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All websites live on server hosts, machines made available to the world. If you are translating an article, you will present your work on a website, so you need to set up an account on a host and find a way to transfer content to the host. This page guides you through this process.
Setting up an account on a server to host your website
Most offers to host web sites come with strings attached. Maybe you have to pay something, agree to show ads, or use certain software. As a member of the VCU community, however, you have an option that comes with just one string -- that you are a member of the VCU community. VCU makes available to all in that community space on their people server, which you can fill as you like, including with a translation of a published article concerning molecular biology.
If you already have an account on VCU's people server, you're through with this section. If not, then here are the steps:
- The website: Go to this VCU Technology Services website
- The rules: Note that you're obligated to adhere to the various rules governing websites hosted by VCU, which you can find in the several links to standards and guidelines
- Set up the account: Click How to request an account
- Choose a password: It doesn't have to be the same as the password you use with your eID for other VCU purposes
Enabling content upload to your website
- Get Filezilla: You will need a program that uses SFTP (Secure File Transfer Protocol). Filezilla is a good choice, easy to use and freely available from the VCU Technology Services Filezilla page for Windows, Mac, or Linux. Download Filezilla and install it on your computer.
- Connecting from on campus: If you are on campus, you'll need to connect through the VCU SafeNet Wireless network (VCU Guest Wireless won't work)
- Connecting from off campus: If you will be adding content from off campus, you will need to connect to the VCU virtual private network (VPN). Here are instructions on how to get the software and set it up.
- More advice: Here's what Technology Services has to say
Uploading content to your website
- Open Filezilla: Find it in a menu or find it on your disk drive, wherever it may have been installed.
- Set up your site:
- Get to Site Manager: Click File (upper left corner) and then Site Manager
- Define your site: Click New Site and give your site a memorable name
- Define the host: In the host field, type www.people.vcu.edu
- Define the port: In the port field, type 22
- Define the protocol: In the protocol field, choose SFTP (not FTP)
- Define the logon type: In the logon type field, choose Ask for Password
- Define the user: In the user field, type your eID (not your V number)
- Ignore the password box
- Done: Click OK
- Add minimal content to your site:
- Get a stub page: Right click this minimal page and download it to your computer, keeping its name (index.html).
- Get to Site Manager: Click File (upper left corner) and then Site Manager
- Open your site for transfer: Click your site under My Sites
- Go to top-level directory: Double click public_html on the remote site
- Transfer stub page: On the left side of the screen (local site), navigate to the place you downloaded the stub page. Double click that page. The file should now appear in the directory displayed on the right side of the screen.
- Create directory for your article: Right click anywhere in the Filename window of the remote site (right side of the screen). Click create directory. Replace "New directory" with a name of the form derived from your article: author-year (e.g. Meselson-1958). Click OK.
- Transfer stub page: ...this time to the directory for your article. Enter the directory you just created by double clicking it. Then, double click the stub page again (index.html). The file should now appear in the article directory. You'll replace this page once you've developed real content.
- Use that folder: Enter that folder before transfering any material related to your translation. Pitfall! If you sometimes forget to enter the folder before uploading material for your translation, the links in your page won't work!
Viewing your website
You can view the public-facing website you set up by going to
http://www.people.vcu.edu/~[eID]/[author-year]
replacing [eID] with your eID and replacing [author-year] with the name you used to set up the subdirectory for your translation. Don't forget the tilde (~). Of course, right now it won't say anything interesting, just a notice that nothing is there. If instead you get the message "Oops! This is a default page..." or "Not found" or "Forbidden", then something went wrong. Possibly you forgot to upload the stub file.
It will generally be more convenient to test your page on your own computer before committing it to the web. To do this, set up a subdirectory on your own disk and put all content for the translation there. To test the page, open the file containing the front page (index.html) when it exists. When you're happy with the content you've made, upload it to the server.
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