Server A server or host is a computer that is connected to the web and runs special software just to "serve" (deliver) web pages to your browser. Once you've created your site, you'll need to find somewhere to put it so other people can find it. Hosting can be expensive, but it can also be very cheap. One of the first places to start is by checking with the company that provides your internet connection. Many of them will host small sites for you free as part of your regular subscription rates. Another place to look is at free hosts. These companies will host your pages but usually put ads or other requirements on you to support their services. This can be a good choice if you're short on funds. When choosing a host, the big things are cost, storage, and traffic. Cost is just what it sounds like, how much do they want for their services. Usually there's a set-up fee (often this will be waived if you ask) and then a monthly charge. There may also be a contract length. Hosting costs vary widely and it definitely pays to look around. Storage is how much space they'll give you for files. This is usually measured in "megs" or millions of bytes. Unless you have a lot of pictures, you probably don't have to be too worried about this one at the moment. Traffic may be the most important. When someone asks to see your page, the page is sent to their computer. This is called "traffic". The more people who look at your page, the more traffic you generate. If your page has a lot of pictures, it will count as more traffic than one with just a few. Be very careful about traffic. On some free servers, too much traffic will just shut your page off. There's nothing worse than getting some good publicity only to have your page turned off because too many people want to see it at once. On others, too much may incur extra charges (sometimes very high extra charges). Until you get popular, this may not be a big deal, but it pays to know what's going on up front. Domains One other thing to conside as part of your hosting is the address for your site. Every website has what's called a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) which is how people find it. Having a short or meaningful URL is usually better than haivng a long or confusing one. This is probably the main disadvantage with free servers, either through a company or through your internet provider. The address for your page tends to be something like www.geocities.com/savekaryn (or much worse) as opposed to www.savekaryn.com. Having a short, memorable address for your page can really help with promoting it. You can find some information on domains and how to get one in our Resources section. Anyone can own a domain and they aren't very expensive. For the most part, you want one that is easy to remember, easy to spell, and ends in .com. There are other endings out there, but the first thing people think of is .com. If you can, try to avoid hyphens in your name, since people will tend to forget those.