PAGE 3 CONTENTS
Okay, now, we're starting to get a bit technical about web sites - in preparation for the Page 4 info on getting your own domain (and maybe becoming a webmaster). After reading this page, the typical "user" may not want to read page 4. But, those who are curious may find it interesting even if they do not want to become webmasters.
In any case, everyone should read THIS page 3 for a general understanding of basic terms (many of which you may already know).
This page defines basic terminology, describes the various parts of a Uniform Resource Locator (URL), and examines the parts of the BHS-57 web site's URL as an example. The organizational extensions to email addresses are described and some are listed. The international extensions are described and dozens are listed in a pop-up file.
The quick links to the items included on this page are listed below.
See Page 1 for Marilyn's contact information, her current list of BHS-57 classmates with "undeliverable" email addresses, and how to avoid the "Full Mailbox" problem.
See Page 2 about email etiquette, the use of "plain text" mode versus "enhanced text" mode, emoticons (graphics and text characters), and attached or embedded graphics.
See Page 4 for information on domains. It gives an overview of Marilyn's Softguide.net domain (listing a few of her smaller web sites you may visit), and describes how to get your own domain if you want to create and maintain web sites.
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1. INTRODUCING SOME BASIC TERMS
The URL - "Uniform Resource Locator" (sometimes defined as "Universal Resource Locator" in some telecom dictionaries) - is commonly called the "web site address" by users.
The browser software (e.g., Internet Explorer, Netscape, Safari, Moxilla, FoxFire, others) uses the provided URL to locate a unique file (e.g., an HTML file which is recognized by its filename extension of .html or .htm).
Every type of software creates/reads files with certain filename extensions that it recognizes as fitting their own format rules. For example, the HyperText Markup Language - HTML software language used by webmasters - recognizes files with the filename extension of .html or .htm.
The contents (text and graphics) of that HTML file located by the browser describe a certain web page (i.e., a "resource") that is located on a specific computer connected to the World Wide Web (WWW) which is one part of the Internet.
The computer that houses that resource (one specific, unique HTML file) can be located anywhere in the world. Just as each house and building in the world has a unique "address," each and every URL in the world points to a unique file - a specific "web page" or "resource."
It is up to the webmaster (designer/creator of web sites) where her web site(s) will be located ("hosted"). After careful research and much comparison of various ISP business offerings and costs, she'll choose to do business with a particular ISP. An ISP (Internet Service Provider) hosts domains (which can hold one or more web sites) for webmasters on the ISP's (very large) "server" host computers. (Each ISP also has "email server" computers.)
The term "server" can be looked at two ways:
Physically, it the ISP's host computer (hardware) that holds all the "server" software and all the files (data) of the various domains individually owned by the ISP company's customers (who upload the files to the ISP's server computer).
Logically, a "server" is the domain (all its files) that "serves" the info to the public (via the ISP's equipment.). Thus, softguide.net (a "domain") is also a "server" because it serves info to the public - but does it through using the services of an ISP (Internet Service Provider).
A large corporation, of course, usually has its own server computers and doesn't use ISP services; instead it has its own techie employees who perform the functions of the ISP's techie employees.
Domains (for example, softguide.net) may be referred to as logical (rather than physical) "servers" - because the logical data files are owned by the ISP's customers (the domain owners), not by the ISP company's owner.
When you get a message such as "Page Not Found on This Server", it could mean that the webmaster for the domain (i.e., "server") had a page that didn't get uploaded during an update. That missing web page must be uploaded from her own Mac computer to her ISP's server computer ASAP. (In that case, it is not the ISP that isn't currently "serving" the web site viewer. It is the "domain" server.)
The first thing to check is that you entered the URL correctly. Sometimes web site viewers make the typos. One mistake, such as a wrong letter, number, or punctuation mark or the wrong organizational extension in the URL and you will not get the expected web site's page; instead, you will then (most likely) get the "Page Not Found" message.
Common typos made when entering URLs: If you ever get a browser's NOT FOUND error message when trying to access the BHS-57 web site or some other web site, make sure you correctly entered the URL. Check first for correct placement of
colon, slashes, and periods
(be sure you didn't enter a semi-colon or a comma, for example), then check for the correct spelling of the
domain name
and its correct
extension
(.net or .com, for example). Of the possible domain extensions (some common ones are shown in the above graphic), only one will be correct for the specific domain you want to access. Only
.net
is correct organizational extension for the
softguide.net
domain which hosts the BHS-57 web site (as well as some other, smaller, web sites).
If you entered an "almost correct" URL except you entered the wrong organizational extension (perhaps .com instead of .net), you could get to an unexpected web page (that belongs to that exact URL you had mistakenly specified), but it's NOT the web site (domain) you expected to access.
Of course, if you didn't enter a URL, but just clicked the web site's text or graphic link to access a page (and got the Page Not Found error), either that page could be missing or the webmaster made a typo in the link for that page. In the latter case, it's called a bad link or a broken link and the webmaster should be immediately notified via email so it can be fixed ASAP.)
If you entered the correct URL and got a "Page Not Found" message, there could be two reasons why:
If you get that same error message a few hours later or the next day (or two), you might send the webmaster a polite email; it could be that page got lost in an update of a hundred or so pages. (Webmasters usually appreciate being told when their web sites have missing pages or "bad link" situations.)
If you get a "Page Not Found" message and you know that you entered the URL correctly, you might just wait a bit and then try again later.
Note: If you ever get a "Page Not Found" message more than once (at different times) when trying to access the BHS-57 web site, PLEASE let Marilyn know ASAP via email. Be sure to indicate which page you were trying to access.
2. URL PARTS - THE BHS-57 EXAMPLE
As a URL (web site address) example, the four basic parts to the BHS-57 web site's URL are presented in the graphic below, with detailed descriptions of each part following the graphic. Underneath the graphic, the various parts are discussed.
Note: When entering a URL, you do not include spaces, and the letters must be the web site's correct UPPERCASE or lowercase (as most are) letters. So, the way you would enter the BHS-57 web site is to enter its URL like this:
http://www.softguide.net/bhs57/index.html
The parts of the URL are separated by space in the graphic - that space was inserted only for ease in seeing its "parts."
For the BHS-57 web site, its "Home" web page (the file that is usually opened first) has the filename "index" with the filename extension .html as shown in the above graphic.
Note: The HTML (HyperText Markup Language) file extension could be .htm (see that option in the above graphic), depending on how it was created, by whom, and when. Webmasters who develop on PC computers most commonly use the shorter file extensions; not too many years ago, the PC recognized only files with three-character file extensions - for ANY type of file (not just HTML files). Thus, although PC files would work on Mac computers, Mac files (with 4-character file extensions) would not work on PC computers.
As indicated in the above graphic, the index.html (the home page) file - as well as all other files for the BHS-57 web site - is located within the folder named "bhs57." However, a web site (certainly any as large as the BHS-57 web site) can have many folders and files within folders, which are within other folders . . . and so forth.
A URL that allows "direct access" to a file within a sub-folder (or sub-sub-folder, etc.) would have a web site address that shows several slashes that separate folder names from the one the file is located within, etc. The last item in the list is the filename - the name of the file to be retrieved from the innermost folder last indicated.
To give an example of a URL showing three folders within the softguide.net domain, the following URL provides "direct access" to a file that shows thumbnails of photos taken by your webmaster which are contained in the "Scenic Photos" section of the BHS-57 web site.
http://www.softguide.net/bhs57/scensnap/moir_m/all_thum.html
Type the above URL into your browser's URL place, then hit your RETURN key to see the web page "all-thum.html" (which is within the "moir_m" folder, which is within the "scensnap" folder, which is within the "bhs57" folder which is within the softguide.net domain).
Note: If, after viewing the page you retrieved by entering its full URL, you click the "Next Thums" link, you will see photos by David Crook. Clicking the "BHS '57 HOME" rectangle at the top of the red column at the left takes you back to the BHS-57 home page.)
3. ORGANIZATIONAL EXTENSIONS
Each domain name has an organizational extension as part of its unique name. To access the correct web site, be careful to use the correct domain name's organizational extension.
Note: Five common organizational extension examples, .net and .com and three others, are shown in the
URL Parts - the BHS-57 Example
graphic (item 2) above.
These include:
There are several others, including .mil for military use, but the organizational extensions listed in the above graphic are those that are most commonly seen by most users.
Many large organizations or corporations register their domain name with several (or all) possible "organizational extensions" so that a user who mistakenly enters ".com" when ".net" should be used (or vice versa) will still be sent to their web site. It also helps avoid the illegal (online) use of their unique business name. But, sadly, it does not stop those who would steal identities - even business identities and even their "web site" look.
Individual webmasters, small companies, and non-profit organizations usually do not register their domain with more than one organizational extension. Each such "registration" requires an annual fee. It gets even more expensive when the company/organization needs to provide identical email addresses for all company employees for each type of organizational extension they register. But, it may be worth the money as trademark and copyright laws do get broken by scoundrels.
4. INTERNATIONAL EXTENSIONS
Where international (country) boundaries are crossed, the correct international extension must follow the organizational extension when entering a URL.
If you are traveling with your laptop in another country and want to access a web site on an ISP server located in the United States, add the .us international extension at the end of the domain name. For example, to view the BHS-57 web site from the United Kingdom, you would enter this URL:
http://www.softguide.net.us/bhs57/index.html
As another example: When you are in the USA, to view a site hosted on a server located in the United Kingdom, you would enter .uk after its organizational extension.
To see a list of 78 international extensions (perhaps to see which countries your incoming spam comes from) in a pop-up window, CLICK HERE