Publishing your Web pages on The WELL
CGI - counters, and forms
Web traffic and costs
Tools and resources

Our standard Membership includes Web page publishing. Setting it up to serve Web pages involves two steps: setting up your Web directory and transferring your html pages to your Web directory.

Publishing your Web pages on The WELL

When you publish your Web page on The WELL, your URL or Web address will be:
     http://www.well.com/user/yourlogin/

You may also use the "tilde" shortcut URL:
     http://www.well.com/~yourlogin/

Setting up a Web directory
To get started you will you can either set up your own Web directory or you can send an email to helpdesk [at] well dot com and ask for a Web directory. If you email helpdesk, Helpdesk will tell you when the directory has been created.

When your Web directory is set up, prepare your files for transfer to the directory.

Transferring your html files
When preparing your html files you should name your main page index.html. If you give the file another name its URL would be:
     http://www.well.com/user/yourlogin/filename.html

Files are transferred from your desktop computer by using SFTP (secure file transfer protocol). With any desktop SFTP program, connect to host www.well.com. Log in with your username and password. If your program asks for a default directory, leave it blank. When you connect you will automatically be put into your Web directory. Upload the files, disconnect your SFTP program and enter your URL in your Web browser to see your Web page.

CGI - Counters and Forms

The WELL offers two simple CGI programs. Currently, you can set up a mailto form and a visitor counter.

Web Traffic and Costs

The included storage allotment in our current Membership is set at 100 Megabytes, including combined any stored legacy shell email (oldtimers only), plus other home and WEB directory content. Additional storage is charged according to our Membership plans, pricing and billing policies. Surcharges for exceptionally heavy traffic to personal WELL Web pages are also described on that page.

To see your Web site traffic and statistics, check the Analog Web Logs for your login. If you choose to have raw Web logs sent to your home directory on The WELL, be sure to delete them frequently to avoid storage charges.

Tools and Resources

SSH
SSH is a terminal emulation protocol that replaces old, insecure telnet. It makes your machine a terminal for issuing commands to The WELL's machines. SSH programs for Windows as well as Mac machines can be downloaded from shareware sites such as Tucows or CNet.

Mac OSX machines have an SSH program in Terminal. Go to the Applications folder, then the Utilities folder to find Terminal and the SSH program. To use SSH from Terminal, just type ssh username@well.com to be connected to your account on The WELL.

SFTP
SFTP is a program for uploading and managing files. Like its ancestor, FTP, it is a method for moving files over the Internet. However, unlike FTP, it securely encrypts the connection. GUI (graphical user interface) SFTP programs for Windows as well as Mac machines can be downloaded from shareware sites such as Tucows or CNet. Your current FTP programs can probably be set to SFTP in the Server Settings field.

Mac OSX machines have an SFTP program in Terminal. Go to the Applications folder, then the Utilities folder to find Terminal and the SFTP program. To use SFTP from Terminal, just type sftp username@www.well.com to be connected to your Web directory on The WELL.

Most modern Web page authoring programs use built-in SFTP to move files. Point them at www.well.com, enter your login and password, and they should end up in your Web directory.

The Web Conference on The WELL is a good source of expert advice.

For information about The WELL or for WELL Customer Support, use the Helpdesk contact information on the footer of this page.

The Web Conference on The WELL

Adding CGI (Common Gateway Interface) to your WELL Web page