FTP stands for 'file transfer protocol,' which is one of the protocols, or set of rules, used to transfer files on the Internet. Alternatively, you may use an FTP program to transfer files. Some hosts have a file manager you can use to upload your website files to the server. Possible hosts include SiteGround, Dreamhost, and Amazon Web Services. If you are not a student at NVCC, you will need to find a host to provide server space. If you have a large website with several directories inside the root directory, this is much quicker than uploading the files one by one. This will extract all of the files and place them in a directory of the same name. Once the zipped file is uploaded, select it and click upzip. Then upload the zipped file into the public directory on MyDrive. To upload a directory to MyDrive, first compress the directory into a file: right-click on the directory icon > send to compressed (.zip) file. If you want to create several websites (for example, as homework assignments), the best way to keep them organized is to put each website or assignment in a directory. Professor Rynn's instructions show how to create the public directory and upload files so they will be inside the public directory. In order for MyDrive to act as a web server, you must create a directory named public on MyDrive and place all of your websites inside the public directory. Please use these instructions, kindly provided by Maria Rynn at NVCC's Extended Learning Institute (ELI). If you are a student at Northern Virginia Community College (NVCC), you will use MyDrive to upload your web files to the server. So it can serve up web pages, just like a waiter serves up your food.

The server software and fast internet connection allow this computer to act as a web server.

A web server is a computer that's hooked up to the internet (hopefully with a reliable, fast connection) and that has special server software on it. In order for Aunt Tilly to see the web page, you must put it on a web server.

How are you going to do this? Aunt Tilly cannot see your C: drive or your flash drive. Now you want your Aunt Tilly in Iowa to see the page. Great! You probably created the web page on the C: drive or on a flash drive.

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