A few notes when you name your files and images...  Windows 95 spoiled us when they starting allowing us to use more than one word in naming our computer files.  However, it is critical that you NOT do that when naming your Web pages and their corresponding images.  Change all of your file and image names to be a single name without spaces!  For example, if you want to name your files va deca page, you should either shorten the title, name it vadecapage, or va_deca_page.  Spaces are NOT permitted.

In addition, you should keep all of your names limited to lower case lettering.  That way you and your visitors will not have to remember where the CAPS are and where the lower case letters are.  It's easier that way.  Trust me on this one.

Setting up your account:
You may post your site on any server you like.  However, for the sake of consistency, we'll use Geocities for this lesson.  (If you want to utilize school server space, contact your Computer Specialist for the specifics on uploading to your server.  Also, consider other ramifications.)

Now go to Geocities and establish your new account.  The first time you visit, you cannot simply sign in.  You must follow the link that says, "BUILD YOUR WEB SITE", then follow the link that says "SIGN ME UP".  This exact wording may change over time, but it will be similar.

Choosing your name:
Think before your choose your log-in name because it will also be a part of your URL, or Web address.  For example, if you choose a log-in name such as "decarules," then your URL is going to be http://www.geocities.com/decarules.  You can use this to your advantage if you select a distinctive and easy to remember log-in name.  If I were to build these pages on Geocities, I would probably attempt to get the log-in name ots596.  That would make the URL to my home page http://www.geocities.com/ots596.

Create you user name with all lowercase letters, as Geocities' URLs are case sensitive.

Your new name:
Now that you have registered, you can sign in with your new name and password.  Once you have signed in, follow the links to file manager.  That is where you will upload your files.

Understanding your file names:
File names are easy, once you understand them.  EVERY page you create and upload to the Internet will begin with http://www.geocities.com/yourusername.   This is your new address.

When you name your first page, you should call it index.  Your index page will be your home page, or the page someone goes to when they type in http://www.geocities.com/yourusername into their Web browser.  Geocities will recognize the "index" for you.

For every additional page that you create and name, that new page's URL will be:

http://www.geocities.com/yourusername/filename.html.

Geocities will simply take your default address and add the new file's name to the end, and add an "html" suffix.  For example, if you just created a page and named it snow, then uploaded it, Geocities would assign that page a URL of:

http://www.geocities.com/yourusername/snow.html

http://www.geocities.com/yourusername/index.html

Geocities will create your new URL automatically.  You've already logged in, they already recognize who you are, and they know what your default URL is by user name.  You simply send them the file, and they'll will insert the http://www.geocities.com/yourusername as a prefix for all of your pages.  Honest!

However, it is important that you understand this concept because you will want to create links to your other pages.  You'll have some sort of navigational system for your visitors to maneuver from page to page.  For example, you'll want your visitors to be able to "jump" from your index page to your snow page, right?  So, when you create your index page, you'll want to have a link on it that will lead the visitor to:

http://www.geocities.com/yourusername/snow.html

(TIP:  Many of you will design pages with a navigational system will link many or all of your pages, such as the whitish buttons on the left-hand column of this page.  To do this, you must plan out your pages in advance and know what you will name your files, or else you'll have to go back and change each page every time you add a new link.  YUK!  However, changes and new ideas will happen, even with the best of plans.  Keep in mind that you might want to build a "template" page with your overall layout, including your navigational system, and start each new page from your template.  It's a time saver!  In addition, if you do need to make changes, you can copy links from Composer view and paste them onto your other pages.  Composer will carry over the URLs, as well as the text, in your links!)

Ramifications:  While teaching Internet Marketing, I had unlimited access to server space.  However, I didn't use any of it!  The reason is that some school systems have stringent restraints on who you may link to from your site, and each link had to be approved my an administrator.  With 24 students, all building Web pages, it is easy to see what a nightmare THAT could turn out to be.  As a result, I posted my class site on Geocities, and had my students so the same.  Be sure to inquire about any such restrictions.