HTML makes use of tags within a document to indicate how it is to be displayed. HTML stands for Hypertext Markup Language. It is not a programming language, just a markup language.
I learned HTML on my own from the following site:
NCSA--A Beginner's Guide to HTML
Here's another one that looks good too.
HTML Primer
You have the capability of having webpages on the Internet from within your account. On the same directory level as your home directory, you also have a couple of other directories: Mail, backup, and pub.
Files that you keep in your pub directory are available for the public to see. This is where I put files that I want you to be able to copy for your projects. It is also where you'll want to put your webpage(s).
Within your pub directory you either already have, or should create a www subdirectory.
OIT maintains an extensive site for information about making webpages at UMBC
Other information about AFS can be found on the AFS Reference Page