So, you want your own website...

As the proud owner of four websites, I can safely say that I know a bit about web servers. There's the ones you pay for, which generally give you unlimited space (or so much space that you won't be able to fill it all even if you upload your entire computer), an easy-to-remember URL (That's your address, for those who don't know what a URL is. I think it stands for Uniform Resource Locator. Or Unimportant Raunchy Link. Either way.), and a bill at the end of the month. Every month. That's why they ask for a credit card number right from the start. Otherwise, it's false advertising, and we wouldn't want that. Not even on the Internet. (Though that freeware/shareware line is rather blurry...)
Which brings me to the glorious concept of the free web server. I know, I know, they say that nothing comes for free, but these really do. All you need is a computer with a connection to the Internet (okay, so that isn't free), and a very rudimentary knowledge of HTML. (For any newbies reading this, that's HyperText Markup Language. Or Horribly Tremendously Muddled Language. That's the code you write these pages in. If you're not a complete newbie to the wonderful world of building your own websites--this statement is directed at one particular person--then ignore this, move on, and don't torment me about it later.) Free web servers have the advantage of being just that--free. No start-up cost (which the others invariably don't bother to tell you about until it's too late), and no monthly bill. That's a very nice thing when you've just gotten this month's Internet bill, and you suddenly realize that you accidentally changed the number the modem dials to some number in Outer Mongolia, so you're charged per minute, which comes to around $1000--not including the phone bill!
Free servers have other advantages, as well. Due to their naturally larger size, they often have their own search engines, and give you convenient places to add your site to the list. They make it a lot easier to upload graphics. Many of them give you a choice in page editors, so if your knowledge of HTML is limited, your page won't look like it was constructed by chipmunks running across the keyboard while drunk. (Nothing against chipmunks.) And if you can type HTML in your sleep, you can go beyond the constraints of the basic editor and do your own thing. (Which comes in very handy after a couple of weeks, when you decide that the background just isn't working and you found a very nice one that you'd like to use instead.) So, you're probably thinking, "Get on with it! I want to know where I can go to make a website that rambles less than yours!"

FREE WEB SERVERS
SERVER PROS CONS MY HUMBLE OPINION

AngelFire
the basic editor is actually basic
easy to convert to advanced editor
free counters
extensive graphics library with easy-to-use graphics (for once)
sound f/x library

200 KB space
very few promotional services
did I mention the 200 KB limit?
AngelFire is a good place for the beginning webmaster, making it very easy for almost anyone to create a nice site. However, once you get into your website, you'll probably run out of room. (Just look at me.)

GeoCities
free guestbooks, counters and e-mail
supports forms and imagemaps, with FAQs for both
multiple "neighborhoods" let you set up your site in the ideal area
lots of online HTML help
multiple uploads made easy
2 MB space

index page is always under the advanced editor--difficult for beginners to handle
e-mail is very slow and difficult to get to
very little in the way of graphics--you'll have to do it yourself
vacancies are often hard to find unless you go to the outskirts of the "neighborhood"
URLs are long and have nothing to do with the name of your site
GeoCities is a very good place for the intermediate to advanced webmaster. Beginners will probably be frustrated by having to find their own graphics in order to make a viable website. My advice: skip the e-mail. You can find much better free e-mail elsewhere.

Tripod
two layout options for the basic editor
2 MB space

no graphics whatsoever
very few free services
the ad at the bottom costs money to remove
often takes a while to load
Tripod isn't exactly my first choice. It would be extremely disheartening for a beginner, and more advanced webmasters may very well get frustrated with it, too. Still, with its free 2MB of space, Tripod is a good choice for the intermediate to advanced webmaster.

Fortune City (Sorry, I don't have an image for this one.)
6 MB space! 6 MB space! 6 MB space!
lots of "neighborhoods"--vacancies easy to find
moving in is easy!
graphics library available in the basic editor
did I mention 6 MB of space?

can take a long time to load
haven't yet found an index for the graphics library
unremovable ad at the top of you page
a very long URL
Fortune City gives you 6 MB space! (I still can't get over this...) I would definitely recommend this for the intermediate to advanced webmaster (finally, a place to put all your stuff!), but there might not be enough to keep beginners interested. I only wish I could find out where all the graphics are kept...

**FREE WEB SERVERS**
SERVER	PROS	CONS	MY HUMBLE OPINION
AngelFire	the basic editor is actually basic easy to convert to advanced editor free counters extensive graphics library with easy-to-use graphics (for once) sound f/x library	200 KB space very few promotional services did I mention the 200 KB limit?	AngelFire is a good place for the beginning webmaster, making it very easy for almost anyone to create a nice site. However, once you get into your website, you'll probably run out of room. (Just look at me.)
GeoCities	free guestbooks, counters and e-mail supports forms and imagemaps, with FAQs for both multiple "neighborhoods" let you set up your site in the ideal area lots of online HTML help multiple uploads made easy 2 MB space	index page is always under the advanced editor--difficult for beginners to handle e-mail is very slow and difficult to get to very little in the way of graphics--you'll have to do it yourself vacancies are often hard to find unless you go to the outskirts of the "neighborhood" URLs are long and have nothing to do with the name of your site	GeoCities is a very good place for the intermediate to advanced webmaster. Beginners will probably be frustrated by having to find their own graphics in order to make a viable website. My advice: skip the e-mail. You can find much better free e-mail elsewhere.
Tripod	two layout options for the basic editor 2 MB space	no graphics whatsoever very few free services the ad at the bottom costs money to remove often takes a while to load	Tripod isn't exactly my first choice. It would be extremely disheartening for a beginner, and more advanced webmasters may very well get frustrated with it, too. Still, with its free 2MB of space, Tripod is a good choice for the intermediate to advanced webmaster.
Fortune City (Sorry, I don't have an image for this one.)	6 MB space! 6 MB space! 6 MB space! lots of "neighborhoods"--vacancies easy to find moving in is easy! graphics library available in the basic editor did I mention 6 MB of space?	can take a long time to load haven't yet found an index for the graphics library unremovable ad at the top of you page a very long URL	Fortune City gives you 6 MB space! (I still can't get over this...) I would definitely recommend this for the intermediate to advanced webmaster (finally, a place to put all your stuff!), but there might not be enough to keep beginners interested. I only wish I could find out where all the graphics are kept...

Well, there you have it! As this page expands, I'll be taking a look at free e-mail, guestbooks, and more. In the meantime, you can find lots of free graphics (and links to more) for your new website at Weirdnicity Online's Art Gallery.