This site began as an experiment to see how inexpensively I could create a website.  How close to "FREE" could I get and still accomplish what I wanted?     First, I needed a free Internet Service Provider (ISP).  I've tried virtually every free service, many of which have since gone under. (and I don't mean to Australia!) I highly recommend the service provided by NETZERO. It is a very reliable service that offers free ISP, e-mail, websearching, and many other nice features.  Unlike a certain other American online service, I have rarely been involuntarily disconnected from NetZero.  to keep it free, NetZero utilises a small ad-box which incorporates a lot of nifty bells & whistles like a stock, news, and sports ticker, e-mail alert, etc.  NetZero offers its users 8 hours of free service per month.  They also offer an unlimited hours premium service without the ad box for a very reasonable rate.   I guarantee that NetZero is as good or better than any 56K service that sticks you for $20 or more each month!    So, I said goodbye to AT&T and hooked up for free.  So far, so good.  I'm on-line with cash in pocket.  Next, I needed to find a free website server that provided both creative and publishing services.  I started this site on another server, but found the interface to be bothersome, and the directory system a complete mess.  I never did find my own site there, even after searching for an hour.  How annoying is that?  Then, I discovered Homestead.com.  Wow!  What a difference!  If you don't have your own website or homepage here, you're really missing out.  Until August 2001, Homestead was a completely free server, but has now become a pay service.  Much thanks to anyone who purchases from one of my few sponsors for offsetting that cost!     Okay, now we're cooking.  Free ISP, almost-free website server, all that was left was to actually design the site.  I wanted to design most of the buttons myself, so I used Adobe Illustrator 8.0. (Whoa, that costs money!)  I had purchased Adobe Illustrator for other uses before I had even thought about building a site.  With a free tryout copy, a freeware screen-capture utility program and a little creativity, you can achieve the same results.  (Hint:  Those tryout versions of programs like Illustrator and Photoshop don't allow you to save your work, but with a screen-capture utility... )  For screen-capture, I recommend PrintKey v4.0, available for free from PCWorld.com.  Tons of other free goodies there, too!     So, a nearly free internet presence is still possible! All it takes is a computer, your imagination, and some free time with which to use them.  My goals for the actual site were:                                                                        1) It must be easy to build.                               2) It must be easy to maintain.                               3) It must be easy for others to access.                               4) It must load fast over a standard modem.                               5) It must be user friendly.                               6) It must be a fun and useful site to visit. I must say that Homestead.com took care of the first three goals quite nicely.  The site manager is nearly perfect, uploading works great, adding to and editing elements of the site couldn't be easier.  The directory and community listing and search functions are first rate.  Also, Yahoo.com, powered by Google, is a great search engine to submit to.  It's free, and is a great traffic-getter.  After all, YOU found me, didn't you? To make the site load as fast as possible, I've done without many audio effects or music, and I enter any photos last, so that text may be read while the pictures finish downloading.  To make the site as user friendly as possible, all menu buttons are displayed on the left sidebar of each page.  Also, the A.J.'s Place logo at the top of each page links to the 'Main Menu'.  Lastly, a button at the bottom of each page allows you to go back to the top of that page.  It's not as fancy as using frames, but I think it works pretty well.  In addition, whenever I feel a link would be useful, I will provide one.  There are three text links on this very page.   Whether my site is fun and useful or not is, of course, up to you.  I sincerely hope that it is, and thank you very much for visiting.                                                                                      See you at the movies!                                                                                                                                                 -A.J.

The Making of A.J.s Place:  Movies & More

This site began as an experiment to see how inexpensively I could create a website.  How close to "FREE" could I get and still accomplish what I wanted?     First, I needed a free Internet Service Provider (ISP).  I've tried virtually every free service, many of which have since gone under. (and I don't mean to Australia!) I highly recommend the service provided by NETZERO. It is a very reliable service that offers free ISP, e-mail, websearching, and many other nice features.  Unlike a certain other American online service, I have rarely been involuntarily disconnected from NetZero.  to keep it free, NetZero utilises a small ad-box which incorporates a lot of nifty bells & whistles like a stock, news, and sports ticker, e-mail alert, etc.  NetZero offers its users 8 hours of free service per month.  They also offer an unlimited hours premium service without the ad box for a very reasonable rate.   I guarantee that NetZero is as good or better than any 56K service that sticks you for $20 or more each month!    So, I said goodbye to AT&T and hooked up for free.  So far, so good.  I'm on-line with cash in pocket.  Next, I needed to find a free website server that provided both creative and publishing services.  I started this site on another server, but found the interface to be bothersome, and the directory system a complete mess.  I never did find my own site there, even after searching for an hour.  How annoying is that?  Then, I discovered Homestead.com.  Wow!  What a difference!  If you don't have your own website or homepage here, you're really missing out.  Until August 2001, Homestead was a completely free server, but has now become a pay service.  Much thanks to anyone who purchases from one of my few sponsors for offsetting that cost!     Okay, now we're cooking.  Free ISP, almost-free website server, all that was left was to actually design the site.  I wanted to design most of the buttons myself, so I used Adobe Illustrator 8.0. (Whoa, that costs money!)  I had purchased Adobe Illustrator for other uses before I had even thought about building a site.  With a free tryout copy, a freeware screen-capture utility program and a little creativity, you can achieve the same results.  (Hint:  Those tryout versions of programs like Illustrator and Photoshop don't allow you to save your work, but with a screen-capture utility... )  For screen-capture, I recommend PrintKey v4.0, available for free from PCWorld.com.  Tons of other free goodies there, too!     So, a nearly free internet presence is still possible! All it takes is a computer, your imagination, and some free time with which to use them.  My goals for the actual site were:                                                                        1) It must be easy to build.                               2) It must be easy to maintain.                               3) It must be easy for others to access.                               4) It must load fast over a standard modem.                               5) It must be user friendly.                               6) It must be a fun and useful site to visit. I must say that Homestead.com took care of the first three goals quite nicely.  The site manager is nearly perfect, uploading works great, adding to and editing elements of the site couldn't be easier.  The directory and community listing and search functions are first rate.  Also, Yahoo.com, powered by Google, is a great search engine to submit to.  It's free, and is a great traffic-getter.  After all, YOU found me, didn't you? To make the site load as fast as possible, I've done without many audio effects or music, and I enter any photos last, so that text may be read while the pictures finish downloading.  To make the site as user friendly as possible, all menu buttons are displayed on the left sidebar of each page.  Also, the A.J.'s Place logo at the top of each page links to the 'Main Menu'.  Lastly, a button at the bottom of each page allows you to go back to the top of that page.  It's not as fancy as using frames, but I think it works pretty well.  In addition, whenever I feel a link would be useful, I will provide one.  There are three text links on this very page.   Whether my site is fun and useful or not is, of course, up to you.  I sincerely hope that it is, and thank you very much for visiting.                                                                                      See you at the movies!                                                                                                                                                 -A.J.

About A.J.'s Place III

This page last edited January 25 2004

Movie reviews, guides, games, news, and more! "Not just your basic, average, everyday, ordinary, run-of-the-mill, ho-hum entertainment website."