Wednesday, March 31, 2004

Securing Sally's Site

Sally, don't you get free web space with your Internet subscription? I bet you already have a few megabytes of server space just waiting for you to fill!


(Editorial Content: Actually, I just tried to do a search of your options and it appears as if your Internet Service Provider is unwilling to provide free space. This goes against what has been standard practice in most countries for over fifteen years! Okay, I bet they are afraid of what people might 'say' by the way of electronic bits on their servers. Heads might roll if somebody publicly criticized something. Is Etisalat still a monopoly there? That company did, and apparently still does, more damage to the development of technical prowess in the United Arab Emirates than can be imagined! For the sake of profit, they want to keep a strangle-hold on an area where ordinary citizens and residents alike should be encouraged to open new borders! How does one spell D-I-N-O-S-A-U-R ?)

Anyway, there's nothing special about a web site nor in creating one. A 'site' is just a directory that sits on a computer always connected to the Net and running 'server' software. Any file on that computer can be made 'available' to any other computer on the Net. Those files ending with .htm or .html will be automatically viewed in a browser.

When you type the name of a web site, you essentially see an initial page which is usually entitled index.html. Even if you don't see the full page name in your browser address bar, you're still looking at the index file:

  • www.DennisSylvesterHurd.com.


  • There can be hundreds or thousands of files in that directory, but nobody will be able to see 'em unless there's a 'link' to them. It's a little like the proverbial tree falling in the forest... Only the index.html will show when a basic URL is entered. However, if a potential visitor knows the exact name of a file in the directory, they are be able to type in the complete path name to view. Here's a reference to a photo page with my first car:

    pinto

  • www.DennisSylvesterHurd.com/pinto.htm.


  • You are techie enough to learn how to use a File Transfer Program. This type of program just copies files from a working directory on your computer to the server computer. Many web hosting sites offer online management features where one can copy files, but it's probably easier to use a program specific to the task:

  • Download Free WS_FTP LE


  • We can hunt-up available service space for you. Then, we can run a series of practice lessons via email and this blog! Are you game?

    Best always, Dennis