Are you bored with the "default" web page for your branch at the CPC and SLOV web sites, and want to set up your own web site? Here's some advice to help you.
The major steps are as follows:
Commercial hosting is quite expensive but two free or almost free hosting possibilities for Pony Club branches in SLOV may definitely be recommended.
There may be other possibilities open to you. You may be able to host your site on your internet-service provider's server or piggy-back your site onto an existing web site; for example, the Appleton branch in SLOV has a web site hosted by Heroncrest Stables. However, such arrangements have in the past become problematical when there are disagreements with the hosting site or their policy changes or the webmaster moves on. Some sites have become "orphans": though completely out of date, they are still on the internet and nobody seems to know how they might be removed. If you insist on hosting your site in this way, please let me know the details (host, e-mail address, username, password) so an orphaned site can be put out of its misery if necessary.
Least desirable of all are "free" hosting services that force your site to show ads, sometimes of the obnoxious pop-up variety. Some hosting sites "assist" you in designing your site by providing "free" templates; however, your web site then cannot be moved to another host and, if the host changes its terms or goes under, you will lose all your material.
Your site should provide e-mail addresses for contacting you (the "webmaster") and your branch DC, and links to the CPC and SLOV sites. Avoid providing any other contact information. Use only first names and, if necessary, initials to identify members or parents. Don't post photographs of Pony Club members without authorization from their parents. If the "webmaster" is a ponyclubber, a responsible adult should monitor the site regularly to ensure that inappropriate material hasn't been posted. You may use the Canadian Pony Club logo on your site but you must state that it is a registered trade mark of the Canadian Pony Club. The logo may not be used without permission in other contexts.
Most beginners look for a WYSIWYG (What-You-See-Is-What-You-Get) editor. Sophisticated web editors such as DreamWeaver or GoLive cost about $400, but here are some good low-cost web editors:
Each of these may be downloaded and used for free for a trial period of 15 to 30 days, and costs about $50 or less.Here are some other alternatives.
Note that many browsers are used on the internet (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera, Safari, Lynx, ...) and that these browsers may render a web page differently, so, no matter what you use to implement your web site, check it out in as many different browsers as possible. You can also verify the validity of the syntax using, for example, the on-line service at W3C.
When your site is designed and implemented to your satisfaction, copy it to your host using an FTP (file-transfer protocol) client. Such applications are usually used to download files to your computer, but, if you know the appropriate host name, user name, and password, you can upload your files from your computer to your web host, and your web site will then be on-line. Let me (the SLOV Communications chair) know about it, and I'll set up links to it from the SLOV and CPC sites. Remember that it's your responsibility to keep your site up-to-date!
If you want to let your users access your web site directly (rather than via the SLOV or CPC web sites or via a "Favorites" or "Bookmarks" list), you can register your own internet "domain" and link it to your host. This will cost approximately $15 per year.
Decide on a domain name that is short and easy for your members to remember. Now browse to a domain registrar such as domainsatcost.ca and check whether your chosen domain is available; if not, you'll have to choose something else. Domains with .org or .ca extensions would be most appropriate for Canadian Pony Club branches, but .net would do if those aren't available for the domain name you've chosen.
When you have a domain that is both acceptable and available, you can go ahead and register it. Note that you can register a domain without having a web site implemented, hosted, or even designed. Decline hosting if it's offered as an option and ask for the domain to be "parked" if you're not yet ready to go on-line. Keep a record of the e-mail addresses and passwords used to register the domain and pass this information on to me as a back-up.
Once you've implemented and uploaded your web site to the host, you'll want to link your registered domain to that host using what's called a "domain pointer". Many domain registrars will do this for free; if not, there are free alternatives, such as this.
For further assistance, please contact Bob Tennent (SLOV Communications Chair).