A REAL Beginner's Guide to Designing a Web Site (continued) |
Once you’ve got the address of your directory what do you do with it? How do you get into the server computer in order to put it your files? How do you transfer your files to the server computer? Questions, questions, questions. Don’t panic. Every-thing will be fine. Stay calm. Read this: How to Transfer Your Web Pages Once you have your Web pages ready and you know what Web page server you will put them on, you will need software called an FTP program. (FTP stands for File Transfer Protocal). The FTP program is installed in your computer just like any other program. It’s a commun-ications program which works via the Internet to make a connection between your computer and the server computer. You can probably get an FTP program from your Internet Service Provider or your schoolboard, if you are working for one. Or you can The most popular FTP program is called WS_FTP which can be found at: www.ipswitch.com/ It costs about $60.00 CDN. When the FTP program first starts you will find a section (usually called a “profile”) into which you can enter the basic connection commands. These include: the name of the host (server) computer, the name of the directory into which you will put your files (usually called the “remote” directory), your username and your password. You should get all this stuff from your Internet Service Provider. Once you have entered this information, click on OK and the connection is established. Once you have connected you will see a split screen. One side will be your computer directory and files; the other side will be the directory on the remote (server) computer. To transfer a file click on the name of the file in your computer and then click on the arrow pointing towards the remote computer. Sit back and watch the transfer take place. If you have more than one file you can transfer them as a group. After you have transferred the file (or files), exit the FTP program. Start up your browser and type in your address. Then congratulate yourself on your first home page! Bravo! The three basic steps to creating a Web site are: 1. Create a Web page called index.html to act as your homepage. Create other pages (files) if you need them and put links to them on the homepage. 2. Find an Internet Service Provider. This can be either your schoolboard, through your organization or by an outside company. 3. Transfer your file (or files) to the server computer using a program called FTP. If you have any images or graphics on your pages don’t forget to transfer those files as well. These are the basic steps. There is obviously much more to explore in the construction of a Web site. But forget about all that other stuff for now. Figure out these basic steps first. Make mistakes. Have fun. The fancy stuff can come later. And remember: you can’t break anything. Go for it! Mark Haslett is a volunteer instructor in Vancouver, BC. Literacy Notes One in Four Adults Involved in Learning Activities Human Resources Development Canada (HRDC) has recently released a report indicating that more than one in four Canadian adults is partici-pating in continuous learning activities. Most of the adults are involved in learning activities which are directly related to job or career advancement. Urban dwellers between the ages of 25 and 44 are more likely to participate in lifelong learning. This report is the first of a series of fact sheets on Canada’s Adult Learner’s and Learning Technologies, with plans for future fact sheets on women, seniors, learners with disablities, the barriers to lifelong learning and the use of technology in adult education and training. More information on this report and other OLT publications can be found at: http://olt-bta.hrdc-drhc.gc.ca/. |