hTmL-hElPz~yourownsiteinfo

:continuous updating:

YOUR OWN SITE/FTP INFO:
created just for you~by :j:

Sunday, June 24, 2001

YOUR OWN SITE

Why have your own Site?
Ok, the main reason is when you use the free sites and they decide to boot you cause your using THEIR server outside of their community, there goes all your stuff you posted. You can make a page within their community and hook all your images and stuff up there and HOPEFULLY they will not delete you and see you are using their server outside of their community. I say..why take the chance. I hear alot of folks complaining about this. So I am going to attempt to explain how this works. FTP, domain and hosting. I am sure you can go to google.com, the best search engine alive...[my 2cents] and do a search on this and find out more info. It is not that expensive plus if you decide to do a business site you definitely DO NOT want to use a free site. Most free sites have banners or something on your site to acknowledge them. You want to acknowledge your product not them. Plus it will make you look cheap using a free site. <----only way to put it.
TOOLS YOU NEED FOR YOUR SITE

1. FTP [FTP=file transfer protocol] is the simplest and most secure way to exchange files over the Internet. An FTP site is like a large filing cabinet. With a traditional filing cabinet, the person who does the filing has the option to label and organize the files how ever they see fit. They also decide which files to keep locked and which remain public.

2. Domain name~A name you pick that will be your site/url on the internet. Example: http://passionettez.net or http://wcm1.net or http://YOUR CHOICE.net Most sites that have domain registration will give you the choice of .net .com .org .tv or .cc plus more.

3. Hosting~In order for people around the world to be able to view your pages on the internet at any time, you will need to place your web pages on a "web server". Web servers are computer which are connected to the internet 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and are only used to serve web pages to internet users. Placing your files on a server is called hosting, since the server is hosting your files for you.

FTP CLIENT
An FTP Client is software that is designed to transfer files back-and-forth between two computers over the Internet [your ocputer and your host<--space you have on the internet]. It needs to be installed on your computer and can only be used with a live connection to the Internet. [I can direct you where to go to get this software so don't worry about that part.] The classic FTP Client look is a two-pane design. The pane on the left displays the files on your computer and the pane on the right displays the files on the 'remote' computer. Remote computer meaning your space on the internet.

File transfers are as easy as dragging-and-dropping files from one pane to the other or by highlighting a file and clicking one of the direction arrows located between the panes. This tool is so cool. Once I got the hang of it I was like in heaven [well not exactly but you know what I mean]. You can have your site open in Internet Explorer [which is the best to view in], have your FTP client open and your index.html open and check everything as you add stuff to your site. Within seconds.

DOMAIN REGISTERING
A domain name is basically an address for a website. In reality, each server on the internet is referred to by an IP address, which is made up of numbers and periods (for example 111.222.333.444). The IP address of a server tells all computers on the internet where to find it. Domain names are used as a replacement for IP addresses. Instead of having to remember numbers for each website we like to visit, we can remember the domain name which can be any alphanumeric word(s) with the hyphen character also allowed. People and organizations register domain names from any domain registrar. These are companies which maintain a large database containing all registered domain names and which IP addresses they are associated with. Registration of a domain is done for a number of years (registrars charge fees which vary greatly, so be careful when you register a domain). Domains can also be renewed once the registration period is over, or else they will expire and be available for others to register. Currently, as of April 1st 2001, the acceptable price range for domain registration is $15 - $20 per year. Some companies are still charging up to $35 per year, and some companies require you to register for 2 or more years at a time. It is very wise to look at a number of different domain registrars and compare their prices and the services they provide before registering a domain name. Domain names can have one of many extensions, and new extensions are being added regularly. The most popular "top level domain", or extension, is the .com (dot com). Other popular extensions include .net, .org and recently added .tv! An important thing to know when registering a domain name is that you will be asked to specify Administrative, Technical and Billing contacts for your domain name. You MUST make sure that you are the Administrative and Billing contact for your domain. The Administrative contact can easily make changes to your domains settings making it point to another website for example, or change the owner information. You may also make yourself the technical contact, although it is recommended that your hosting company put their information if possible. You also need to know about DNS settings. DNS stands for Domain Name Servers. These are servers which keep a database of all the domains and the IP addresses they are associated with. When you use paid hosting services, you will be given primary and secondary DNS servers to use. You will need to place this information in your domain records with your domain registrar. The DNS server is what will point your domain to your account at your hosting company. Without this information being correct, your domain name may stop responding or may being up the wrong page when typed in by users! That's why its very important to set your DNS information when you register your domain and whenever you change hosting companies! You can go to Google.com to search to see if you can find better prices, if you do please let me know so I can add them. Thanks!! Here are a few to check out:

1. 000domains~$13.50 per year
2. Netnameone ~$12.99 per year
3. 123cheapdomains~$13.95 per year
4. GODADDY~$8.95 per year [have to buy for 2 years doe]

FAQ
Q. How long can my domain name be? A. Due to server limitations, domain names can be no longer than 63 characters (not including the .com, .net or .org). Many servers are unable to understand or process addresses consisting of longer combinations. It is better to have a short name, it is easier for the viewer to remember. Plus easier to spell.
Q. What characters can my domain name include? A. Domain names can include letters and numbers. Hyphens are the only special character allowed. Domain names may not begin or end with a hyphen.
Q. What is a top level domain or TLD? A. A top level domain is simply the suffix attached at the end of the domain name. For instance, BiggerBolder is our domain name, but .COM is the TLD. Some examples of TLD's include: .Com, .Net, .Org, .TV, .CC and .WS. There are many other global TLD's as well. Registration services for the .Com, .Net, .Org.
Q. What are the rules for TLD's? A. .Com - May be used for commercial or personal websites __.Net - Recommended for business involved with Internet Infrastructure __.Org - for not-for profit organizations, charities, etc.
Q. What does it cost to register a .Com, .Net or .Org domain name? A. Domain registration prices vary from registrar to registrar.
Q. Once I register a domain name do I "own" it? A. The registrant contracts the use of the domain, similiar to renting a house. While this topic has been the subject of some debate, ownership is not granted to registrants of domain names. If you are the administrator of the domain name then it is yours. Though you must keep up your yearly fee to whomever you bought this domain from. Or else it is up for grabs.
Q. Is it important to use a registration company that provides a password protected account? A. The answer is a strong YES. Password protection should always be a standard part of the services provided by domain registration companies. Without password protected accounts, it is possible to have your domain name stolen or "hijacked" from you. Hijackings are somewhat rare but have occurred in cases where password protection was not offered by certain registration companies.

HOSTING
OK you really have to search for the best deal and the major items you will need in hosting. Sometimes the best deal moneywise is not good for your needs. A few things to look for, how much bandwidth, ftp transfer bandwidth included, if you get your domain name from them make sure YOU are the administrator, and how much space you get on the internet. Bandwidth means the amount of traffic that comes to your site and the ftp usage you use. My last host gave me 2 gigs of bandwidth. If you are just have a site and that is it then 2 gigs will be sufficient for you and 50 mb of space would be enough for you as well. Now if you want a business site then you need to increase your bandwidth and space online. There are so many hosting companies online. I suggest that when you find a few that you think will accomodate your needs and call BBB [better business bureau] and check them out. See how long they have been in business and see if there are any complaints. Remember, just because it is a low fee monthly doesn't mean it is right for you. Here are a few hosting companies I recommend but still do YOUR homework in finding a host.

1. HostRocket~this is the one I chose. I have the economy package. I get 300 mb of space, 12 gb of bandwidth and unlimited emails plus more. I pay 12.95 per month but if I paid for the full year it would equal to 9.95 per month. Which is not bad..I used to pay $10.00 per month and only got 2 gigs of bandwidth and only 50 mb of space. My one time set up fee was $9.95 for the other host I had it was $25.00. Big difference.
2. Findahost ~you can search through their extensive list of web hosting providers, read and add reviews of each provider, and rate individual aspects of hosts.
3. ThinkHost~$14.99 per month, on time set up fee $10.00 plus about this is that I know it has been in business for over 2 years. You get 100 mb of space and 2 gigs of bandwidth. Good for a start up. When I had my other host I had only 50 mb of space and 2 gigs of bandwidth, I had 1 page up that linked to 4 other pages plus used the services to link to my GB signings and my community pages. So 2 gigs was enuff for me to do that.
4. 123Cheaphosting~$9.94 per month or $99.00 per year~20% off. $10.00 set up fee. 50 mb of space and 5 gigs of bandwidth plus numerous additions.

Well this is a start on FTP, domain and hosting info. I hope it is not confusing, it really isn't. Remember NO PAIN NO GAIN. At first to me this seemed confusing but now that I took the time and someone was patient enough to show me I am loving it. And so will you. The next step is learning how to use your FTP client. YOUR WSFTP_Pro that I can give you a tidbit where to get. It is not hard. If you need any assistance with the above be sure to hit the support areas of the sites you have registered with. They are really helpful. And if that fails hit me up, I will help out as much as I can.

Tips:
STEALING BANDWITH IS A NO NO....SO DON'T DO IT.

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