Getting Up to Speed on Hosting - Online Learning Resources
By Eric Lester
Hosting a website is not as easy a task as it
may first appear. A little foreknowledge can help both when shopping for a new
site, and when administering it once the purchase is made. This articles covers
some online resources that will provide good basic information.
Website hosting isn't like basic home phone
service. Once a plan is purchased it doesn't just happen like hooking up the
telephone. There are complexities to both buying and maintaining a website, not
to mention creating one in the first place. Going blindly into the process can
cause problems when things do not go as smoothly as hoped. The web offers a
great deal of resources to those unfamiliar with the basic terminology and
processes. This article covers a few that are easy to find and provide
accessible information.
Completely New to the Internet
Those new to both the Internet as a whole,
much less website hosting, have a little catching up to do. The BBC provides a
fun visual guide to the absolute basics of the Internet with its "Webwise Online
Course". The course is available both in Flash and text versions. The Flash
version is more visually engaging, and the Flash plugin should be fairly simple
to obtain if it not already installed by default. Webportal About.com offers an
entire section on the Internet for Beginners as well. They provide a variety of
articles covering everything from email to web search and introductory
netiquette.
Website Hosting Resources
Finding learning resources dealing
specifically with website hosting can be difficult among the rather prolific
variety of sites that would like to teach you and sell you hosting at the same
time. Most significant website hosts have some learning resources on their
sites, and these resources are important because they deal specifically with the
applications their customers need to learn in order to use their hosting. It is
important to choose a host with a solid online learning / tutorial section that
clearly explains their tools.
More general information on website hosting as
a whole can be found at the Devshed Web Hosters Portal. Along with articles
dealing with current topics in the website hosting industry, they provide a
variety of FAQs and HowTos that are more suited to the beginner than the
seasoned professional. Learning this information is important before setting out
to shop for website hosting services, as it will enable the customer to more
objectively analyze the claims their prospective host is making.
There are a variety of forums devoted to
website hosting, though these may or may not be friendly for the beginner. One
of the largest is Web Hosting Talk. It is heavily trafficked and represents a
good snapshot of current issues in the industry. There is usually no shortage of
posters who will help out someone new to website hosting with answers to their
questions.
Website Design Resources
Unlike hosting, the web is replete with
forums, sites, and tutorials devoted to website design issues. What one will
find useful in these resources is dependent on what is expected. Those seeking
to learn the actual code behind websites, HTML, XTHML, and CSS for example, may
find the W3Schools online tutorials useful. The W3Schools provide tutorials for
everything from basic HTML to advanced scripting and database languages. They
are presented in small, encapsulated formats, easy to take in short doses.
About.com also has a web design section with various resources that cover not
only coding, but common design programs such as Dreamweaver.
Conclusions
The web is well-stocked with resources to give
the novice a helping hand. Hosting a website requires some basic skills and
knowledge regarding the methods by which the hosting works. The resources listed
in this article are by no means the only ones available. Open up your search
engine of choice and more will be found easily. The resources provided by the
hosting company are important as well, as they provide specific information on
the applications the user needs to know in order to administer their account.
About the Author:
Mr. Lester has served for 4 years as the
webmaster for ApolloHosting.com and previously worked in the IT industry an
additional 5 years, acquiring knowledge of hosting, design, and search engine
optimization. Apollo Hosting provides
website hosting,
ecommerce
hosting,
vps
hosting, and web design services to a wide range of
customers.
Established in 1999, Apollo prides itself on
the highest levels of customer support.
Note: These articles are provided for
general interest and content purposes only, and should not be construed as
"support" materials. Apollo Hosting does not guarantee the information contained
within. All articles are free to reprint so long as they remain unchanged, the
"About the Author" section remains, all hyperlinks are preserved, and the rel="nofollow"
tag is not added to the hyperlinks.
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