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Web FAQs

Website Jargon

  1. What is the difference between a Website and a Webpage?
  2. What's a URL?
  3. Is each screen a Webpage?
  4. How big is a Webpage?
  5. What are hyperlinks?
  6. What kind of graphics files are used?
  7. What is a character?
  8. What is a byte, kilobyte, megabyte?
  9. What is a response form?

 

Starting Your Website

  1. What types of Webpages do you have, and what do they cost?
  2. How do I get started?
  3. What if I don't have material or graphics?
  4. Do I need my own Internet Account?
  5. My Internet Service Provider allows me to have a Webpage, why can't I just use that?
  6. Do I get to see my page(s) before it goes on-line?
  7. What are search engines and how do I use them?
  8. Can I change my Webpage data myself?
  9. Why is there a setup fee if I supply all the information?
  10. Do I have to pay for graphic scanning in addition to the setup fee?

 

Website Security

  1. Is the World Wide Web secure?
  2. Is my Webpage secure?
  3. Are business transactions on the Web secure?
  4. Can I use one of the new encryption methods or electronic cash?
  5. Would you use your credit card on the Web?

 

 

 


Website Jargon

1. What is the difference between a Website and a Webpage?

A Webpage and a Website can be the same thing; the terms are often used interchangeably. Generally, a Website consists of a company's page or pages, graphics, databases, programs, and forms taken as a whole. A Webpage is usually one hunk of text and pictures referenced by one URL.

2. What's a URL?

URLs (Uniform or Universal Resource Locator) are the pointers or signposts of the Web. (You've probably heard the familiar "h-t-t-p colon slash-slash w-w-w ...." on TV commercials.)

The URL is composed of several parts. The first is the protocol or communication language you wish to talk (ex. http-hypertext transport protocol, ftp-file transfer protocol, gopher-text search and retrieval), the host computer with optional port number, and the data file name wanted (default file name is "index.html")

Foxstone's URL is http://www.Foxstone.com and the URL of this FAQ file is:

http://www.Foxstone.com/webfaq.php

3. Is each screen a Webpage?

NO! Each screen may be a different size on everyone's computer. In fact, as you change the size of your Web Browser window, you will see different amounts of data.

So... a screensful of data does not a Webpage make.

4. How big is a Webpage?

A Webpage can be anywhere from several hundred characters to several million (ugh!!).

For your Webpage planning purposes, a text page is up to 5,000 characters or about 2 full typewritten pages - single spaced; while a graphical Webpage could have up to 10,000 characters or the equivalent of 4 typewritten pages.

5. What are hyperlinks?

A hyperlink is a word, phrase, or graphic that when clicked on with your mouse, transfers your browser to the new location or URL. They are used to navigate both between Websites all around the world and within local pages. For example, if you click on the "[back]" at the end of this explanation, you will be brought back to the list of Web Site Jargon questions.

Text hyperlinks can be recognized easily because they are generally underlined and a different color than the general text. Links that have been followed or clicked on are usually shown in yet another color.

6. What kind of graphics files are used?

There are two graphic file types that most web browsers can display. They are GIF (pronounced "gif"), for Graphical Interchange Format, developed by CompuServe, and JPEG (pronounced "jay-peg") based on the standard written by the Joint Photographic Experts Group.

Both GIF and JPEG files have value on the Web. GIF graphics have the ability to present frames (animation), have transparent areas/colors, and are well suited to graphics requiring sharp edges such as line drawings. JPEG files are generally smaller than an equivalent GIF and are more suited to photographs and real world scenes.

7. What is a character?

A character, as we all know, is a very small unit of text. In computer terms, a character requires 8 bits of information or storage referred to as a byte. (Would you believe that 4 bits is called a nybble and 2 bits won't even buy a cup of coffee?)

Referring to an 8 bit byte as a character simply means that it is directly printable, whereas, graphic files are referred to in bytes not characters.

8. What is a byte, kilobyte, megabyte?

A byte is 8 bits of binary storage. A kilobyte is 1,024 bytes and a megabyte is 1,024,000 bytes. Sounds crazy, heh? Well, here goes....

Computers count with powers of 2 or binary. We humans count with a power of 10 or decimal. Where our human counting per digit is 1's, 10's, 100's, 1000's; a computer's counting is 1's, 2's, 4's, 8's, ... Extending that is 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256, 512, 1024. The closest thing to one thousand in computer counting is 1,024; go figure.

9. What is a response form?

A response form is part of a Webpage that lets the user fill in a form and have the data that the user input formatted and forwarded to a process of the client's choice. Usually, response forms are used to gather information in a more structured form than free-form e-mail. Response forms can also be used to query databases and generate dynamic web page responses tailor made to the request.


Starting Your Website

1. What types of Webpages do you have, and what do they cost?

For costs of our differnt product offerings, please reference the hosting plans page.

Content Preparation

Everyone's website has differing requirements. Foxstone will prepare content in your custom format for the web at a cost of $50/hour. All content prepared by Foxstone becomes the property of the client, with all copyrights belonging to the client. The client may move or republish all content at their discretion.

Foxstone can supply domain names for our clients. Domain names are $20/year and are the property of the client.

2. How do I get started?

Editorial:
The first and most important step is to gather and organize your information. Remember, the world will not beat a path to your Webpage because you want to sell them something. The world will visit your page(s) if you have valuable, interesting, or entertaining content.

After you have your proposed page(s) laid out on paper (don't forget to include links within your documents and to the outside world) you may want to discuss with one of our sales representatives or you may mail your layout, text, and graphics to us.

The first draft version of your page will usually be viewable within 1 week.

3. What if I don't have material or graphics?

Foxstone can assist you with both text and graphic content development. Call to discuss with one of our sales representatives.

4. Do I need my own Internet Account?

No, but it is highly recommended that you do. Most people visiting your Webpage will either call you via telephone or use E-Mail. If you do not have your own Internet Account, you cannot receive E-Mail. That would reduce your chance of contact with your prospective customers by 50%.

5. My Internet Service Provider allows me to have a Webpage, why can't I just use that?

Most Internet Service Providers specifically prohibit the use of personal Webpages for business purposes since greater demands of business traffic have the potential to adversely affect the serving computer used by many other users. It is not uncommon to see users having their personal Webpage suspended by their provider because of blatant business content.

However, it is perfectly acceptable to reference your business on your personal Webpage. For example, one might say, "For a living, I manufacture skyhooks for use in the parachute industry. Visit my site at http://www.myskyhooks.com".

6. Do I get to see my page(s) before it goes on-line?

Yes.

Your page will automatically be on-line when it is entered into the Foxstone Web Server and will be reachable by anyone in the world that knows the URL. However, no one but you will know the URL until you give the OK and then:

  • The Foxstone homepage links to you as a New Customer
  • You are registered with search engines
  • You advertise your URL on stationary, business cards, advertisements

7. What are search engines and how do I use them?

Search Engines are Webpages with large databases of URLs with keywords and text from the millions of Webpages in the world. These Webpages allow visitors to enter search criteria and then select from a list of possible URLs that match the criteria. Webpages of this sort are generally funded by commercial advertisement.

Take a look at: Yahoo Lycos Alta Vista Webcrawler

8. Can I change my Webpage data myself?

Yes.

Standard and Silver webpages include a Shell account and FTP access which will allow you to login directly to the Foxstone server and make changes to your web documents.

Just a word of caution: a working knowledge of UNIX (operating system) and HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) is recommended before trying this.

Also, if you have your site configured with the Foxstone Content Console, you have the ability to change page content as easily as using a word processor.

You always have the ability to leave the changes to us, so you can concentrate on your business without having to know anything technical about your website.

9. Why is there a setup fee if I supply all the information?

The setup fee covers the configuration of the central server which will supply your website content to the Internet.

10. Do I have to pay for graphic scanning in addition to the setup fee?

No.

All web content, both text, graphics, and scanning is performed at an hourly rate.


Website Security

1. Is the World Wide Web secure?

Asking if the Web, or more properly the Internet, is secure is like asking if the US Interstate Highway system is secure. There is more than one way to get from point to point and almost everything arrives at its destination safely and securely.

However, just like the highway system, roads can fail, congestion can jam traffic, and accidents can happen. The Internet has evolved to be relatively fail-safe in that large portions of the network can fail and the overall network continues to function.

From a security perspective, most people are more concerned with the safety and security of their information. Therefore, one must be aware that, just like on the highways, it is possible for others to see your information travel across the Internet. Given that, it is safe to say that the Internet is generally secure but one should be extremely cautious about placing confidential or proprietary content on the Internet. [There are many differing opinions about Internet security problems and solutions -webmaster]

2. Is my Webpage secure?

Yes. Your Webpage content and graphics are changeable only by Foxstone personnel or yourself if you have a shell or FTP account.

No. The source HTML code for your Webpage(s) and all the graphics are downloaded to each browser that asks to see them.

3. Are business transactions on the Web secure?

This questions needs to be put into perspective.

If you were to use your credit card or ATM card numbers and pin on the Internet, it would probably (99.999%) be safe and secure. If you were to use your credit card or debit card in a shopping center with many people around, sales clerks you don't know, and unsupervised access to your credit card slips, it would probably be safe also.

Security breaches have happened on the Internet as well as with in-person business transactions. Certainly, if you were a bank, you would insist on more security than normal Web traffic, but as an individual, your Web transactions (financial, or otherwise) are private.

4. Can I use one of the new encryption methods or electronic cash?

Yes you can. Some of the options include Secure Sockets Layer, public/private key encryption, and electronic money like CyberCash.

As a general rule, any website running the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), which can be recognized by the 'lock' symbol, is considered safe to communicate credit card and personal information.

5. Would you use your credit card on the Web?

Yes, I would. (And I have!) -[webmaster]