Can I use Microsoft FrontPage extensions? What about other “WYSIWYG” options?
Virgin Media does not support Front Page Extensions. We have found some issues with site security, and so took the decision that it would be too much of a risk for both you and Virgin Media technical people.
The good news is there are now many "What You See Is What You Get " (called WYSIWYG) web design products available – you may even have one as part of your web browser. You are more than welcome to build your sites using these products, however, Virgin Media does not support them, and so you must make sure that you know where the Help files for each product are. We may not be able to help if you get in to trouble with your design, or uploading, for example.
For help and guidance on writing and maintaining web pages, go to Further reading.
Can you tell me exactly what "uploading" means, so I don't get confused?
"Uploading" is, put simply, the copying of all the HTML pages from your own computer on to one of Virgin Media's. Then Virgin Media publish them (note that this happens as soon as you have "uploaded").
So, all you need is an Internet connection in to one of our Freespace computers (called upload.virgin.net) and you can publish to the whole world, in a matter of seconds. Neat, isn't it.
Can I buy a domain name and have it hosted on Freespace?
Virgin Media do not offer a domain name registration or hosting service. These services tend to be offered by specialised businesses.
In order to get a domain name, you will need to ask a domain hosting company to register a domain name with either Nominet or Internic. The domain hosting company will then need to point your domain name to freespace.virgin.net using a CNAME command.
You will then be able reach your site with the address http://www.yourname.co.uk/user.name.
Before even thinking about the idea of having a domain name, make sure you have thought through what you need. Is your chosen name really suitable? Are you going to hate it in six months and then be stuck with it? After all, it's a lot of money to spend on something you might eventually drop. Think of it as a real commitment. A domain name is for life, not just for Christmas.
I can't see my index page, it hasn't changed - what do I do?
Every domain or home page's front page is called index.html. It's the "default" that all browsers look for. If you haven't set up your Freespace account yet, go to http://freespace.virgin.net/your.username/
Once the page that is there at the moment has loaded, look in the address line of your browser – it will show the address as you wrote it, plus index.html at the end. To give your site has a proper front page you will have to change it.
There are two very important things to know:
- Web addresses are "case sensitive" which means that when we type index.html in lower case, without any capitals, we mean that you have to type exactly that, and save your own replacement "index" page as that exact name.
- All you have to do to change existing, published pages is replace them with updated ones that have exactly the same name. That's all there is to it!
So, when you have created your replacement and gone through our Access Settings section, all you have to do is instruct your FTP program to push your own index.html from your computer on to ours, and in to your own named Freespace. Easy, when you know how!
I'm not sure what my Freespace address is, how do I work it out?
If you are not sure, remember these two things:
One: Your own specific place on Freespace is named using your e-mail address - the bit before @virgin.net. So, if your name is richard.branson@virgin.net, your Freespace address would be:
http://freespace.virgin.net/richard.branson/index.htm
Two: There is no "www" bit for Freespace. You only have to remember the "http://" portion of the name, before writing our computer's address. Take a look at the address above again, and you will see what we mean.
Will there usually be any delay in publishing my pages?
Put plainly: no. Long-standing Freespace users may recall that until a while ago, sometimes things took a little time, and occasionally needed a bit of a nudge. However, since our Freespace computers were updated (you will notice when you make any connection with them it now says "Freespace 2" in the welcome message) your pages should under normal circumstances be published immediately.
If for some reason, after you have cleared your browser's cache , you still cannot see the pages you have uploaded, then mail freespace@virgin.net stating "Publishing Delay" in the subject line.
Can I delete files once I have published them?
Absolutely. If you are using Virgin Media's recommended FTP program, "WS_FTP95", all you have to do is simply highlight the specific file you want to get rid of, and click on Delete. There you go.
Another very easy FTP program, "Cute", has a similarly easy option.
What is my password for getting on to the Freespace FTP site?
This one is easy. It's your Virgin Media Password. The one you use to go online in the first place. If you think you are prone to forgetting something like that, type it on Notepad or a Simpletext document and save it somewhere sensible on your computer; then you have it ready to hand, so you just need to copy and paste it in to place.
Does Freespace support CGI programs?
At the moment, no it doesn’t, if that includes CGI-Bin access. What Virgin Media Freespace does do is provide you with several CGI programs, the "interfaces" (that's design to you and me) which are "configurable".
A quick word about Imagemaps. In some older "How to learn HTML" type books, there are sections describing how to create an Imagemap, and telling you to get in touch with your provider and talk about CGI-Bins. That is very out of date, you don't need to do that at all. Modern browsers can read Imagemaps easily and once you've got the knack of them (they're a bit fiddly but extremely useful to learn) you definitely don't need Virgin Media to do anything.
Now - how do I design a web page?
How long is a piece of string?
To start with, visit the web sites on the Further reading page.
Secondly, buy a good book to help you learn the really technical stuff - there are some recommendations in the Further reading section.
Thirdly - and this is more important than everything else, really think about what it is you want to do. A good starting point is to look at your favourite sites, and think about why are they your favourites? Often, people find that it is a combination of how the site looks and how you actually use it and get around it. But, don't get too worried, everyone all over the world is still really on a learning curve even now, so join in and start building!
