iWeb resources

This page is based on a presentation given in March 2009 by Ron Sharp.

CONTENTS

Whidbey Telecom terms
Web Development Info
Copyright information

Whidbey Telecom terms

Whidbey Telecom provide server space for websites. The terms for the two major categories are as follows:

Personal Web Sites
Space on a Whidbey Telecom server for a personal web site is included with certain dial-up and DSL accounts. The limits for a personal web site are as follows:

No more than 10 Mb disk storage.
Will not exceed 500 MB per month bandwidth usage.
Will not be used for commercial purposes and does not meet any of the conditions describing a commercial web site, listed below under Commercial Web site.

Commercial Web Site
A Commercial Web Site is defined by its content, intent and bandwidth usage. Web sites which advertise or provide information, resources, services, or merchandise to the general public for direct or indirect commercial gain, web sites designed to raise money for a particular purpose, including web sites maintained by non-profit or not-for-profit organizations, and web site's whose bandwidth usage exceeds 500 MB, are defined by Whidbey Telecom as a Commercial Web Sites. The current prices and descriptions for Commercial Web Sites can be obtained through Whidbey Telecom's offices, or at this web site.

Web Development Info

Common abbreviations:

HTML - HyperText Markup Language
XML - Extensible Markup Language
XUL - XML User-interface Language
GUI - graphical User Interface
CGI - Common Gateway Interface
CSS - Cascading Style Sheets
SSI - Server-Side Includes
RSS - Really Simple Syndication

The following is from the CGI reference website.

What is CGI?
The Common Gateway Interface, or CGI, is a standard for external gateway programs to interface with information servers such as HTTP servers. A plain HTML document that the Web daemon retrieves is static, which means it exists in a constant state: a text file that doesn't change. A CGI program, on the other hand, is executed in real-time, so that it can output dynamic information.

When do I need to use CGI?
There are innumerable caveats to this answer, but basically any Webpage containing a form will require a CGI script or program to process the form inputs.

Should I use CGI or SSI or ... { PHP/ASP/... }
CGI and SSI (Server-Side Includes) are often interchangable, and it may be no more than a matter of personal preference. Here are a few guidelines

CGI is a common standard agreed and supported by all major HTTPDs. SSI is NOT a common standard, but an innovation of NCSA's HTTPD which has been widely adopted in later servers. CGI has the greatest portability, if this is an issue.>
If your requirement is sufficiently simple that it can be done by SSI without invoking an exec, then SSI will probably be more efficient. A typical application would be to include sitewide 'house styles', such as toolbars, netscapeised <body> tags or embedded CSS stylesheets.>
For more complex applications - like processing a form - where you need to exec (run) a program in any case, CGI is usually the best choice.>
If your transaction returns a response that is not an HTML page, SSI is not an option at all.

Copyright information

Here are some steps to consider using with copyright material:

Step 1
Watermark your images. The quickest way to keep someone from using your image without your consent is to splash your name or logo across it. While someone could conceivably edit this out, if you place it over the focal point of the picture instead of just on a corner or down one side, the effort required to remove it will be a detractor for a would-be thief.

Step 2
Upload only low-resolution files. Another deterrent to someone looking to use your images for their own purposes is not being able to resize the image and maintain quality. Combined with watermarking, this is probably the best way to keep your files from being used without your permission.

Step 3
Keep your contact information up to date and easily visible. One of the main tenets of the "Orphan Works" scare is that if the owner cannot be found, then the image can be used at will. Having your name and email address on your website (or as your watermark) will make this a non-issue.

Step 4
Disable right-clicking on your website. Since most people will snag an image by right-clicking and choosing the "Save Image As" option, disabling this on a site you run yourself will deter the casual borrower, decreasing the chances that your image will end up passed along innocently enough and then be unable to trace back to you.

Step 5
Copyright your work. While the actual copyright is inherent the moment a tangible item is created, registering the copyright gives you an added layer of protection, specifically in court. You can register a batch of items together for a single fee which makes the per-item registration cost lower than if you had to do it individually, making it a very reasonable expense.

Step 6
Edit the Exif, IPTC, or XMP of your images to reflect your ownership information. This metadata is usually found when you right-click on an image and choose "Properties" and can be edited from most current computers. Doing this before you upload the file may not be a proactive way to protect your images from theft, but is embedded in the photograph's file and can help identify you as the owner if the image is separated from the original website.