little, and maybe even read the manual. Nobody likes to do that, but it might help if you get stuck. And we try to make it easy. The iZotz documentation manual is online. Just click the Help icon at the top of the adminstration page.

Those that do know their way around HTML and especially CSS will find that by digging into iZotz, you'll find tools and options that will allow direct access to the CSS and some of the HTML that controls the way your projects look and how they function. If you know CSS, and you have access to the CSS in your pages, you have almost total control over the way your pages look.

Those that know their way around data and how it's stored in backend data warehouses are able to use tools that allow you to add datafields to modules to let you change the data that is managed by modules. If you're willing to experiment a bit, even those without such experience can usually figure out how to do that. Programming is never required.

Unlimted Projects

Your iZotz membership allows you to build as many web projects as you want. We believe that in addition to making it easy to put something on the web, if you can do it inexpensively, you'll be less reluctant to do so. And if it's easy and cheap, we believe that people will begin to view the web differently...and maybe see it as something that can become an active part of their daily lives in ways that haven't been practical before. By allowing you to build as many projects as you want, we hope it will encourage you to experiment with the web. Try new things. Don't be afraid of making things that don't work out. Keep at it, and you'll probably find some new and interesting ways to leverage the power of the web.


The Disposable Website

Because it's easy and cheap, you might begin to think in terms of the disposable website.  Most people probably think of a website as something big, fancy, expensive...and most of all...permanent. Because websites have historically been fairly expensive to build and maintain, especially websites with complex functionality, people haven't tended to view websites as disposable. People haven't generally put websites online to fulfill transient needs. iZotz believes that to really leverage the potential of the web, it should be easy to create disposable websites, and at iZotz, you can. Think of all the times you might want to advertise an event online, create a website to manage a construction project or special event planning, or cover some community event of limited lifespan. Websites can be useful, but if you have to spend thousands of dollars, hundreds of hours, and a whole lot of energy building one...you probably won't do it. But you can. Open iZotz, choose a template...maybe a project management template or something...and click your mouse. You're online. Think disposable. A lot of light bulbs may go off.

Managing the iZotz Universe

Everything in the iZotz universe can be managed using the iZotz Administrator. Go to http://myizotz.net and sign in using your iZotz username and password. The main administration page will open showing you all your projects. You can view your projects just as users view them by clicking one of the project icons.


DirectEdit Administration

The second way you can administrate the iZotz universe is by using DirectEdit directly from within your websites and web projects. When DirectEdit has been enabled for a project, and you sign in to the website using the signin link that usually appears near the top right of the page, the Wizard button appears somewhere on your page, or alternatively you can right-click anywhere on the page you are viewing. The wizard popup menu will appear, allowing you to perform any and all of the administration tasks that you can do using the iZotz Administrator page. This is a great way to work with your websites while directly viewing your changes.

 

Some Important and Useful Features

Here are some of the useful, important, or just plain cool features that you should get to know:

• Many modules allow you to enable WIKI. Wiki allows your viewers to post comments about the content they see on your websites. To enable WIKI in a module, choose the Enable Wiki option on the wizard menu, select from the available project list, and configure a couple settings.

• Changing the look and feel of your website projects is as simple as selecting an alternate appearance skin. Choose the Change Appearance Skin option on the wizard menu, and select an alternate skin. Spend some time learning how to customize skins. You can easily create your own variation on any of the standard skin templates.

• Learn how to create friendly URL's. By default, iZotz projects are assigned a fairly obtuse ID number, which is used in the URL to access a project. You can create your own user friendly names for you projects, making it easier to remember URL's.

• Create a friendly URL name for your account. By default, you'll be assigned a random ID number that will probably be impossible to remember. Select Account Settings-->Set friendly account name from the wizard menu and change this to something you'll remember.

• Become familiar with the various tools available on the wizard Tool menu. You can see visitor count statistics for your projects, place temporary popups on webpages, broadcast emails to your website members, and a whole lot more.

• The Membership feature allows users to sign up and join your websites. Once members, your users can take advantage of whatever features you've password protected, and can be assigned administration tasks.

• Customization is king at iZotz. We've tried to make it possible to customize your universe to be whatever you want it to be. And if you poke around enough, you'll probably find ways to do what you want. If you can't...shoot us an email...and we'll see if we can help. Ultimately, we want to enable iZotz to do it all. Help us figure out exactly what "all" means.

Welcome to iZotz

You can probably see that while it's quick and easy to put things online using iZotz, beyond the basics there are a lot of features that bring a lot of power to your online activities. Some of it will come easy, and some of the more advanced things might require some additional effort. But take the time...figure it out. We think that in short order you'll click your way into putting some pretty exciting and useful things on the web. Most of all...have fun. Experiment. Try new things out. Make the web work for you.