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Understanding the Internet and Websites
By Marshall Turner

WebforAuthors was designed from the ground up to give non-technical people an easy-to-use system to create and manage their internet presence. Even though we have taken the complexity out of website creation, there is terminology and concepts that you need to understand in order to be comfortable with discussing websites.

This article will explain some of the terms and concepts you will encounter and how they relate to WebforAuthors. These explanations are general in scope and are intended to familiarize rather than be definitive.

Domain and Subdomains
A domain is the address or name of a website. An example of a domain is webforauthors.com. One use of a domain is for a website (e.g. http://www.webforauthors.com). This type of address is also referred to as a "URL" which is an abbreviation of "Uniform Resource Locator" - in other words, an address. The first part of the address (e.g. http) indicates the protocol to use, with "http" referring to a web page.

Another use of a domain is for email. An address such as someone@webforauthors.com is used to deliver email to the appropriate person.

Subdomains are part of a domain. An example of a subdomain is our demonstration website http://www.87thseabees.webforauthors.com. Subdomains are typically used to create separate websites within a domain.

The WebforAuthors system lets you choose a domain or subdomain address for your website. For more information on our subscription plans, see the FAQS/Knowledgbase page located under the Support menu button.

Top Level Domains
The ".com" part of the domain name is referred to as a top level domain (or TLD). There are many top level domains but the ones you are most familiar with are .com, .net, .gov, .org and .edu. Some top level domains have special requirements. For example, only governments may use .gov, only educational organizations may use .edu, and only non-profit entities may use .org. Each country also has a top level domain.

The .com designation originally meant commercial but has become the most popular TLD and is used for other than commercial purposes. Most people want to have a .com address as this is the most recognized TLD. But as the internet grows in popularity, the number of registered domains continues to increase. This may make it difficult to find the name you want.

When you sign up for the New Domain Plan, the WebforAuthors system searches to see if the name you chose is available. If it is, we handle the registration as a part of the subscription sign up process, making it easy for you.

Registering Domains
To get a domain name you need to register (i.e. purchase) the domain. You can register a domain name only if no one has already registered the name.

WebforAuthors handles registration of domains with our Domain Plan. You can also register your domain through many other registration services. If you purchase your domain through another registrar, you may use our service by choosing the Domain Hosting Plan.

Registering Subdomains
Since a subdomain is a part of a domain, the owner of the domain controls the assignment of these names. There is no registration process and thus no registration fee. WebforAuthors offers subdomains with our Subdomain Plan.

Name Servers
Once a new domain is registered, all the name servers on the internet must be updated with the new domain name. Name servers are special computers that are used as a directory to lookup the server on which a domain is hosted. Typically it takes about 24 hours, but it can take up to 72 hours, for a new domain to be updated in all the name servers. Until the name servers are updated the new domain cannot be found and you will get an error (server cannot be found, etc.) if you try to go to that address.

Hosting
Once you have a domain you will need a hosting service. This is simply the web server (i.e. computer) on which your web site exists. Obviously the web server must be connected to the internet and should be reliable and fast. You can pay a little to a lot for hosting depending on your needs. Basically there are two types of hosting: shared and dedicated. A shared hosting service means you share the server with other websites. A dedicated hosting service means you have your own server. A shared service will be much less expensive than a dedicated service.

WebforAuthors uses advanced dedicated servers housed in a secure, underground facility that has its own backup power generators and redundant connections to the internet. This provides for a fast, reliable system to host your website. Because you share our servers with other WebforAuthors subscribers we can offer our services and tools for a low annual fee.

Creating a Website
Once you have a name and hosting your website is up and running. But until you put web pages on your server there is nothing to see. The WebforAuthors system is the easiest way to create your web pages. If you are doing this on your own, you will need to use software that can create a web page. Two of the most popular programs are Macromedia Dreamweaver and Microsoft FrontPage, although even Microsoft Word can create a web page. The popular programs give you much more control than an application like Word.

A web page typically contains graphics and text. You create graphics using software such as Macromedia Fireworks and Adobe Illustrator. You create your text using a word processor. Take both of these and combine them using Dreamweaver, or other web page software, to create the actual web page. This gives you a basic or "brochure" web page. Create as many pages as you want and link them using a menu or simple links. Once you are satisfied with the page, upload it to your web server using FTP (File Transfer Protocol - a method of moving files from one system to another).

To get advanced features such as those included with WebforAuthors, you need to get into programming and databases. By building a powerful system focused on ease-of-use, WebforAuthors has eliminated the complexity of web page creation. Easy, fast and powerful, we give you control over the content and take away the headaches of design, graphics creation and programming.

Content and Content Management Systems (CMS)
Content is simply the text and graphics that make up a web page. A CMS is a software tool that lets you easily make changes to the content without needing web page software. The WebforAuthors system includes a CMS focused on the specific needs of authors.

Mailing Lists
A mailing list is used to collect email addresses and other information from visitors to your web site. A visitor to your web site can sign up for mailing lists that you offer. You may want to offer a mailing list to notify visitors of bookstore appearances, book updates or news about you as an author.

The WebforAuthors system allows you to add mailing lists to your web site. When someone signs up, they receive an email notifying them that they have signed up. If the sign up is in error, there is a link which will remove their name. Their information is stored on our servers in a database. Your account provides you with tools to manage these lists by adding, changing or removing sign ups. These are your private lists, they are not accessible by any other author.

Newsletters
Newsletters are emails that contain news. The WebforAuthors system includes a newsletter tool that lets you send newsletters to people on your mailing lists. Keep your fans updated on book signings, appearances and special promotions with newsletters. Use them carefully so your fans look forward to getting news from you.

Forums
A forum is an online discussion board. Visitors can post message and carry on an online conversation. WebforAuthors provides you with your own private forum. Visitors to your forum must sign up before they can post. We email a password to their email address which they will use to sign in and post messages. Anyone can read the postings.

Conclusion
The internet can be a powerful tool in helping an author succeed. WebforAuthors is focused on providing a comprehensive system specific to the needs of authors. We encourage feedback and suggestions from our authors to help us better meet their needs.