I'm in way over my head.

[Matt Campbell]

For the past few days I've been trying to set up a website. I'm using hostmonster.com as my host, Filezilla, and a template from dreamtemplate.com

Questions:
1) How in the world do I upload the template to my website?

2) Is there a free html editor out there? I downloaded a trial version of Dreamweaver, but I can't open it.

3) What program can I use to edit PSD files? I noticed Photoshop 7.0, but I don't feel like spending the $250 or so to edit one template.

4) Does anyone know where I've put my club?

Thanks.

[James Jaragosky]

Questions:
1) How in the world do I upload the template to my website?

2) Is there a free html editor out there? I downloaded a trial version of Dreamweaver, but I can't open it.

3) What program can I use to edit PSD files? I noticed Photoshop 7.0, but I don't feel like spending the $250 or so to edit one template.

4) Does anyone know where I've put my club?

Thanks.
I tried host monster and found their hosting tools to be difficult to find and use. Also some of the features displayed on the sales splash page need to be activated before they show up for your use. I found this practice to be a little disingenuous, as no were does it state that you must contact the sales staff to activate the included features, I only found out when I contacted them to drop the service and get a refund, then they were helpful as can be.

I use Omnis they are the least expensive service that offers a commerce grade web site
it has a easy to find and easy to use site builder built into the cost.
I would dump Hostmonster and move on while you can still get a refund.
Jim J.

[John Keeton]

James, interestingly, when I tried to go to your link, my anti-virus (Trend Micro) identified the site as "undesirable." Wonder what that is all about?

I was just curious as I, too, have contemplated building a website. Anyone else have that issue. I did not go past the warning.

[Mitchell Andrus]

James, interestingly, when I tried to go to your link, my anti-virus (Trend Micro) identified the site as "undesirable." Wonder what that is all about?

You can check your anti-virus settings/log (if you've got one) or, as with most stuff on this rock that's free... the host's platform is junk. Pervasive advertizing pop-ups and banner ads, old security protocols, cookies that the web owner doesn't even know about, spyware, etc., really tic off an up-to-date browser. One free host has a reputation for using it's web customers' sites to build their own emailing lists. Every site they host phones home with site visitor's stats.

I pay dearly to run a clean site, both to my software author and to my host. Of course, I have to keep up to date. I'm audited by my credit card processor.

[Mitchell Andrus]

James, I feel your pain. I'm on my second shopping cart site. I've seen the far site of 2:00am more times than I can count. 100's of hours to get to launch, 100's more on updates and improvements/changes.

Most people give site creation few weeks and wander away. Stick with it.

[Jim Becker]

PSD files are native PhotoShop and PhotoShop Elements documents. There are any number of free HTML editors out there, but you may also need one that supports CSS (style sheets) for many of the templates available to you. CNET.com is a good place to look for free downloads outside of a simple Google Search and then vetting them yourself. (Dreamweaver is an excellent development environment and the one I use, but even with it's ease of use, you still need to understand how HTML and CSS works to manipulate things ideally)

[James Jaragosky]

James, interestingly, when I tried to go to your link, my anti-virus (Trend Micro) identified the site as "undesirable." Wonder what that is all about?
I was just curious as I, too, have contemplated building a website. Anyone else have that issue. I did not go past the warning.

Are you saying the link to my site "Lashersharpmemories" or the one that Keith removed? i have used Omnis for 3 years and you would be the first person to tell me that they can't get in. as for spyware the only spyware on my site is a Google tracking cookie I placed there to track hits nothing more the site has one but I have 3 sites and i like the convince of one stop analysis for all three sites so I have added the Google code..
you do not have to spend a fortune to get a clean site.
I pay around $240 for the year for all the bells and whistles i.e... a site builder with a web store feature, shopping cart, private ssl ect...
I have no financial interest in Omnis just a happy customer.
jim j.

[Robert Eiffert]

1) How in the world do I upload the template to my website? I don't think you need to upload it. Use it locally, the upload the files generated for your pages.

2) Is there a free html editor out there? I downloaded a trial version of Dreamweaver, but I can't open it. Try NVU http://www.net2.com/nvu/download.html

3) What program can I use to edit PSD files? I noticed Photoshop 7.0, but I don't feel like spending the $250 or so to edit one template. GIMP should do the trick, plus what you learn in using it will transfer to photo editing.

4) Does anyone know where I've put my club? Maybe using Style Sheets (CSS) will lessen the need for a club and even a template. One file, easy to alter, effects look of every page linked to it. NVU has CSS editing, though there are some stand alones (and pay fors) that are slicker.

If you have a kid in HS or college, they would have access to student licensed DreamWeaver and Photoshop (~$99 for DW last time I checked). If they'll let you use their computer.....

[Eric DeSilva]

1) How in the world do I upload the template to my website?


Your file host should have directions on uploading... Typically there will be a real server address (not your site name, what your site name points to) and you can ftp a package up to the site. But, if you are expecting the site design you bought to integrate with the ecommerce features of your host, you may have a lot of custom coding to do. You might want to investigate the site's own hostbuilder instead.



2) Is there a free html editor out there? I downloaded a trial version of Dreamweaver, but I can't open it.


You can edit HTML in MS Word or notepad. Its just a markup language; just save the files as .txt and rename to .html or whatever. You won't get wysiwig, but that is usually where the $ come in.



3) What program can I use to edit PSD files? I noticed Photoshop 7.0, but I don't feel like spending the $250 or so to edit one template.


If your purchased site uses .psd files, you should really rethink buying it. .psd files are typically multilayered and *huge*. I can't think of a reason why I'd use a .psd instead of a .jpg or .png on a website. Frankly, even though my site has a lot of pictures on it, I try to reduce the size to a set standard of about 400px x 600px and then drop the jpg quality to get files of less than 24 kb--yes, *kb* not *mb*. People will get very frustrated with you very fast if the site loads slowly.

Is your site intended to be an ecommerce site or a site showing what you do with contact information? You might want to start with the latter, simply because it involves a lot less security and might get you familiar with website functionality.

[John Keeton]

Are you saying the link to my site "Lashersharpmemories" or the one that Keith removed?
The one that was removed. I have been running this same anti-virus software for years, and trust it. So, I didn't go any further. I don't ever have any problems, but I am very conservative with my surfing.

Not sure what the problem was, but it was enough for me.

[Jeff Bratt]

1)Try NVU http://www.net2.com/nvu/download.html

Development of the program NVU has been abandoned by Sun - it's replacement is KompoZer - http://kompozer.sourceforge.net/.


You can edit HTML in MS Word or notepad. Its just a markup language; just save the files as .txt and rename to .html or whatever. You won't get wysiwig, but that is usually where the $ come in.

For someone unfamiliar with web authoring or programming, a WSIWYG option is a FAR better option. KompoZer is free...

[Eric DeSilva]

For someone unfamiliar with web authoring or programming, a WSIWYG option is a FAR better option. KompoZer is free...

Yeah, probably right... Guess I'm old school or something (when I started programming "C" didn't have "++" after it). But if you are writing straight, and relatively simple, HTML, I just get a notepad window up, save the file, have a separate window for firefox aimed at the file, hit reload, and I get to see what it actually is. Most of what I seem to do these days messing around is in php anyway and that seems to confuse dreamweaver anyway...

[Joe Pelonio]

I have found that many of the FTP programs are a little tricky. I am now using one called Cupertino that seems to be problem-free and simple to use.

I still have Frontpage for easy HTML programming but apparently it's no longer available.

[Eric DeSilva]

I have found that many of the FTP programs are a little tricky.

Agreed. I tried to use CuteFTP and didn't like it. Now I've been using FireFTP, which is a Firefox add on. I'm quite happy with it, and the convenience of having it bundled into the browser works for me too--one tab for FireFTP and one for the site=nearly instant preview.

[Jeff Bratt]

I still have Frontpage for easy HTML programming but apparently it's no longer available.

FrontPage is now part of Microsoft Office.