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You've struggled with your HTML, pondered your brilliant content, tapped into your inner Picasso for your graphics. Now you have to put your site up on the Internet for everyone to see. This basic primer will take first-time web authors step-by-step through the process of publishing (uploading) your webpages, and even provide some tips for more experienced PWP-ers.
 
The first step is to get an 'ftp client,' a program that allows the uploading and downloading of files from File Transfer Protocol servers like the Prodigy Internet Personal Web Page server. Prodigy Internet offers a 'lite' version of WS_FTP, a good basic client, available free of charge. Two other good shareware ftp programs are: Cute FTP 4.0, which sports a user-friendly interface and some extra features, and FTP2000, which allows for easy online editing of your webpages on the fly. The basic functioning of all of these is similar, so these instructions will work with any of them. Install the ftp program according to directions. Read the help file and look around to familiarize yourself with the basic operation of your program.
 
For more FTP suggestions, check out our Cool Tools Now you have to set up your connection to the PWP server. Here are the settings for you to use with any of the clients; some programs have them all one screen, others have 'advanced options' screens, others may not have these all:

Once you have created your Web page files in HTML, you're ready to move them (along with images, sounds, and other features) from your hard drive to the Internet where they will reside on the Personal Web Pages (PWP) server. To do this, you must have File Transfer Protocol (FTP) software.

If you already use another FTP program to transfer files, you can skip down to Step 2, configure it, and transfer your Web pages now. If not, you can download a free version of WS_FTP LE™, an FTP program from Ipswitch, Inc., or read about other recommended FTP programs.

Use the following steps to download and install WS_FTP LE, configure your FTP program, and upload your files to the Web.

1. download & install WS_FTP LE:

• Click here to download WS_FTP LE.
• A window will open asking you where you would like to save the file. Choose a directory, and then click Save.
• Find the folder on your hard drive where the software was saved, and double-click on WS_FTPLE.EXE. The file will automatically expand into a set of install files.
• Double-click on INSTALL.EXE and follow the onscreen instructions to install the program. When prompted for a local destination directory for file transfers, select the directory in which you normally save your HTML files.
• Once the installation is successful, double-click on the WS_FTP icon to launch the program and open the Session Profile dialog window. You're now ready to configure the program to use with PWP.

2. configure your ftp program:

NOTICE: sbcglobal.net customers: Your Host name will be pages.sbcglobal.net. Your UserID is your username. Your password is your chosen password (passwords are case sensitive).
• Open your program to the Session Profile screen or similar host setup screen in other programs.
  
  The Session Profile Window

• In the Session Profile window, type in the following settings:
  PROFILE NAME: Personal Web Pages
  HOST NAME: pages.prodigy.net
  HOST TYPE: auto-detect or UNIX (standard)
  You do not need to change any other settings.
  
• Type your Prodigy Internet username and password in the appropriate fields. Be sure to use all lower-case characters for your username and the appropriate upper and lower-case characters for your password. For security purposes, save your password only if you have sole access to your computer.
• If you are using an FTP program other than WS_FTP, you will need to follow that program's instructions and type this information in yourself.

3. upload your files:

WS_FTP main screen. (The files and directories shown here are only examples)

• Connect to Prodigy Internet, then launch your FTP program.
• Choose PWP and click on OK in the Session Profile window (or similar host setup screen). This will connect you to the PWP server.
• The left window pane will show the files on your hard drive. If the files you want to upload do not appear, locate the appropriate directory on your hard drive by navigating to it or clicking on the "ChgDir" button on the top left.
• In the right window pane, you will see the contents of your PWP directory.
• If you would like to create subdirectories, click on the "MkDir" button on the right (or similar device in other programs).
• Select the file(s) you wish to upload. To select several files at once, hold down the [Ctrl] key and click once on each file you wish to move. Don't forget to upload graphics, sounds, applets, and other features in addition to your HTML pages.
• To transfer the files to your PWP directory, click on the right-pointing arrow button in WS_FTP (or similar device in other programs). For your reference, you can also move files from your PWP back to your local directory by clicking on the left-pointing arrow button in WS_FTP (or similar device in other programs).

Congratulations, you're on the Web! If your email address is username@prodigy.net, your URL is http://pages.prodigy.net/username (all in lowercase). If your email address is username@wans.net your URL is http://wanspages.prodigy.net/username (all in lowercase). If you've named your main page "index.htm," it will show up automatically when you type that URL.

Notice: sbcglobal.net customers; Congratulations, you're on the Web! If your email address is username@sbcglobal.net, your URL is http://pages.sbcglobal.net/username (all in lowercase). If you've named your main page "index.htm," it will show up automatically when you type that URL.

If you require additional assistance, consult your WS_FTP Help File or post a detailed question to our special Prodigy Internet HTML Help Newsgroup.

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Site Management Hint: Some people suggest creating sub-directories on your site, say for images, sound files, or special projects, to help you stay organized. If you do this, then remember that the URL of these files will be: http://pages.prodigy.net/username/subdirectory/filename.htm or .gif or whatever. If you don't use subdirectories, all your links are just the file name: <IMG SRC="mypic.gif">. If you use subdirectories, you'd have to put <IMG SRC="/subdirectory/mypic.gif"> in your code instead.