Domain names etc

[Cannonball Bob]

Anyone got any top tips for how to go about registering a domain name and setting up a (simple) website?
Got a small project in the offing and having something on the net could be a big advantage. I'm not talking something as grand and professional as LRUK Forums, just a simple www. with half a dozen pages.

(Please speak slowly. My background is real engineering, not virtual.:D )

[ian_s]

i use www.F2S.com to host a simple website,
quite cheap, nice and reliable,

with them you can register a domain name and rent some server space too

[Cannonball Bob]

So what are we talking, cost-wise, roughly or does it vary with the amount of space and content?
How the heck does one build a website anyway?! :(

[Alice]

www.ukreg.com (http://www.ukreg.com) - Thats the first company that popped into my head for the domain names.

As for setting up the website, you'll need access to a web-server of some kind. This could be your own personal computer (but some modifications would have to be made) Or you could rent webspace from a hosting company. Check out www.evohosting.co.uk (http://www.evohosting.co.uk) for that, as they are reliable and cost effective.

Tails

[R0Y]

http://3dpixelnet.co.uk/ Domain names from around £8 for two years and hosting from around £17.50 a year.

[Cannonball Bob]

Brilliant! I was expecting it cost that much per month!
Project X moves one small step closer to becoming reality. :D

[Satancom]

A simple website can be built using software such as microsoft publisher, but to get a more proffesional result get a package like dremweaver or something.

You coul demply the skills of a random college student or soemthing for the sake of £50 they should be able to nock something tidy up for you! Prefferably an IT/Media student and not sport science!

[Cannonball Bob]

Anyone know any random IT students? :D

[abyssdj]

what kind of site do you need bob? something i'm good at :)

[Keri]

we/i use 123reg for the name and then host on own server.

[Madoobri]

A very cheap way would be to use your own webspace provided by your ISP ;)

[abyssdj]

depends what the site needs to do though mad.... the webspace you get with most ISP's is restricted in every possible way :( they cant make it TOO useful, ya know! :eek:

[Madoobri]

He said he just wants a simple site ... 30MB or so is plenty for something like that ... only trying to save Bob money ;)

[abyssdj]

nooo i dont mean in that way... i mean yeah they restrict the actual capabilities too, but theres all sorts of restrictions of what you can actually do with the space.. should have explained what i meant a bit better :)

[Keri]

Other thing you want to avoid like the plague is bloody adverts on the websites. As some webspaces seem to have these things pre built in.

[Median]

PM Sent

[abyssdj]

"my first website"..... hi welcome to my GET FREE PHONE MINUTES NOW website! my name is johnny and thsi is my first website. GOT NO LOVE LIFE? DATING.COM i like doing fun stuff and getting drunk NO ERECTION? BUY OUR VIAGRA! etc etc etc

[Keri]

Yup thats how it goes.

[Madoobri]

"my first website"..... hi welcome to my GET FREE PHONE MINUTES NOW website! my name is johnny and thsi is my first website. GOT NO LOVE LIFE? DATING.COM i like doing fun stuff and getting drunk NO ERECTION? BUY OUR VIAGRA! etc etc etc
Please leave your personal life out of this Farmboy ... :D

[abyssdj]

Please leave your personal life out of this Farmboy ... :D

:heheheheh

[abyssdj]

i was just about to find an example, but on searching "freewebs" on google... well see for yourself!!! :heheheheh :heheheheh :heheheheh

http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=freewebs&meta=

bottom of the page!

[Satancom]

Our firm pays very little for domain registration and masses of space! The website was developped in house by on the members of my team! Could ask him if he's interested in a little outside work?

http://www.expressreinforcements.co.uk is the url if u wanna see his work!

[Keri]

i was just about to find an example, but on searching "freewebs" on google... well see for yourself!!! :heheheheh :heheheheh :heheheheh

http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=freewebs&meta=

bottom of the page!

:heheheheh

[Pogmahog]

Anyone know any random IT students? :D

Yep am a lecturer

Steve

[Gordon Steele]

Try namu6. It is free to download from http://namu6.com/1392/

It is a very, very basic web site software. Play about with it to see how you get on. You can either publish it on their servers, or export to your own.

[Snagger]

Most WYSIWYG software like FrontPage and even DW produces fairly shoddy code. However if it's just for fun you could use a freebie programme such as Nvu which although not perfect, isn't bad and has the advantage of being free. http://www.nvu.com/index.php

[baz]

Come across this a bit late. I think Bob has gone off to Morroco hasn't he so is probably (we hope) planning a bit of a report on it. That only needs text and pictures.

So when you return, here's my bit.
No need to get a hosted site until you know what you are doing, so practice first on your ISP's free space.
Avoid free sitebuilder programs off magazine discs which are aimed at kids and fill your site with rubbish for making flashing arrows.
Avoid all students and most professionals who will want to show off and will fill your site with rubbish like flashing arrows.
If someone says "I'll show you this great little Javascript ...." knee them in their soft parts.
The things that ISPs sites don't supply you don't need unless you are trying to become a trader with an online shop.
You ONLY need to know HTML, and only a bit of that. Lycos may still have its simple tutorial running, if not google 'HTML Tutorial' will find something.
To show how easy it is, once you have found out how to send a file to your ISP webspace the following will work:

Open Notepad (not Word or anything else) and write in it

My name is Bob. This is my webpage.

Save it with the name index.html it must have that name, and upload it to your webspace.
It will work, despite not having loads of special gobbledegook in it.
If you check my website in my profile it is all crude HTML made with Notepad.

[P00DLE]

Save it with the name index.html it must have that name, and upload it to your webspace.
It will work, despite not having loads of special gobbledegook in it.
If you check my website in my profile it is all crude HTML made with Notepad.


not strictly true most isp and web hosts also support

index.html
index.htm
index.asp
default.html
default.htm
default.asp

asp support may not exist on free web space. some isp's may be aimed at real amatuers and also support

home.htm
home.html

[baz]

see what I mean. get someone who is young or an expert, or both, and he just wants to complicate things :)

[P00DLE]

ok fair point. as for WYSIWYG software im a big fan of visual studio.net using the design setion to create the layouts etc and then the html editor to fill in the blanks, then makes it easier for a beginner to edit in the future as they can load in design view and edit text etc as they see it rather than trying to decifer any coding.

[Madoobri]

ok fair point. as for WYSIWYG software im a big fan of visual studio.net using the design setion to create the layouts etc and then the html editor to fill in the blanks, then makes it easier for a beginner to edit in the future as they can load in design view and edit text etc as they see it rather than trying to decifer any coding.

You copying all this Bob? :D

[petefletcher]

If you have a resonably new computer you could find you have a program called Frontpage Express lurking in there somewhere. This will make simple web pages. Download a freeby called CuteFTP to make it easier to bung the pages up to your ISP. Don't make the mistake that a lot of newbies make - you have to upload everthing (pictures, text, sound) as separate files. If you don't, YOU may be able to see them but others can't cos they're sat on YOUR hard drive. Have fun!

[Median]

You copying all this Bob? :D

I believe Bob's out of the UK until mid-October - give him plenty to read on his return tho :D :D :D

[baz]

Come on Bob get that website going :)

[baz]

Come on everyone, do a landy website for Christmas! :santa2: