Basic info on the site
History
My family first got a computer in 1999, when I was 10, and that was when I discovered how to use the Internet. I have been really interested in history for a long, long time, and I eventually began wanting to make a history website of my own. My Internet service provider, Comcast, offers users the ability to make small personal websites, and I first tried that. However, I quickly became frustrated using their site-builder because I didn't have much control over the look or organization of my site. I figured there must be alternatives to Comcast's annoying site-builder, so I went to the book store and checked out the web design section. I bought Web Design for Teens by Maneesh Sethi, and that's how I discovered HTML for the first time. I spent a couple of months learning HTML, CSS, and SSI, and choosing a host and domain name. I settled on Imperials.us as a domain name and got hosted at PowWeb, where I am still hosted today. I unveiled the site on January 1, 2006. Not surprisingly, it was ugly and plain at first, but it gradually got better and better as my skills improved. In the spring of 2008 I got a new domain name because I was getting bored of the old one, and the site became ImperialKingdom.net. The site is still a work in progress, as all websites are, and I am slowly adding more and more content, trying to make this site as comprehensive as I can, while at the same time updating my code as I learn more about web design.
Technical
I code this site by hand using Dreamweaver, and I make my graphics in Fireworks and occasionally Paint when I just need to make simple things. This site uses HTML, CSS, PHP, and in some sections SSI. I use some Java applets, JavaScripts, and PHP scripts from other great sites.
My computer is a Toshiba laptop running Windows XP, with a resolution of 1280x800. I also occasionally use my family's Gateway desktop computer, which also runs Windows XP and has a resolution of 800x600. Internet Explorer is my browser of choice, but I occasionally use Firefox.
About the name
This site was originally called Imperials.us, which I chose because it reflected the fact that this site is about monarchs, emperors, and other rulers from history. After two years I started to get sick of the name, but I still wanted something with the word imperial in it. I decided on Imperial Kingdom because I thought it sounded cool. Unfortunately, ImperialKingdom.com was already taken, so I settled on ImperialKingdom.net.
