Web Site Distribution

 

 

How do I get my web site on the internet?

Once you have taken the time to build a web site, you will need to upload all of your web pages and their associated files (i.e., pictures and audio) to a server that is connected to the internet. The first step is locating a web service provider that hosts web sites. Almost any ISP (internet service provider) includes these services. How do you find an ISP? Start with whoever provides you access to the internet (i.e., AOL, Roadrunner, etc.). All of these are ISPs. If you are developing a web site that is non-profit, most of these providers will give you free space on their server to host your web site. Of course, if you are building a classroom web site, you should let your school's provider host the web site. You can find out how to get space on the school's server from the instructional technologist for your area. They can give you detailed information on how much information you can put on the server and how to get it on the server. The most common way to get files from your computer to the server that will be hosting your web site is by using a service called FTP (file transfer protocol).

File Transfer Protocol (FTP)

File Transfer Protocol is simply a program that allows you to easily send the files from one computer to another. There are many versions of these programs but two of the most popular programs are WinFTP and CuteFTP. You can download a free 30 day trial of either of these programs from the internet. You will need two critical pieces of information to use the programs: the FTP address and password. You can get this information from the ISP who is hosting your web site. Once you enter this information, the programs will display your computer files on one side of the screen with the computer files on the server on the other side of the screen. You can then simply drag and drop the files from one location to the other. See the tutorial on FTP for more detailed information on this topic.

How do I find my web site on the internet?

Once you have contacted your ISP and setup an account, they will provide you with a URL (uniform resource locator). This is simply the internet address where your web page is located. A common URL contains three basic pieces of information: the type of protocol (rules), where to look, exact address, type of extension. If you think about your home address, it isn't any different. You have a street name, house or apartment number, city, state, and zip code. If you change any one of those elements, you will not arrive at your house but somewhere else. A URL (or address) on the internet is no different. For instance, the URL to this web site is http://www.piezon.com. This address can be broken down into the four parts listed above.

1. "http://" - this is the type of protocol or "rules" that are being used to transfer the information
2. "www" - this tells you that your files are located on the world wide web
3. "piezon" - this is the exact file on the world wide web
4. ".com" - this tell you that the web site is a commercial web site

There are many types of web sites. The example above was a commercial web site. There are also .net, .edu, .org, .us., .biz, and many more. If you host your web site through your school, you will almost certainly have a ".edu" extension. This stands for education. If you would like to understand a little more about how web sites get their names and the types of extensions, Register.com is one place to start. This company is just one among many that can sell you a domain name. Once again, if you are hosting your site on a school server, you do not need a domain name. Your school already has one and will give you an address on that server.