FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions Options

[hi-C]

I'm gonna leave this topic open so that anyone who thinks of something that ought to be in here can add it.

Q: What is hosting?
A: Hosting is “the storage and maintenance of the data making up the content of websites.� To say it simply, it’s maintaining a personal website.

Q: What is a host?
A: A host is someone who has server space for your website.

Q: What is a sub-domain?
A: Your website. Your host has a domain. You have an offset of it, hence the prefix “sub.�

Q: What does it take to get hosted?
A: Hosts prefer you to have good graphic design skills, and familiarity with some coding language (HTML, CSS, PHP). Some also require you to already know how to use an FTP (file transfer protocol) server. Sounds complicated but it really isn’t. If you’ve used Geocities, Angelfire, Imageshack, etc, to host files, you can use an FTP. If you need some help, I’m sure your host would be willing to help you (within reason, that is).

Q: What’s so great about getting hosted?
A: You get to be creative and expand and learn more about design. It’s especially great if you need more design freedom than a myspace, xanga, livejournal, or blogger can offer.

Q: Is it easy to get hosted?
A: That depends on the personal preferences of the host.

Q: Do I have to pay to be hosted?
A: For the most part, no, but again, that depends on the host. There are also a lot free hosting sites out there (check out the "Free Hosting" section in the Big Book of Resources).

Q: I’m looking at the features that the hosts are offering, but what are they?

FTP – I mentioned it before, but didn't go into detail. FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol. It is the concept of moving files from the hard drive on your local computer to your host's server, where others can look at them. The process of transferring files is called uploading. Some of the different FTP programs include SmartFTP, CuteFTP, FTPx, TurboFTP, WsFTP, and FileZilla. There are many others which you can search for on Google.

MySQL – MySQL is a type of database. SQL is the language used to program it. If you have a blog on your subdomain, it'll use MySQL, in addition to or instead of CGI-BIN/Perl (see below).

Bandwidth - Bandwidth is "a measure of the capacity of a communications channel. The higher a channel's bandwidth, the more information it can carry" (Texas A&M). What impact does this have on your site? Bandwidth determines how many times your site and its files can be accessed. So look for a host that offers a high bandwidth.

CGI-BIN / Perl - CGI-BIN is the place where your CGI scripts/programs are stored. Perl is used to create CGI programs. You'll need this for your blog.


Q: What if my host doesn’t have blog software set up for me? What can I use?
A: Most blog software requires you to have cgi-bin/MySQL/Perl access. If you’re not sure of how to get to it, ask your host. Some popular ones are CuteNews, Moveable Type, Wordpress, B2 (for which we have a couple of tutorials - 1, 2), and Greymatter. For those who don’t want to have their blog hosted on their subdomain, there are other options available. And there's Haloscan, a commenting and trackback service. If you have a paid LiveJournal account, you can embed its source into your page and use it.

Request FAQ

Since the introduction of cB4 The request forums have been removed. Due to that factor all requests need to be made through profiles. You may

• Comment someone's profile to see who makes custom layouts or designs.
• PM someone who you think may make custom layouts or designs.

Please refrain from making a topic about it because it will be closed by Design Staff. Try your best to find someone who will may be able to help you. As a note its best to check out the people that submit layouts to cB or post graphics. Try not to bug them but ask nicely and politely.

This post has been edited by jaeminnie: Aug 26 2008, 06:53 PM

[Mulder]

i wish this was here when i was looking for hosts! thanks for posting it!