Web space?

[Noreen]

What do people do with web space, I'm utterly ignorant about it? I just wondered as it seems that we now all have some but not sure what use it could be to me.   

[Kheldar]

seeing as i dont have any Noreen, you could donate it to me 



else people tend to use it to store and show pictures etc

[Rik]

Basically, what Steve says, Noreen. As the free space doesn't come with anything like PHP etc, it can only be used to construct basic websites. I'm using mine to store pics, graphics and avatars, plus the Dunblane PDF.

[cavillas]

I use mine to display a picture and some links to some pdf files and other sites.

[Noreen]

The storing of images could be of interest. Are they only accesssable by the person who "owns" the web space?

[Rik]

Yes and no, Noreen. Basically, one you give out the URL, the space is public. However, if you place an index.html file in every folder you create, people will not be able to browse the contents. As the URL/file names are case-sensitive, then chances of someone guessing the right combination is slim. Let me know if you want the text for the index file.

[Ann]

I use my webspace.. not ID webspace though.. to show the state of play in a scrabble game that I run.  I occasionally put pics up too to show family but as I usually forget to take photos that doesn't happen very often.

[Noreen]

It sounds rather complicated to me, is it?

[Rik]

It's fairly straightforward, Noreen. Imagine the web space as another disk drive on your computer. You need an FTP client to communicate with it, but in other respects, you treat the space as a drive, creating folders, moving files etc. Instead of a simple drive letter and path to access the file, you use a URL, but it's not that different. To let other people see a picture, say, you just give them the full URL.

Alternatively, you can create browsable webspace with a little work. If you go to http://rik.www.idnet.com/index.html, you'll see a very basic web page which I knocked out to test the set up.

[Noreen]

Oh dear, I don't even know what a "FTP client" is. 

[Rik]

It's just a small program to communicate with the web site, Noreen. Think of it as an alternative to Explorer. One pane is the files on your local machine, one is the files on your web space. It's just a matter of moving them from one side to the other, or deleting files on the web if you no longer need them.

If you forget about the concept of web space, and think of it just as a remote hard drive, you'll find it makes more sense. If you only use it to share photos, that's exactly what it is, just like a PhotoBucket account, say.

[Noreen]

Thanks for your patience, Rik, I understand the concept now but where does one get such a program?

[Rik]

I should know this, Noreen, but what browser are you using?

If it's Firefox, download the FireFTP addon, it works like a charm.

If not, take a look at Smart FTP or Cute FTP.

[Noreen]

IE6

[Kheldar]

i've got / used Smart FTP.

took me a little bit of working out but even i managed to use it so hope for everyone 

[Rik]

The important thing to remember, Noreen, is that the username/password/url as given on the setup page is only applicable to nVu. For most FTP clients, you need to enter the url, username and passwords separately.

[colirv]

What do people do with web space

We use it just to let people know a little about ourselves (e.g. contacts we make through Usenet) and so that friends and family can read about what we're up to. It can come over as a bit of an ego trip, which is why I don't, for example, have it in my sig here! I actually have the web site hosted elswhere, but the IDNet web space is just as good.

Anyway, our website is here.

[Rik]

What software did you use to construct the pages, Colin?

[colirv]

Nvu. I only use it as a text editor, though, and for its preview facility - I upload by FTP. My html may not be perfect but at least it's mine - and doesn't have loads of Microsoft rubbish cluttering it up!

[Rik]

 

Can't argue with that sentiment, Colin. For others reading this, who are not aware, Nvu is the tool provided by IDNet.

[Noreen]

Well, I might have a go at this when I'm feeling a bit braver. Cute FTP looks to be the easiest.

[Ann]

I just use IE to move files.  They tell you not to do that but I have no idea why 

[Simon]

It's probably not very secure, Ann.

[colirv]

Cute FTP looks to be the easiest.

Although I've been using the Firefox FTP extension for a while, I used to use SmartFTP, and that's ok. It's also free, which CuteFTP isn't (and you'll need more than a month's trial if you're going to have your own website).

[Noreen]

Thanks for that Colin, hadn't realised that Smart FTP was free.