Today, websites for businesses are just plain critical, and a website for your own personal use is just plain FUN! Other people have websites to promote their causes, share their hobbies, or even teach themselves about that World Wide Wonder, The Internet!
Hello! I am Professor Webb, and I am here help you learn more about how the Internet works. Below is a short tutorial about the Internet, about websites, home pages, domains, domain names, URLs, and a lot of other stuff you might want to know about before owning your own domain or website.
I have written this tutorial in Question and Answer form so it should be pretty easy for you to learn about the Internet or just find direct answers to your domain or web hosting questions.
There are TWO parts: The Basics and The More Advanced Stuff.
If you have any question that I don’t answer, then just click HERE to send me the question. I promise to reply quickly. If it’s a good one, I’ll add it to my tutorial. Professor Webb
The Doctor is Always In | | The Basics | The Advanced Stuff | Submit A Question to Dr. Webb | TicoSites.Com |
The Basics (click the question to get your answer) What are Domains and How do they Work? What is the Internet? What is a website? How do websites work? What is a URL? What is a domain anyway? Why do we need a domain to have a website? What do .com, .net, .org and. info stand for? Which of those do I want for my company or for me? Where do I get a domain and how do I register a new domain name? What does it cost to register a Domain? So how do I actually DO the registration? What do I GET for my registration? Can I register any domain name I want? What if the domain name I want. Now what? I already own a domain name, but it is with a different registrar, can I switch it to you? Will I lose any money? Does it cost anything? Is there any reason I CAN’T transfer a domain to TicoSites.Com? How Do I know if My Registration is Complete? Do I Own the Domain name? Can I modify my domain name information after it's registered? Regarding renewals; when should I renew a domain name? Will I be notified when I have to renew? Information About Websites How much does a website cost? OK, I now have or own a Domain, how do I order a website? OK, Now I have ordered the website, and I have been told it is ready for me to use. Now what do I do? What do I do if I really want to LEARN all this programming stuff? Do you guys have any designers who can help create a LOGO for our site? Who can I contact for help?
Advanced Information What are IP addresses? What is a domain name server? TicoSites.com hosts my website. What name servers should I use? I notice that on www.ticosites.com, one of the menu items is "Manage Your Domains". What do you mean by “Manage My Domains”? Why is the Technical Contact Important? Who should be my Technical Contact? Can I sell my domain? The Basics What is the Internet? A. The Internet is nothing more than a lot of computers all attached to each other by bigger computers called servers. Servers “serve up” information, websites, programs, and a lot more stuff. They’re called servers because the deliver your information… just like a waiter at a restaurant serves you your dinner. The computers can be connected over direct wires, phone lines, via satellites, and underwater cables. 
Here is how the Net “hooks up”!
Back What is a website? A. A website is just information. It is written in a special way that web browsers like Internet Explorer or Netscape can understand. A website can be about you, your company and what your company sells or does. It can tell folks about your family, your politics, your cause, your likes, your dislikes, anything! It can play a game. It can be a resource like an encyclopedia. It tells the story you want to tell… and it can tell that story using words, pictures, graphics, music, animation, color or black and white, or any combination of these things. A website is knowledge! A website is all about YOU. Back How do websites work? A. It’s really very simple. Every website starts with an address. The address looks like this: www.ticosites.com. It’s exactly like your address at home, except that this address, instead of telling people what street you live on, tells everyone else’s computer the address of the computer that stores your website. If you let us host your domain, it tells all of the computers in the world to look to TicoSites in order to see YOUR website. (See the question above if you don’t understand what a website is). By the way, that web address is also sometimes called a URL. A Uniform Resource Locator. Sometimes, it looks like this http://www.ticosites.com. Oh… by the way. Nobody ever knows about your computer… only about ours! Back What is a URL? A. A URL stands for Uniform Resource Locator. It is another way of talking about your web address. Back What is a domain anyway? A. It’s actually part of your web address or your URL. Take off the WWW part, and what is left is the domain. Here are some domains: IBM.COM, WEATHER.COM, REDCROSS.ORG and so on. The domain is a critical part of your web addresses… in fact, it’s the most important part! You MUST have a domain before you can have a website. This domain must either be yours (you own it), or it must belong to someone else who let’s you use their domain as your address. Back Why do we need a domain to have a website? A. Because the domain is your address on the web. Without a domain? Nobody can find you! Back What do .com, .net, .org, and .info and all the others stand mean? A. All Domains end with a suffix. Most domains end with .COM, .ORG, .NET, .EDU, or .INFO. Here is what they are supposed to mean: .COM | .COM is for companies or for personal website. | .NET | .NET is for companies that provides internet or website services. | .ORG | .ORG is usually for non-profit organizations like the Red Cross or your church, or a service organization. | .EDU | .EDU is for schools or colleges. | .US | A suffix used for businesses or websites in the USA | .BIZ | Used for any business website. | .INFO | .INFO is for websites that provide information. |
There are New suffixes being added all the time .TV, .BIZ and numerous others. You will be able to choose any you like when you register with TicoSites! Back Which of these do I want for me or for my company? A. For a business or a personal website… you should probably use the .COM suffix. If you are setting up a website for someone other than yourself or your company, use this chart above to determine which suffix to use: .COM | .COM is for companies or for personal website. | .NET | .NET is for companies that provides internet or website services. | .ORG | .ORG is usually for non-profit organizations like the Red Cross or your church, or a service organization. | .EDU | .EDU is for schools or colleges. | .US | A suffix used for businesses or websites in the USA | .BIZ | Used for any business website. | .INFO | .INFO is for websites that provide information. |
Back Where do I get a domain? A. You buy one! Or, more accurately, you rent one for as long as you like. There are folks on the Internet who sell domain names. They are called registrars because they sell you a domain, then, they register it so everyone in the world knows it is yours. www.TicoSites.Com/register.html is an example of a registrar. Once you buy it, it is renewable forever. Back How much do domains cost? A. These days, it should come as no surprise that prices vary on just about everything. Domains are no different. Depending on where you go, you will pay more or less for exactly the same item. For example, to register a domain at Network Solutions will cost you $35 per year. Domains at Register.com also cost $35 per year. BUT, domains at www.ticosites.com cost only $14.95 per year. Over ten years, the savings can be substantial. ($200.00+ is substantial for many people… like ME). Back So how do I actually DO the registration? A. It's pretty simple. You simply enter the domain name you want in the box provided. Our system will tell you almost immediately if it is available. If it is, the select "Checkout". You will be asked for some registration information and you will provide a Login name and a Password. Once that is done, you will be returned to a screen to complete your registration. It's really easy! Back Is there any difference if I chose to use a discount registrar instead of a full retail priced domain registrar? A. Nope… except you pay almost THREE TIMES more than what you should be paying. Back So why would anybody pay twice the price for the same services? A. I don’t know. But did you ever notice that there always seem to be folks who are willing to overpay for just about anything? Maybe if you are real rich you don't care. Me? I use TicoSites.com. Back So how do I register a new domain name? A. First, pick a registrar. We hope you will pick us because we are really great folks to work with. If you agree, just click here and you will be taken to www.ticosites.com/register.html . Enter the domain name you want in the registration box, then follow the instructions! Back What do I get for my registration? You get to own your own domain for one or two years. Once that time is up, you can renew your domain for ONE to TEN years. Back Can I register any domain name I want? A. Sure, up to a point. Your domain name must be unique because it is an address that can point only to your web site. However, you cannot register a domain name that is either owned by someone else or that is trademarked by another person or company. You may also not register a domain that is too similar to a registered trademark or may be confusing or easily mistaken for that trademark. For instance, IBM would take a dim view of you using their trademarked name or even something close such as "bigblue.com". Stick with unique names… ones that cannot be confused with trademarked domain names or corporations. Back I already own a domain name, but it is with a different registrar, can I switch it to you? Will I lose any money or time? Does it cost anything? A. No Problem! This is called a Transfer. You just go to www.ticosites.com then select the Transfer A Domain to Us option and follow the instructions. It costs NOTHING to transfer a domain to us. We DO add a full year to your current expiration date, so there will be a charge for that added time, but you don’t lose a single penny! Back
Somebody else has the domain name I wanted. Now what?
A. Unless you OWN a US registered trademark or patent on that name, you are probably out of luck, though there may be legal help for you if it’s really important to you. Check with an attorney who specializes in Internet Law. OR, pick another name. If you DO own the rights, and you want to own the domain, you should retain an Internet attorney for advice. Back Is there any reason I CAN’T transfer a domain to www.TicoSites.com? A. Yes! You Can Not Transfer A Domain If :
1. The domain was registered or transferred less than 60 days ago.
2. Your previous registrar has the name locked for either non-payment, or at your request.
3. The domain has already passed its expiration date or is about to expire.
4. You do not have access to the registered Admin Contact E-mail
for your domain, or the person listed on your domain's
Admin Contact email doesn't approve the transfer within 5 days
after initial transfer request.
Back
How Do I know if My Registration is Complete and Correct?
A. After you register your domain name, go to www.TicoSites.Com and check the “Domain Lookup (Whois)” button. Enter the domain name you want to see and hit GO. You will see all the information about the registered owner… hopefully YOU. Back
Do I actually Own the Domain name?
A. Yes… and NO. You own it for one or two years. At the end of that time, you will be offered the chance to renew it. If you do, it is still yours. If you let it expire, someone else can get it. Back Can I modify my domain name information after it's registered? A. Yes. You can change anything except to ownership by simply going to www.TicoSites.com and selecting “Manage Your Domains”. To change ownership, the process requires signed paperwork. Instructions are provided. Back When should I renew a domain name? Will I be notified when I have to renew? A. When you register or transfer a domain, there will be an expiration date. Several weeks before that date, we will start sending you emails to remind you to renew. If you don’t answer or renew… we send you MORE emails. If you do not renew you domain, you may lose it. SO MAKE ABSOLUTELY SURE WE YOUR DOMAIN REGISTRATION ALWAYS HAS YOUR CURRENT EMAIL ADDRESS ON FILE. How do I make sure my email address is correct? Go HERE and select “Manage Your Domains” then follow the instructions to view and change your information. Failure to keep a current email address in your registration could result in loss of your domain name. Back to Basics How much will a website cost? A. That depends on what you use it for, how big it is, and how fancy it is.. Prices range from FREE to hundreds or thousands of dollars per month for large commercial business websites with e-commerce packages like Amazon or Barnes and Noble. A nice website for your home may well only cost $8-9 per month. A site for a small business will be maybe $20-$50 per month depending on size and “traffic” (how many people visit the site each month), and how much storage the business may need. TicoSites.Com (our parent company) hosts websites VERY inexpensively! Click HERE to see details. WAIT!! Hold it!!! I can get a FREE website?????? A. Sure! AOL, Geocities, and other companies offer free websites. Back to Basics What’s the catch? Why pay you when I can get it for free from them? A. Aha! A great question. Nearly ALL "free" websites have really annoying advertisements that "pop-up" when people visite your website. You cannot control what advertisements "pop-up" either!. Often they cover pictures or text. This can be REALLY annoying, not only for you but for the people who are visiting your site. With some others, your website 'turns-off' after a certain number of people visit the site. For a business, it is a BIG no-no. OR
If they Don't do the Pop-Up advertising Other places like AOL, or perhaps your Internet Service Provider (ISP) offer websites for free with no advertising… but to get to them you may have to type something like this: http://www.homepage.someplace.com/user/homepage/~jonesfamily.com WOW! That’s a LOT of typing and who can remember it anyway? If you own your own domain… getting to your site is as easy as typing www.mysite.com. NO pop-up ads either! AND, you get to set up emails with YOUR domain name in the address! You also get email forwarding free and auto-responders free Back to Basics OK, I now own a Domain, how do I order a website from you guys? A. You first have to decide what kind of website you want/need. We make it pretty simple. Go to the TicoSites website and choose eith Windows or Linux hosting. From those pages, just click where it says Order Service. Need help? Call us at 293-5892 or 379-0676 in Costa Rica or 1-877-886-0696 in the United States or email us HERE. Back to Basics OK, I have ordered the website and have been told it is ready for me to use. Now what do I do? A. First, you either decide to have a professional create a website for you (recommended for most companies) OR do it yourself! If you need a professional job, contact us! Our design group does great work. Click here for Black Coral Design. If you want to try it yourself, It is amazingly simple! You just need a program that helps you with the HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language). You can get some really excellent programs absolutely FREE. Here are some suggestions! Free Stuff: Cool Page HTML Editor Cool Page Free or HTML Editor - 1st Page 2000 A robust and totally free HTML and script editor. Click here to download. Stuff that costs $$$
You can also buy commercial programs. Here are some good ones:
FrontPage 2003 from Microsoft
DreamWeaver from Macromedia
PageMaker From Adobe Software Back to Basics What do I do if I really want to LEARN all this programming stuff? A. Easy. There are some truly wonderful websites on the Net that can teach you everything you need to know in a very short time. One of MY favorites is at the Maricopa Community College in Arizona. Written by a fellow named Alan Levine, it is one of the easiest ways to learn HTML and web Design. It is FREE! Point your browser to HERE PS: They are the folks who first helped ME about 9 years ago. Others places to learn` about web design and publishing: PageTutor is a decent site also.... but has a lot of distracting advertisements. Still worth a stop. The HTML Writers Guild offers on-line courses at all levels. Check them out! W2Schools has a nice bit of coursework . Visit their site! Back to Basics Do you guys have any designers who can help create a LOGO for our site? A. We absolutely CAN help. Just email us HERE. Our logos are excellent!… and ANY logo is just $49.99. No, that is NOT a misprint. We charge just $49.95 for any business (or personal) logo. Back to Basics Who can I contact for help? A. Contact us at support@ticosites.com OR call us at 222-2846 or 389-5262 in Costa Rica or Toll Free at 877-300-9757 in the United States Back to Basics The More Advanced Stuff What are IP addresses? A. IP addresses are a series of 4 numbers separated by periods (dots). An IP address may look like this: 216.98.140.136 They tell all of the computers where a website, data, programs or other info are located. By now you’re saying “HEY! I thought that’s what the URL did???” You’re right… I DID say that. So here is what really happens. NOBODY is smart enough to remember all the IP addresses for all the websites in the world, but computers run on numbers NOT words! So how do we solve that problem? We easily remember words like TicoSites.com but we do NOT easily remember 216.98.140.136 Guess what?! 216.98.140.136 ßISà www.TicoSites.com YUP! They are the SAME! Try this: Type 216.98.140.136 into your browser and hit GO or ENTER. Surprise! So how are those two connected? By a Domain Name Server (DNS). The DNS takes the written words www.TicoSites.com and TRANSLATES those words into numbers that all computers understand. In this case, they translate to: 216.98.140.136 Back To Advanced Stuff
What is a domain name server? A. A special server that translates URL’s (words) into IP addresses (numbers) so that computers can understand which site you want to go to. It is MUCH easier to remember TicoSites.com than it is to remember 216.98.140.136 which is our IP address. BUT... you browser will navigate to our website if you use the numbers only. Try it if you like! Click HERE. Back To Advanced Stuff
TicoSites hosts my website. What name servers should I use?
A. Currently, we have four nameservers. If you registered your domain with TicoSites, this process is probably automatic. If you registered it elsewhere, but plan to use US to host your website, you will enter TWO of the following addresses where requested. YOUR specific server information for YOUR website is available from your Control Panel. ns.blackcoralgroup.com ns1.blackcoralgroup.com ns2.blackcoralgroup.com ns4.blackcoralgroup.com
We do not charge to use our name servers even if you don’t host with us. Back To Advanced Stuff
What does it mean to “Manage My Account”? A. Managing your account means that you can change most of the registration information right on-line. Just go to www.TicoSites.com.com, then select :Manage your Domains” It’s easy to change your contact names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, DNS information, and other stuff. Back To Advanced Stuff
Why is the Technical Contact Important?
A. This person or company is the person we go to in order to discuss your domain or your website if technical problems arise. We will serve as your technical contact for no charge if you host your domain with us. Go to Manage Your Domain, then simply enter our name, address, phone, and email info “ dns@TicoSites.com “ as the info for Technical Contact. By the way, we cannot sell, lease, or change any registration info (except DNS info) as Technical Contact. You are safe! Back To Advanced Stuff
Who should be my Technical Contact? A. We will serve as your technical contact for no charge if you host your domain with us. Go to Manage Your Domain, then imply enter our name, address, phone, and email info “ dns@TicoSites.com “ as the info for Technical Contact. By the way, we cannot sell, lease, or change any registration info (except DNS info) as Technical Contact. You are safe! Back To Advanced Stuff Can I sell my domain? A. Sure! You actually sell the rights to the domain name. Go to Manage Your Domains in the www.TicoSites.com website and go to the section on changing names. Follow those instructions. Back To Advanced Stuff Fine Print: You may copy these page, reprint it, hand it out to classes, forward it to your friends… just about ANYTHING… But, you MUST leave all copyright symbols, web addresses, hyperlinks, and email information exactly as they appear. This document may NOT be modified or abbreviated without written permission from me. Professor Webb.
Find an open link or problem? Email us HERE. | 
