Answers
to Frequently Asked Questions
What
is the difference between Web hosting and Web design? [back
to top]
Artmaker specializes in Web hosting,
not Web design. Web hosting is the behind-the-scenes service that involves
the year-round system administration of Web servers (hardware) connected
to the Internet. Web hosting also involves supporting new and emerging
technologies that are being developed for the Web, and providing the technical
assistance that enables the Web designers to implement these enhancements.
Web design is the art of taking a multimedia message and putting it into
a readable Web format, HTML. Visit our Virtual Help Desk for reference
material that will get you up and running in publishing your site. We can
also provide you our own designer if you need someone else to design your
site for you.
A Virtual Domain
means having your own domain name (http://www.yourname.com) without having
to install expensive server hardware and software. With a Virtual Domain,
you utilize our server's storage space, however you are still professionally
represented via your own personal Internet web address domain name and
by your own personal e-mail address domain name (you).
You should
check InterNIC's "WHOIS" service to make sure that
your desired domain name is available.
The InterNIC
is an independent organization responsible for holding the registration
and routing of Internet domain names. Without these people it would be
virtually impossible to maintain sanity on the Internet. Registration fee
is $100 for the first two years and $50/year thereafter for your virtual
domain name. The InterNIC will send you an invoice via email between 3
weeks to 1-1/2 months after the domain is registered.
Can
I access my domain address with or without the "www"?
[back
to top]
Yes, you will
be able to access the domain address with or without the "www" in front
of the domain name. Example: [http://www.yourname.com] or [http://yourname.com]
is acceptable, whichever you prefer.
Do
you offer dial-up Internet access? [back
to top]
No, you will
need local Internet access in order to maintain your web site and retrieve
email addressed to your site. If you have questions concerning your current
Internet access, and whether or not it will comply with Artmaker's web
services, please contact us via e-mail.
Does
Artmaker handle the domain registration process? [back
to top]
Yes. We will
contact the InterNIC once your account
is activated to request either a new domain name registration or a domain
name modification (trasferring an existing domain to our servers). Please
DO NOT submit a registration or modification template to the InterNIC
as this will only delay the process.
Can
I transfer existing domain name to Artmaker's servers?
[back to top]
Yes, just be
sure to specify that you are requesting a transfer and NOT a new domain.
You should keep the service with your current provider while waiting for
InterNIC to complete the transfer process. We will provide you with a temporary
IP address so you can mirror the site on our server. All email and web
pages will still be accessed from your current site. Once you receive notice
to approve changes from the Internic, it may take another 48 hours for
InterNIC's Zone files to be thoroughly updated.
How
long does it take before my domain name is active? [back
to top]
Once the InterNIC
announces that your domain name has been registered (or transferred, if
applicable), it usually takes about 48-hours before it is active. All Internet
providers must update their records (DNS tables) to reflect the new site's
location.
How
do I transfer files to my web site ? [back
to top]
Files must be
transferred to the web server via File Transport Protocol (FTP) or Telnet.
To learn how to use FTP, telnet, mail, or other Internet software, visit
the Virtual Help Desk. You will find FTP and Telnet information and tutorials
to help you do it yourself. If you have any questions 24 hour e-mail support
is available.
Will
I have unlimited access to update my pages ? [back
to top]
You have unlimited
access via FTP and Telnet 24-hours a day. As such, you can create and maintain
your web pages on your own computer and upload files to your web site at
your leisure.
Can
I use my account for commercial purposes ? [back
to top]
Yes, you can
use your account for commercial purposes. The World Wide Web has become
the most efficient and cost-effective means of making information available
to the users of the Internet community and we encourage our customers to
utilize such an enormous medium.
Do
you offer technical support to customers ? [back
to top]
Yes. We encourage
our customers to send email to support with questions or concerns
regarding their web service. Your questions will be answered promptly and
courteously. No question is trivial to us.
How
long does it take to set up a new account ? [back
to top]
New accounts
are generally set up within 24 hours from the time we receive your order.
Once an account is set up an activation notice will be sent to you via
email including your user-ID, password, and FTP hostname. You can begin
uploading files to your new web site immediately. Domain account users
will be given their IP address to access their site via the web prior to
the completion of either domain registration or domain modification.
What are all
the files and directories in my home directory?
[back
to top]
www................This
is your web directory. Place all your web files in there.
infobots..........This is where you will need to put all your infobot
text files.
anonftp...........This is your anonymous ftp directory.
.redirect..........This is the configuration file for mail aliases.
How
do I run my own CGI programs? [back
to top]
There are two ways:
1. Put your CGI programs in the cgi-bin directory. When calling
the programs from the web page, you must use the alias for the cgi-bin
directory. The alias is "cgi-yourdomainname". If your domain is example.com,
then the alias is cgi-example. Note that ".com" is not included. So the
action line from your form page would look like action="/cgi-example/program".
2. Put your CGI programs anywhere outside of the cgi-bin directory. In
this case, the program name must end in ".cgi".
How
do I use cgiemail and the graphical counters?
[back
to top]
Cgiemail is is a program that will email you the forms
filled out from the web.
Here's an example -
Create a text file called "example" in the main web directory. This is
the content of the file:
To: joe
Subject: example
This is a test message.
This is a test message.
name: [name]
phone: [phone]
That is the file that will be sent to
joe Now, cgiemail will automatically replace [name], [phone],
with anything in the brackets with the corresponding user supplied info
from the web
form. Also, you MUST have the To: and the Subject: line followed by the
blank line. Those three lines MUST be on the FIRST THREE lines. You cannot
change the From: address.
Here is a part of the web form page called "example.html"
Use
Submit It!, the leader in Web site marketing services, to promote your
Web site on the Internet.
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