Emeritus Professor of Computer ScienceEmeritus Professor of Computer Science

Ausglass webmasterAusglass webmaster

ahjs@ozemail.com.au

Arthur Sale

So you want a website?So you want a website?

MUQ 2-3 2

Holy Spirit Church, Sandy BayHoly Spirit Church, Sandy Bay

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Key QuestionsKey Questions

1.1. Why?Why?

2.2. How do I get it made?How do I get it made?

3.3. What else do I need to What else do I need to know?know?

MUQ 2-3 4

Why?Why?You can have several reasons. Let’s explore You can have several reasons. Let’s explore

some of the most common, in order of some of the most common, in order of increasing complexity and involvement.increasing complexity and involvement.

• Be visible on the NetBe visible on the Net

• Contribute knowledgeContribute knowledge

• Offer a catalogue, or tout for businessOffer a catalogue, or tout for business

• Sell thingsSell things

• Be a Net personaBe a Net persona

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Be visible on the NetBe visible on the Net

This is a basic level. You don’t need much This is a basic level. You don’t need much just to establish a web presence. What just to establish a web presence. What you are trying to do is just be visible on you are trying to do is just be visible on the Net to search engines so people can the Net to search engines so people can find your site and thence basic find your site and thence basic information about you. Your website is information about you. Your website is pretty small and pretty static.pretty small and pretty static.

Example:Example:

http://www.rebeccacoote.com/

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Contribute knowledgeContribute knowledge

A step up. You are probably contributing A step up. You are probably contributing more pages to the Net, but basically your more pages to the Net, but basically your website changes only every so often, say website changes only every so often, say once a month or every few months. once a month or every few months. Requires more commitment, and an Requires more commitment, and an ongoing expenditure of effort and money.ongoing expenditure of effort and money.

Example:Example:

http://elaine.ahjs.biz

MUQ 2-3 7

Offer a catalogueOffer a catalogue

You put a catalogue of stuff that you want You put a catalogue of stuff that you want to sell on the web, but any transactions to sell on the web, but any transactions are strictly off the Net. The catalogue had are strictly off the Net. The catalogue had better be up to date (or else ‘false better be up to date (or else ‘false advertising’) and you need to make minor advertising’) and you need to make minor changes frequently, perhaps daily. The changes frequently, perhaps daily. The site must be easy to navigate.site must be easy to navigate.

Example Example http://www.tasglassblowers.com.au/jdmg.html

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Sell thingsSell things

Now you have two complications:Now you have two complications:

• Your site Your site mustmust be interactive (in other be interactive (in other words it must interact with the user words it must interact with the user rather than just be pages to view)rather than just be pages to view)

• You must provide a secure shopping cart You must provide a secure shopping cart or purchase service.or purchase service.

Example – none that I can think of. See Example – none that I can think of. See ebay.ebay.

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Be a Net PersonaBe a Net Persona

The sky is now the limit. You may blog your The sky is now the limit. You may blog your daily activities, you might run a forum, daily activities, you might run a forum, you might provide a webcam, you live on you might provide a webcam, you live on the Web, and people see you as a person the Web, and people see you as a person who lives on the Web.who lives on the Web.

ExampleExample

http://www.warmglass.com/

(Brad Walker)(Brad Walker)

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How do I get it made?How do I get it made?• Employ an expertEmploy an expert

• Use a friend or family memberUse a friend or family member

• Do it yourselfDo it yourself

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Employ an expertEmploy an expert

This is a cost/benefit problem. Static pages This is a cost/benefit problem. Static pages imply a once-off cost, and you can use imply a once-off cost, and you can use someone with lots of expertise to get a someone with lots of expertise to get a really good look.really good look.

Higher frequencies of change imply regular Higher frequencies of change imply regular costs, and delays depending on the costs, and delays depending on the expert.expert.

If you are gaining income, you can afford If you are gaining income, you can afford the expense…the expense…

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Use a friendUse a friend

If you have an expert family friend, the If you have an expert family friend, the cost/benefit equation shifts in your favour.cost/benefit equation shifts in your favour.

Delays in page updating become more erratic.Delays in page updating become more erratic.

The expertise level is usually lower.The expertise level is usually lower.

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Do it yourselfDo it yourself

Now start costing your own time into the Now start costing your own time into the equation. You are unlikely to be as expert equation. You are unlikely to be as expert as an expert. However, it can work.as an expert. However, it can work.

If you do, choose a WYSIWYG design If you do, choose a WYSIWYG design program. My wife and I use a simple low program. My wife and I use a simple low cost program called cost program called SiteSpinnerSiteSpinner for $49 for $49 http://www.virtualmechanics.com/products/spinner/; professionals often use ; professionals often use DreamWeaverDreamWeaver..

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What else?What else?

Search Engines (like Google) use an Search Engines (like Google) use an automated browser that collects pages automated browser that collects pages and stores them in their database.and stores them in their database.

Robots/Spiders visitors (Top 10)   -   Full list   -   Last visit  

50 different robots* Hits Bandwidth Last visit

Googlebot 57791+17 9.73 GB 17 Jan 2009 - 03:16

MSNBot 30441+311 1.13 GB 17 Jan 2009 - 03:10

Yahoo Slurp 26954+122 7.56 GB 17 Jan 2009 - 03:15

Unknown robot (identified by 'crawl') 8152+345 397.43 MB 17 Jan 2009 - 03:11

MSNBot-media 3856+832 889.90 MB 17 Jan 2009 - 02:53

Nagios 4646 92.34 MB 17 Jan 2009 - 03:16

Java (Often spam bot) 992+8 59.67 MB 17 Jan 2009 - 03:14

Ask 844+66 608.24 MB 17 Jan 2009 - 03:00

BaiDuSpider 829+11 20.70 MB 17 Jan 2009 - 03:10

TencentTraveler 516 19.70 MB 17 Jan 2009 - 01:00

Others 1639+458 135.96 MB  

* Robots shown here gave hits or traffic "not viewed" by visitors, so they are not included in other charts. Numbers after + are successful hits on "robots.txt" files.

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Search EnginesSearch Engines

Analyse your text to see what words are Analyse your text to see what words are used most significantly (eg “glass” and used most significantly (eg “glass” and “art”“art”

Index important words highly (but watch Index important words highly (but watch what happens to spammers)what happens to spammers)

Can’t index images, but can index Can’t index images, but can index associated text such as “Alt text”associated text such as “Alt text”

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Search Engines 2Search Engines 2

Google in particular uses its PageRank Google in particular uses its PageRank algorithm. Once every few weeks it algorithm. Once every few weeks it analyses all 100B pages to see which analyses all 100B pages to see which point to which.point to which.

Those that are most pointed to are Those that are most pointed to are obviously more important.obviously more important.

www.ahjs.biz has a PageRank of 3/10 www.ahjs.biz has a PageRank of 3/10 (moderately good). Ausglass has 4/10, (moderately good). Ausglass has 4/10, GAS 5/10.GAS 5/10.

MUQ 2-3 17

To be more visibleTo be more visible

Change your pages frequently. The robots Change your pages frequently. The robots will visit you more often.will visit you more often.

Encourage other people to link to you, Encourage other people to link to you, especially important websites (eg especially important websites (eg Ausglass website or GAS)Ausglass website or GAS)

Make sure you have good words behind Make sure you have good words behind your images, and good words on the your images, and good words on the page.page.

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Domain namesDomain names

Shorter is better (eg Shorter is better (eg ahjs.bizahjs.biz))

Easily remembered is better (eg Easily remembered is better (eg glassart.org glassart.org oror ausglass.org.au ausglass.org.au))

The The .com .com domain is over-full. Choose one of domain is over-full. Choose one of the others such as the others such as com.aucom.au, , bizbiz..

You lease the name, perhaps for three You lease the name, perhaps for three years renewable. For example see years renewable. For example see http://www.000domains.com/. http://www.000domains.com/.

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ISP hostISP host

You need an ISP Host to store your web You need an ISP Host to store your web pages and serve them up to the Internet pages and serve them up to the Internet on demand.on demand.

You will pay a monthly cost.You will pay a monthly cost.

For example For example http://www.webangels.com.au/. http://www.webangels.com.au/.

MUQ 2-3 20

The Ausglass siteThe Ausglass site

Where does it sit? Let’s discuss…Where does it sit? Let’s discuss…

http://www.ausglass.org.au http://www.ausglass.org.au

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Old newslettersOld newsletters

A site run by the University of Tasmania.A site run by the University of Tasmania.

See http://eprints.utas.edu.au/7081/.See http://eprints.utas.edu.au/7081/.

Or we will explore…Or we will explore…

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QuestionsQuestions

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The EndThe End

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© Copyright 2009 Arthur Sale© Copyright 2009 Arthur Sale

All rights reservedAll rights reserved

Arthur Sale asserts the right to be Arthur Sale asserts the right to be recognized as author of this workrecognized as author of this work

Contact:Contact: Arthur.Sale@ozemail.com.au Arthur.Sale@ozemail.com.au