How to Obtain & Use
Chapter FTP Access

Warning: It is easy with FTP access, if you are new to it, to delete or overwrite or accidentally rename the files on your chapter web site. It is always a good idea to have backup copies of all of your chapter site web pages and graphics on your own computer.

Since your chapter site will be hosted on another web server, such as your own Internet Provider, FTP access to your web site should be also be provided through that company. Ask for the same information from that company as is provided below for the NAS web server. The same FTP programs listed below will access any FTP site for which you are allowed access.

How to get shareware FTP programs

There are separate FTP programs available in which you enter:

Some Shareware FTP Programs: You can click on the highlighted program names above to connect to the home pages
for these programs and download these programs for use on your computer as shareware.

Warning about using FrontPage "publish web site"
The "publish web site" option that is part of FrontPage will also upload your web site but, at the same time, it uploads dozens of unnecessary Windows files. It also does not offer the useful option of renaming files once they are uploaded. It is strongly suggested that you use an FTP program or the MicroSoft Web Publishing Wizard to maintain your chapter web site even if you create it with FrontPage.

Remember, to upload your web site using any program,
you need to upload both the web page files and the files
for any graphics you use on your web site
(including background images).

Using older versions of Netscape FTP
You can also use the FTP function built in Netscape but this will only upload one file at a time and also does not offer the useful option of renaming files once they are uploaded. (If you are using Netscape Composer's publish feature, use these separate directions.) Simple steps for using older versions Netscape's FTP follow:

  1. In the Location Box where you would usually type web page addresses, type the FTP username, password and FTP address, using the example address format below, and press ENTER

    2.  

     

    Example generic chapter FTP address using Netscape:
    ftp://username:password@www.providername.org (the actual address will be given to you by your provider)

  2. A list of files on your chapter web site will appear as highlighted links.

    3. (You can view any of these files by clicking on their names.)
  3. To upload a new file, click on FILE in the top right hand menu of Netscape and then UPLOAD FILE in the drop down menu that appears
  4. A directory listing of files on YOUR computer will appear. Click through that list of directories (folders) and files until you view the file name to be uploaded.
(Helpful Hint: you may need to select the down arrow by the FILES OF TYPE box which may be pre-set to only show HTML files. Best selection for this may be (*.*) All Files depending on your version of Netscape and your computer system.)

Click on the name of the file you wish to upload to highlight it and then click on OPEN to begin the upload. You will be prompted by a message box when the upload is complete. 


Special FTP address scheme for Netscape Composer
Using publish feature in Netscape's Composer

 Have the page you wish to upload open in Composer or, if you have more than one page on your web site, have open the main, opening page page of your site. Make sure you have saved the page(s) first to your computer. Save them all in the same folder along with any graphic files for any graphics to appear on your page(s). (If it is the main, opening page of your site, it should have been saved as "index.htm" or "index.html" with all subpages pointing back to a page of this name.)

  1. Click on FILE in top main menu of Composer
  2. Click on PUBLISH in drop down menu that appears
  3. In dialogue window that appears next, check that you have a PAGE TITLE that would make sense to someone wanting to find your page (i.e. your full chapter name and state initials, at least.)
  4. For the box labeled HTTP or FTP address, enter the information given to you by your provider: (for example)

    5. ftp://www.provider.org/username/stateinitials/chapterfoldername
     
     
  5. Click on ALL FILES IN PAGES FOLDER if you want to upload more than just the page you are viewing

    6. ***OR***
    if you have graphics on the current web page you have open in Composer.
    The graphic files, stored separately from the actual web page, will need to be uploaded as well.
  6. Click on SELECT NONE after the above step to remove blue selection highlighting from the list of files to upload if you only want to select a few of the file.
  7. Click on individual file names, if you did the above step, to pick individual files to upload.
  8. Click on OK when ready to upload
  9. A confirmation message will appear when all files are uploaded.
 In general, your "folderpath" is the part of the address you would see
after www.providername.com when accessing the web site address on the web.
For example, if you're uploading to the FTP site users.aol.com and you have a directory there called "username,"
the website where your page will appear on the web will be:

http://users.aol.com/username/index.html
 
 

Using FTP with AOL

The FTP application built into AOL is not as well designed as other, separate FTP programs and it apparently only uploads one file at a time.

Note: It is also possible to log on to AOL and, once online, to start a separate FTP program such as WS-FTP or Fetch. Listed above is a link to downloading these shareware FTP programs and basic instructions on how to use them.

 However, here are instructions for using the FTP application built into AOL if that is the only option available to you:

  1. Once you are online with AOL, click KEYWORD and type FTP
  2. Click on GO TO FTP button
  3. Click on OTHER SITE
  4. Type www.providername.com as the site address (this will correspond to the provider you have for your webspace)
  5. Click on small box to select ASK FOR USERNAME AND PASSWORD
  6. Click on CONNECT
  7. Type the username and password given to you by National Audubon for your chapter FTP access in the labeled boxes.
  8. Click on CONNECT

    9.  

     

    A new window, which may be a blank box if you have no files yet in your chapter web site directory, will appear

    If there are already files uploaded to your chapter site, they will be listed there.

    (At the top of this window will be the actual system address of your chapter web site, something like: www.providername.com/username)

  9. To upload a file, click on UPLOAD
  10. For "Remote File Name", type in the name you want your file to have once it is uploaded and online. 11. Click on ASCII (text documents) if uploading web pages 12. Click on CONTINUE 13. Click on SELECT FILE

    11.  

     

    A list of files, possibly in the C:/AOL/tool directory (folder) on YOUR computer will appear in a window labeled "Attach File".

  11. Click on the small yellow folder with the up arrow at the top of this window to move up a directory (folder) on your hard disk and repeat until you see (C:) in the Look IN box

    12.  

     

    Select the folder (directory) on YOUR computer where you have saved the file(s) that you want to upload to your chapter web site

  12. Highlight the file you want to upload and then click OPEN
  13. The filename will appear in grey text in the bottom of the UPLOAD FILE window
  14. Click SEND button to upload the file
  15. If successful, a box will appear "File Transfer Complete" Click OK to close that message box
  16. To upload another file, type another name in the "Remote File Name" box and repeat steps 11-20.
  17. If you are done uploading, click the CANCEL button on the "Remote File Name" window

    18.  

     

    Your newly upload file(s) should now appear in the list of files current on your chapter web site.


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