Owens4: On Family, WebTV and PC

The humble beginning of this most useful tool has spawned many hybrids. Harry, otherwise known as hms56, came up with the idea of using the dropdown pulldown menu buttons to supply even more links on an F-Key Saver. Collaborating together, Owens4 explained how to set the buttons, and off Harry went.

According to John and Cathy, "Since the original creation of the F-Key Saver, (what we thought was a neat idea for personal organization for use with WebTV only) people started using it as their links page setup and soon discovered the form method used for WebTV didn't work for computers and the form method for computers didn't work completely for WebTV users. So, we altered it using a javascript form which is compatible with both. From a very simple idea, it grew and grew and grew; the creativity of people out there is unbelievable."

At some point in time, many WebTV users are steered in the direction of the WebTV-only online discussion groups, such as news:alt.discuss.html, for HTML help. An amazing amount of fellowship, and unfaltering willingness of strangers helping strangers, can be found there. Of all the posters in these groups, a few stand out as frequent and extremely knowledgeable contributors. One name that is a constant is Owens4. It is astonishing how truly kind-natured these people are, and their knowledge of HTML is extensive. Yet, they are always willing to share. Not only do they respond to the questions, they also try to include links to websites (including their own) which may be of help.

Owens4 Tools provides a plethora of WebTV online tools for the webpage builder. Anything, and everything, a webpage designer needs on one page. They furnished, for want of better words, a one-stop online tool center. It is a WebTV users' tool heaven. Many have tried to duplicate this site, or even steal it and take credit for the countless hours that John and Cathy spent designing and maintaining it. More amazing, all of this was done before WebTV included the cut, copy and paste feature - certainly one of the most used options for website builders.

John and Cathy Owens are a down-to-earth, humble, and funny couple who are indicative of all that is good about the internet. The way in which they present themselves is like old home week - just good people who come over to have coffee and chit-chat...and while they are there, they might just help you out of a predicament or two with your webpage design, or any basic internet related problems. Seems like a visit from an old friend.

In mid-March, Owens4 purchased a personal computer, primarily for their son. In the interim, they have discovered that they enjoy using it, as well. They explained what this means to the WebTV community.

"We've decided that in the near future, we will be leaving WebTV. This wasn't an easy decision to make. With the direction we're hoping to take, with our current pages and future projects, we've outgrown WebTV. Unfortunately, WebTV has not kept up with the internet in general. They made promises they haven't kept and have caused some problems that they refuse to acknowledge even exist. When we weigh their lack of progress and attitude with the fact that it costs us $25/month to access WebTV, and the computer costs nothing thanks to the free internet providers that are available, we felt there wasn't any reason to stay. We hope to maintain our site with WebTV users in mind, because helping others has been, and still is, an enjoyable experience for us. We plan to remain in contact with many of the great friends we've made while on WebTV (and those who have moved on to computers) and will still be available for webpage assistance. We have enjoyed WebTV enormously and still recommend it to anyone who is interested in internet access without the bells and whistles of a computer. So our leaving is not because we 'hate' WebTV."

John and Cathy Owens hail from Noblesville, Indiana. Cathy grew up there, and John moved there at the age of 14. They knew each other in high school, but didn't become sweethearts until a few years after graduating. Owens4 is comprised of John, Cathy, and their two sons, Justin and Jared. They are both in their mid 40's, although Cathy only admits to 30. Offline, John is a machine tool builder and Cathy is the Deputy Treasurer of their local district.

They have been on WebTV almost since its introduction to the world. It has been a relationship that has brought new and exciting tools to the internet community, as well as help for countless users with numerous problems that WebTV is unwilling to, or do not know how to, fix.

WNN: When did you purchase your first WebTV, and why?

Cathy: "We were interested in the internet, but didn't really want the expense of a computer and really didn't 'need' any of the other features of a computer. So, one night John saw an infomercial about WebTV. He was so excited and said, 'Hey, this is what I've been waiting for. Let's get one today!'"

John: "Cathy, only lukewarm to the idea said, (in a nagging voice) 'why do you have to get one RIGHT NOW?' Needless to say, a couple of days later we bought a classic and she was hooked! That was in October of 1997 and the rest is history! In February of 98, we updated to a plus and have been very happy with it since."

WNN: Surely many of our readers can relate to that. Were you online before WebTV?

Cathy: "No, we weren't online before WebTV. Internet TV was what John was waiting for; he just knew someone would come up with the technology to have the internet simply and inexpensively."

WNN: Which WebTV did quite well in the early years. How much computer experience do you have?

John: "Cathy works on a computer (actually two with different platforms) daily, but basically just with accounting programs and word processing. Neither one of us had any experience with an online computer."

WNN: Considering all that you have done with your WebTV unit, that's amazing. What was your first experience with HTML? Was it building a page, or your email signature?

Owens4: "Our first journey into HTML was with our email sig. We had no idea what HTML was or that we could use it in email. We saw in the original WebTV users newsgroup several posts with images and colorful large text. We both thought, 'WOW, how did they do that?' So, we wrote the poster and he graciously answered our newbie questions. All he said was, 'Have you ever heard of HTML and Tripod?' That's all it took; off we went to the search engines. Then he answered a few more questions and it had begun! We must admit, it took us three days to get an image to show up in our sig! It turns out this poster lived about six miles away from us! What a small world!"

WNN: This is a very common scenario among WebTV subscribers...and yes, the internet certainly makes this a truly small world. Who did you turn to for help while learning HTML? What resources did you use?

John: "We used mostly the search engines looking for HTML tutorials and help sites. We started out reading info on a site by Big Daddy Bender and another site called Optimized for WebTV. We took tons of notes (we still have our original notebook - well used, I might add). It wasn't long before we found Draac's - we thought he was "god." We wrote him about a mailto link and when he wrote us back, Cathy didn't want to throw away the email, she was soooo excited that the great Draac had written lowly little us!"

WNN: Anyone who has been graced by an email from Draac has surely felt the same way...and the notebook is something many fledgling webmasters can identify with. What was your first webpage?

John and Cathy: "Besides being pitiful? It was just a personal little page. We had a picture, a little text about us, and a few links. We were never satisfied, and it just kept growing and changing until after nearly three years our site has evolved into what it is now. Are we satisfied yet? Heck, no. We're always thinking and updating. We have so many 'projects' in storage, that it will take us awhile to get them ready to be online."

WNN: What a wonderful boost and incentive to other beginning page builders - to know that such a successful couple as you two started out in the same boat. So, was this part of your motivation for creating a tools help site?

Owens4: "A variety of reasons actually prompted us to put together a tools page. We had found MadRabbit's site and thought it was great, but, thinking if it ever went away, a lot of people would be hurting for tools. The nature of the WebTV unit itself prompted the creation of many online tools such as the numerous uploader sites that are out there now, and the various imaging tools. So we thought it might be a good idea to present access to them on a common page, besides other tools and tutorials. We also found many tutorials to be way too technical and dry, so we thought once we learned a new procedure, we'd write a tutorial in an easy to understand format - the way we'd like to see one written. We looked for a good color chart and didn't find one we particularly liked, so we took a basic chart and added to it. All by hand I might add. (No CCP at that time!) Now our color chart shows the 140 Netscape color names in their respective colors, you can change the background color to any one of the 140 for text-to-background contrast, and it lists the color name, RGB value, and hex value. Our intent was to make things a little better or a little easier. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't!"

WNN: What a great lesson. If the tools aren't there for you to use, keep trying until you, yourself, can come up with exactly what is needed. It must be an enormous task to build a tool site, and keep it running. What does it take you two in skills and hours to maintain Owens4 Tools?

Owens4: "Now the time required to maintain our site is much less since we first developed it over three years ago. Besides basic HTML, we've had to learn forms and javascript (which is an ongoing process). Our biggest maintenance problem is making sure the forms are working and current AND making sure that WebTV hasn't made an 'upgrade' and killed something that once worked!"

WNN: How much time per day do you spend helping others via email and/or newsgroups, and how many emails do you receive, and respond to?

Owens4: "On average, a couple of hours a day between emails and newsgroups. Email...probably about 75 - 100. Over the last two (and more) years since we got our plus, we've sent and received approximately 200 a week."

WNN: That is not a small task. Especially when you are as involved in helping others on an individual basis as you two are. Have you delved into DHTML, CSS or other page scripting languages, and if so, will you tell our readers what you are doing with them?

Owens4: "We haven't fully explored these languages because not all aspects of them are compatible with WebTV."

WNN: It is difficult to imagine what you could do for WebTV if those webpage scripting methods were compatible. What do you have planned for the future of Owens4 on the internet?

Owens4: "That's hard to say, we're full of 'ideas.' Our primary goal is to maintain a 'g-rated' site and keep the tools and tutorials updated and helpful. We have no specific plans - just lots of ideas!"

WNN: Always thinking about others, and how to keep things easily accessible, has been a constant for you. I'm sure our readers can't wait to see those ideas become a reality. Where did you spend the bulk of your time when you first came online?

Owens4: "At first, we spent all of our time just plain surfing, since the internet was totally new to us. There were so many exciting things to do and learn. Then we found newsgroups, and some of the possibilities concerning webpage building. That set us off on yet another surfing journey - to find HTML tutorials and webpage providers and to see what kinds of topics other home pages covered. We found the newsgroups to be an invaluable source of information."

WNN: Even with the trolling that's going on, the newsgroups are still a great source of information. Do you use any of the TV enhancements available on the plus unit?

Owens4: "No, we bought WebTV for the web experience, we already had a television! We do use the PIP feature a lot and the TV listings are helpful, but that's about it."

WNN: Where do you see WebTV ten years from now?

Owens4: "Honestly? Obsolete. What would you do with a ten-year-old computer or video game, or other electronic gadget? The set-top-box technology is a wonderful idea, and it will continue to progress until WebTV as we know it today becomes obsolete. Your readers know as well as we do that WebTV has not exactly been 'cutting edge' in keeping up with internet standards."

WNN: Your honesty is appreciated. Have you experienced anything unusual since joining the internet community?

Cathy: "Nothing particularly unusual. John did find an old Air Force buddy that he hadn't seen or talked to in 26 years. That was pretty neat. But in general we've just met a lot of nice people, several who have become good cyber friends. On the flip side of that, we've met several jerks - whose primary purpose for being on the net seems to be to cause trouble! Just like real life!"

WNN: So, even you, two of the best and brightest people on the web, have encountered bad elements. Just shows our readers how real you are. You're parents of two boys. Given that, and your involvement with the internet community, do you have any ideas or suggestions for making the internet safer for children to surf?

John and Cathy: "More parental involvement would be the biggest deterrent. Make sure the children's user is blocked with one of the protection services available. Continuing to make more sites geared towards children, I know there are lots of good sites out there, but the more sites we can provide, the less temptation there might be for children to surf into "forbidden" sites. Perhaps if there were more consequences for those who provide adult-themed sites that children can access, it would be less tempting to the webmasters to make them so easy to get into."

WNN: Spoken like dedicated parents. Which websites do you frequent, and why?

Owens4: "There's no particular site we go to unless it would be the javascript tutorials we've saved. There's always something more to learn about javascript."

WNN: Will you tell us a little bit about the new computer?

Owens4: "We have a Dell P180/200 with a Pentium II processor. It has a 4 gig hard drive with 64MB memory viewed with an HP 17" monitor."

WNN: Comparing the two, how much of your online time is spent on WebTV vs the computer?

Owens4: "Right now, it's about a 50-50 split between the WebTV and PC."

WNN: You mentioned you are using a free ISP...how is that working out for you?

Owens4: "So far, so good! We connect quickly with no problems whatsoever. It makes us wonder why anyone would pay a provider for internet access!"

WNN: Why, indeed. Will you be creating any type of help sites for WebTV users that have bought, or are planning to buy, a PC?

Owens4: "We currently don't have plans to make a 'transition' help site. There's too many variables involved to make a 'one size fits all' site - PC vs Mac, the different browsers, hardware and software setups, etc."

WNN: If you were to pick three top webpage providers (based on ease of use) which would you choose, and why?

John and Cathy: "We have to limit our choices to the free providers, because that's all we've tried. Tripod, Tripod and Tripod! Do you think we favor Tripod? Seriously, we've tried them all, and while Geocities and Angelfire are both very adequate providers, we find Tripod the most user friendly by far, in our opinion."

WNN: Now that you are going strictly PC, do you plan on moving your site to your own server?

Owens4: "No, Tripod has always given us great service and while we may go to our own domain name, that will probably be the extent of our changes."

WNN: Our readers will breathe easier knowing that Owens4 Tools will be around for a long time to come. With the ability to access programs from your PC, what new tools do you think you will come out with, and will they be stricly for WebTV, or both WebTV and PC?

Owens4: "Whew, that's a tough one. If it's possible - any new tools we might add, we'd like to make compatible for both WebTV and PC's. We have made our pages as compatible as possible and still target WebTV, because WebTV users need these tools more than a PC user. As far as the types of tools, in general, whatever will make the home page building experience easier - therefore making it more enjoyable."

WNN: We can't wait to see what you'll come up with. Now that you have access to a PC and all of its advantages, what are your goals for Owens4Tools?

Owens4: "Our biggest goal is to maintain the Tools page and update it as we find new things to offer. Perhaps down the road, as we become more proficient with graphics programs, maybe adding a custom graphics page, free to the community to transload."

WNN: We could sit and talk for hours, you've been so gracious, but we know you want to get back to your work online. WebNewsNow would like to offer a "thank you" to the Owens family - you have made the page building journey for many WebTV users a little easier, and certainly more fun. We wish you well on your journey into the PC world. So, in closing, what's the most significant advantage of being on PC, and what will you miss most about WebTV?

Cathy and John: "The biggest plus on being on a PC is the ENTIRE internet is at our fingertips, not just what WebTV thinks we should have - or the little black box is capable of. It's been absolutely awesome surfing on the PC to all the sites 'WebTV cannot use.' Besides, with a PC we'll be able to manipulate our images with programs that the online services don't provide. We'll miss the WebTV community, in general. There are some fantastic people out there. While we hope this won't happen, once we go strictly PC, we hope we don't lose contact with our WebTV friends. But we've seen it happen before to others and it seems inevitable, perhaps due in large part to the firewalled newsgroups where a lot of people interact."