Topic: Starting a Website

[landofoz]

My PTA has a vague interest in starting up our own web site.  We just need something simple where we can post stuff, have sign ups and notices, allow folks to comment.  I figure someone,  maybe someone around here, would know a thing or two about it?  Like costs, where to get started, etc?

[Triss]

Many times your internet service provider will allow a website.  Or if your school has one they will let you put a place up at theirs.  Once you have the place, the easier way to make a page in my experience is through Front Page.  It is a what you see is what you get so you do not have to know a lot of html and they have lots of great themes.

[wimc]

Only way I can explain it, sorry.

1. Purchase a domain you would like from either Namecheap or Godaddy, myself use and prefer Namecheap. A domain would identify you, place, business, or other. Prices vary.

2. Purchase hosting, there are number of hosting services available, below are some of my recommendations.
http://www.surpasshosting.com/ (cheap, as low as $7 a month)
http://www.canvasdreams.com/ (not as cheap, where I get hosting from)

3. You could either learn some basic html ( http://www.pageresource.com/ ) or use whats available to anyone on a hosting account, they are auto installers via Fantastico which installs programs within minutes without knowing any programming.

[Tina]

And your local PTA, regional, may have a setup on their website where you can have a page.  If they have a website. Find out about that kind of opportunity before purchasing anything.
Our schools have websites but they are silly and uninformative. They don't want site maps or schedules of events posted because they are afraid terrorists will get too much info.
I would have liked to have contact with my kids teachers or an assignment list to be able to check on stuff. But it wasn't to be here.

[wimc]

My explanation could be way up there in la la land, you could also look into one of those blog sites, they are usually free and easy setup.

[landofoz]

National and state PTA do not offer sites for local PTA's although they are happy to link to them.  If I do a website, I would prefer to have something not tied to me, or my personal accounts, so that it can stand alone when I am no longer with PTA.  I would like something professional, as a website is an extension and reflection of the PTA.  The school will not share their website with our PTA as there is an issue of PTA doing/promoting things that the school doesn't agree with.  I would like to learn code, although I'm sure that I would use a template first. 

Do you really have to pay for a website?  I kinda figured as much, but geez, you just rent it??  You can't outright buy it for something cheap?  That sucks.   

[wimc]

There are free hosts, use a domain they have or your own, but I know nothing about them.

[Jim]

Yep, you really have to pay for the domain name, the space and the bandwidth that you use.  William explained it rather well I think. 

And there are free host out there where you can develop your site but almost all that I know of pay for that by putting ads on your site.  You have no control over the ads and of course do not gain any revenue from the ads.

My first website was on Geocities and it's still there today.  It's free so have to put up with a few ads but it's not really too bad.  Dianna built her first site at AngelFire.  That's another free site that is paid for by ad revenue.