After seeing all that crazy text, how is it that when you normally look at this file it's so pretty and colorful and not just a bunch of text? The answer is the program--called a browser--you're using to view this website. The browser knows how to read the text files and translate them in a way that's easier for people to read. There are lots of different browsers out there for you to use. Some of the most popular are Internet Explorer, Safari, Mozilla Firefox, and Netscape. Can you identify which one you're using?*

The crazy text you see in the source file is written in a type of language called HTML, which stands for HyperText Markup Language. HTML is the language that web pages are written in and is really easy to learn. This tutorial will teach you enough HTML for you to make your own web page. It may seem like magic now, but after reading a few paragraphs and playing around with the language, you can make your own cool web pages to share with your family, friends, and the rest of the world.

*Here's a tip: If you look at the very top of this window, you should see the name of the browser you're using.