Web FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
- How does my department get an account on the www Web server?
- How much space do we get?
- Does it cost anything?
- I've just been assigned the task of doing my department's site, how do I get started?
- Where do I go for help?
- What are the rules?
- I am a faculty member and want to put my course pages on the Web, is that possible?
- How is the URL of our departmental site determined?
- Our site already exists, how do I make changes to it?
- How can I change the password to our site?
- When I browse to our site, I see only a list of files. Why is that?
- How do I find out how much of our disk quota has been used?
- What happens if we exceed, or need more disk quota?
- Can we use a search engine on our Web site?
- Can we test our pages before we make them live?
- Does the www server support Active Server Pages (ASP)
- Where can I get WMU graphics or images for our Web site?
- Are there free icons and images I can use?
- What is, and how do I create an image map?
- Is there any way we can see statistics of use for our pages?
- Can we password-protect any of our pages?
- Can pages be tested before being published for the world to see?
- Can we have online forms?
- What about an events calendar?
- We have online forms asking for personal information, how do we make them secure?
- What are server side includes?
- Are there any available to us?
Have a question not asked here? Ask the Web-Team...
1. How does my department get an account on the www Web server?
You contact the OIT account coordinator, either by email to account-manager@wmich.edu or by calling (269) 387-5436.
2. How much disk space do we get?
By default, 50 MB. This may be increased, as needed, up to 200 MB without justification. After 200 MB, requests must include justification. Requests should be made either by email to account-manager@wmich.edu or by calling (269) 387-5436.
Currently there is no charge for disk space up to the maximum amount permitted. OIT reserves the right to bill for disk space used over the maximum allowable amount.
4. I've just been assigned the task of doing my department's site, how do I get started?
You need your department site's account information (username and password), a computer, an Internet connection, and software. The account information may be obtained from the account manager (387-5436). Adobe Dreamweaver is the recommended and supported product at WMU for Web site creation and managment. This may be purchased at an educational discount through TotalTECH Go here for more getting started information.
General assistance is available at the OIT Help Desk. The Webmasters User Group (WUG) holds monthly meetings (schedule) where questions may be asked and assistance obtained.
Please see our Policies and Standards page for links to University policies and guidelines, copyright information, and law-related Web sites.
7. I am a faculty member and want to put my course pages on the Web, is this possible?
Faculty members have several options for course pages - Elearningand homepages.wmich.edu. Course pages should not reside on the www.wmich.edu server.
8. How is the URL of our site determined?
URLs are determined by the account coordinator who works with University Relations to determine a URL that will meet URL standards (currently under development).
9. Our site already exists, how do I make changes to it?
You may edit already existing, or create new, pages using Dreamweaver. If you need assistance with the account name and/or password, contact the account coordinator at 387-5436.
10. How can I change the password to our site?
Go to the change password page and enter your Web server account name and password.
11. When I browse to our site, I see only a list of files. Why is that?
By default, our Web server returns a list of the files in your www directory unless your home page file is called index.html. If your home page file is not named this, it should be renamed.
12. How do I find out how much of our disk quota has been used?
For now you will have to contact the account coordinator at (269) 387-5436.
13. What happens if we exceed, or want to increase our disk quota?
If you exceed your disk quota you will still be able to upload files to the server, however they will not be viewable through a browser. If you load a page and then attempt to view it and it shows up as a blank page, you have probably exceeded your quota. Delete all unnecessary files from the server and if your quota is still exceeded, contact the account coordinator at 387-5436 to request a quota increase.
14. Can we use a search engine on our Web site?
A Google search box is part of the University template that is available for departmental websites.
15. Can we test our pages before we make them live?
Yes, all accounts on the www Web server are set up with access to the test server. Simply set up a mirror of your site at wwwtest.wmich.edu.
16. Does the www server support Active Server Pages (ASP)?
No, the www server does not support Active Server Pages at this time.
17. Where can I get WMU graphics or images for our site?
Please contact the Office of University Relations at 387-8402.
18. Are there free icons and images we can use?
There are several locations on the Internet that offer free icons and art images. You may use one of the many Internet search engines (google.com, etc.) and seek out the kind(s) of graphics you are looking for. Please note: You are responsible for assuring that you do not violate any copyright laws.
19. What is, and how do I create an imagemap?
An imagemap is a graphic with defined clickable areas (hot spots) that are used to trigger other actions. For example, clicking on the seal located on the masthead of this page, takes you to the WMU home page, whereas clicking on the text in the masthead that says Web@WMU will take you to the main page for this Web site.
Imagemaps are created very easily using Dreamweaver. Simply insert your image. Click on it from within Dreamweaver, and then click on the appropriate Hotspot tool located in the Properties bar. Draw the hotspot on the image, link it, and be sure to include an Alt tag.
20. Is there any way we can see statistics of use for our pages?
Yes, check out the Help Desk's self-help for more information.
21. Can we password-protect any of our pages?
Yes, check out the Help Desk's self-help for more information.
22. Can pages be tested before being published for the world to see?
Yes. All accounts on the www.wmich.edu server have been set up with a /wwwtest folder. FTPing your files there allows you to test them, yet protects them from being seen by the world. When you are ready for them to be seen, you simply move them out of the /wwwtest folder and into your public folder(s).
Yes.check out the Help Desk's self-help for more information.
24. What about an events calendar?
Yes, check out the Help Desk's self-help for more information.
25. We have online forms asking for personal information, how do we make them secure?
The www.wmich.edu server has access to secure protocol. Using secure protocol encrypts the information sent between them and the browser. This prevents anyone running a sniffer program to read the information. Check out the Help Desk's self-help for more information.
26. What are server-side includes?
Server-side includes (SSI) permit a server to include information from files and environmental variables into an HTML document before that document leaves the server. The pages are created on the fly by the server based on the server-side includes in the HTML source files.
27. Are there any available to us?
No, sorry. At this time SSI are not available.
Have a question not answered here? Ask the Web-Team...