1. Announcements NO LAB THIS FRIDAY –Yipee!

2. Getting it Online MSU makes it easy for us to create our own personal websites A little harder in the outside world to create a professional website Need – Domain Name – Need a Host to store files and direct traffic to the domain name Use DreamWeaver, GoLive or MS FrontPage to create it

3. Domain Names The domain is a name assigned to a computer that can be used to access it through the Internet Also called a “web address” Domain names are registered www.msu.edu is the URL but msu.edu is the domain name www.msu.edu

4. Top Level Domains Different extension signify different types of websites These are the “Top Level Domains” –.com – commercial –.net – internet service providers –.org – non-profit organizations –.edu – colleges and universities –.gov – Federal Government –.us – state and local government/schools –.tv – Tuvalu –.info,.ws,.usa

5. Second Level Domains msu.edu go.com altavista.com projectpuffin.org

6. Second Level Domain Names Domains to which registered addresses will point are called second-level domains Lower level domain names are not registered msu.edu is a second-level domain (www.msu.edu) lbs.msu.edu is a lower level domain To access lbs.msu.edu, contact must be made to msu.edu to find out where lbs.msu.edu is

7. Domain Levels Which are top-level, second-level, and third-level domains? – espn.go.com – www.pmlodge.com – projectpuffin.org – puffin.bird.audubon.org – detroit-pistons.com – isthatallyouget.com – studyabroad.msu.edu – poison.dart.frogs.com If it is a third or fourth-level domain, what is the registered second level domain?

8. INTERNIC Internet Network Information Center – government owned INTERNIC formerly handled all domain name registration Network Solutions, a private company, processed the registrations (now VeriSign) Network Solutions then took over registration Now several companies can register domains

9. Naming Rules When INTERNIC controlled it there were more rules (especially with regard to porn) Now: Up to 67 characters Can have hyphens, e.g. project-puffin.org Cannot have ! @ # $ % ^ & * ( ) ? Symbols Can have profanity in titles – www.smellyshit.com www.smellyshit.com

10. Domain Name Availability You can purchase domain names by paying the registration fee ($16-$35/year) You do not have to put a site online to own the domain name Network Solutions has a WhoIs lookup database BetterWhoIs is easier to use Check for availability: – http://www.betterwhois.com http://www.betterwhois.com

11. Getting a Domain Name Find an ICANN Authorized Registrar Choose name and pay for domain registration Best to have registrar and domain host to be the same company – www.webhostit.com is a very good, low cost registrar and host ($16/year registration, $7.95/month for hosting) www.webhostit.com – www.verisign.com is the “Big, Bad (near) Monopoly” ($35 a year, $9.95/month and UP) www.verisign.com

12. Domain Hosting Hosting is a separate issue Domain registration is just getting a name Hosting is finding a computer to keep your files on and point the domain to

13. Domain Hosting Best to register domain and host with same people (like www.netsol.net)www.netsol.net Get FTP information about how to upload files to server – Ftp site (pilot.msu.edu, www.willwebs.com, ftp.willwebs.com)www.willwebs.com ftp.willwebs.com – Username – Password – Initial Directory (where to store files (web on pilot.msu.edu))

14. Creating the Website Dreamweaver is a good website creation tool Create files and transfer them to the domain using an FTP tool (built into DW) Test the site!

15. Free Website Hosting For personal stuff, you don’t need a domain name Msu.edu works great while a student Free Hosting Services: – Geocities.com – Angelfire.com – Your ISP* (e.g. Comcast Cable, AOL, …) *Internet Service Provider Dr. U’s Pearl Jam Page – www.geocities.com/drumsu www.geocities.com/drumsu