Part 2: Web Site Management for Photographers

THE ADD-ONS

Last month we discussed how to choose an IPP, and determine the ceiling on your storage needs. What else is there? You need unlimited FTP access to your site. FTP is a transfer method that your webmaster will use to update your site. All IPPs support FTP access, but most ISPs that host personal Web sites do not. It should be included in the basic price.

Bells & Whistles

Would you like a counter on your site? How about a guestbook, or feedback forms? These are all small auxillary programs.

You could pay to have your own custom-made, or use ready-made ones provided by your IPP. They may be called CGI scripts, Java scripts or something else, but you will usually need access to either a common CGI directory provided by the IPP (less expensive) or your own CGI directory (more expensive.)

If your IPP provides these scripts, make sure they work! Ask to see sites using the scripts. Ask to see the on-line documentation so your webmaster can learn how to set-up the scripts. One of my clients signed up with an IPP who offered CGI scripts, including on-line documentation. It was incomplete and full of typos. It took about a dozen phone calls, six weeks and many, many hours to get a basic counter running correctly. Normally, this takes only a few minutes!

A common CGI directory is shared by everyone else on your host's computer. You cannot usually modify any of the scripts. Your own CGI directory allows you to customize the scripts provided by your IPP, and to add other scripts that you find or create.

Many IPPs support Microsoft FrontPage Extensions. These extensions provide features similar to the more common CGI scripts, such as page counters, guestbooks, forms and search engines. If your webmaster uses FrontPage and you wish to use these special features, your IPP must support them.

Usually, you will not care what kind of computer your host uses. Most use Unix, some use NT, a few use Mac. FrontPage extensions run on anything. If your webmaster does use FrontPage, there are additional features available that work only on an NT host. These are mostly for database connectivity or mid-range "shopping carts" such as MS Merchant Server. You shouldn't need these things. NT hosts are usually more expensive than Unix hosts.