Archive palestineonline.net was created during the Second Intifada and shows Palestinian cultural aspects in an early history of World Wide Web, sourced from the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine. Tracing Palestinian online presence is a form of resistance, connection, and expression in ongoing occupation. It is therefore important to acknowledge what cannot be taken away, that is Palestinian identity and loyalty to their nation independent from oppressors and ongoing war.
I discovered this study content from 2002 with HTML 4 and CSS by Yahya Al-Sharif from the city of Nablus in Palestine, a member of an early HTML Writers Guild, who teaches web design using the HTML and the design graphics program.
https://palestineonline.net/sites/www.geocities.com/siliconvalley/lab/1832/thissite.html
The introduction starts with the intent of the course to create an easy-to-understand course about HTML and web design in Arabic and expresses the lack of Arabic resources compared to other languages, as it is limited or almost non-existent.
Although the content is corresponding to the time it was created in 1999, it represents the HTML standard from which newer versions to the latest HTML5 have been adapted to.
I created a list of questions that derive from HTML4 to HTML5 versioning, and the references to the Yahya’s HTML4 course content lessons from 1999.
Now looking back 25 years later I find similar teaching methodologies. Referencing information with practical code examples and the level of explainability in documentation is so valuable.
Although I was able to read the course by translating the website, I understand the effort and long investment to create and improve the course content for educating the Arabic speaking community from Palestinians at the time when language and cultural barriers were present in a global medium of World Wide Web.
Do you know the difference between HTML files and HTM files?
Lesson 1: Basics. Defining the Html file and the main tags in it, creating a simple web page. It also includes references of the HTML entity code list.
Which hexadecimal color codes are for the red, green and blue colors?
Lesson 2: Colors. Add some life to your page by using colors and backgrounds
What is the replacement for the <font> tag from HTML4?
“There is always more than one way to perform the same work”.
Lesson 3: Fonts. Controlling fonts on the page, choosing their types, sizes, and formats
Which global HTML attribute sets the direction of the element’s text?
Lesson 4: Paragraphs and Lists, Format and organize your page, and use lists to arrange your data
How many colors do GIF images support?
What is the The Description List element <dl> useful for?
Lesson 5: Inserting pictures and drawings, controlling their sizes and dimensions. Types of image files in the web
How to link a text to the email address?
Lesson 6: Links and Hyperlinks… How did you get here??? By clicking on a hyperlink!
What is the child element on a two-dimensional table, table row or column (cell)?
Lesson 7: Tables (1) Arrange your data within tables, and control the appearance of your page effectively
What does the <caption> HTML tag provide?
Lesson 8: Tables (2) Continue with the tables, and learn about the rest of their tags
* Practical examples of tables
Which tags in HTML4 and HTML5 are for web frames?
Lesson 9: Frames (1) Divide your page into horizontal or vertical frames, or both…it makes no difference!
Which HTML4 elements weren’t supported in older versions of IE and Netscape?
What was the “first browser war” about? (1995–2001)
Lesson 10: Frames (2) It is not enough to include a frame on your page, but also define its characteristics
How does the “target” attribute set the browsing context for the hyperlinks?
Lesson 11: Frames (3) Did you include a frame? Have you made sure that it works properly…?
What is the HTML tag for the Thematic Break (Horizontal Rule)?
Lesson 12: Tags…from here and there without comment…the title is enough
How to deal with image-maps regarding accessibility?
Lesson 13: Image Maps: Just one image…and several hyperlinks
Have to style an HTML table within an input form?
Lesson 14: Forms (1) Would you like to survey your visitors’ opinions? …You have forms
How many HTML input elements do you know?
Lesson 15: Forms (2) There are many shapes… but the form is one
Which encoding standard is used to display Arabic characters on browsers?
Lesson 16: Browsers and special tags are a constant concern for web page designers
How to add a paragraph in English on a page written in Arabic?
Lesson 17: The Web and the Arabic Language The Web… speaks Arabic
How to make your website recognised by the search engines?
Lesson 18: META tags and search engines How do you make them find your site..?!
From the list of references only one domain has remained neelwafurat.com which is the largest online store for Arabic books, including more than 800,000 paper books and 23,000 e-books from various Arab publishing houses.
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