The World of Grandpa Don
7/28/01
How a web site works.
(In people language)
People talk of 'publishing' a web site and that is what they do. However, It may be more convenient to picture a web site as a 'craft object' like a hand carved model of a ship in a display case within a museum. People come into the museum and they can look at the object but they can't touch it. The museum is owned and operated by a company (Web Hosting Service) who controls the doors and provides other services.
The Webmaster (I prefer Webservant) builds the craft objects in his workshop, his computer. Only he can see them and work on them. The objects are "pages" of the web site. When they are ready for display, he brings them to the museum. He has a key to the back door and to the display case which has been assigned to him. Actually, he electronically "uploads" his pages with two keys, a user name and a password which lets him in the web server computer (the museum's back door) and his assigned file folder (display case).
Most web sites are more like the Museum of Science and Industry. They are "interactive" to the point that the visitors can cause things to happen. On a web site this can include input to a guestbook, or entering your name and credit card number to make a purchase. Of course, on any web site the visitor can scroll through the page or turn to another page. However, the visitor can not change the appearance or operation of the site. He does not have the key to the back door or to the display case.
A webmaster could eliminate the middleman and open his own museum. To do that he must have a front door that is always open and a wide pathway to it. He must have a "broadband" connection with a permanent address. (Every time you use your "dial-up" modem you get a new address.) The webmaster's computer must also have a guard at the front door to direct visitors to the "public" areas of the computer and keep them out of the private areas. This is called a "fire wall" because it stops anything from penetrating it. And, having the workshop and museum in the same place, all could be lost in the event of a catastrophe (Hard drive failure). For most people, it is more convenient to have a Web Host Service provide these services, especially since most internet service providers will provide free (or economical) web hosting along with access to the internet and email. In addition, they may provide "templates" for web pages and the beginner webmaster con insert his words and graphics.
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How a web site works |
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The
World of Grandpa Don www.plefka.net |
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by The JavaScript Source | |
