Group Web Space FAQ
Web space assigned to an organization or department is separate from any individual's personal Web space.
How can my organization or department request Web space?
Your organization or department must be recognized by Duke Student Government (DSG), the Graduate and Professional Student Council (GPSC), or sponsored by an official Duke body. If yours is a student organization not registered with DSG or GPSC, please provide the name of a faculty member or adminstrator who can verify the nature and status of your organization.
The head, chair, president (or equivalent) for the organization/department, or the person who can appoint someone responsible for managing the site should submit the request. Use the Ask for help form at Online@Duke. Include the following information:
- State whether your organization or department is recognized by DSG, GPSC, or another official Duke body.
- Provide two proposed Web page names – your first and second choices. The names should contain one word in lower case that will become part of the URL. For example, the Duke Orchestra's URL is: www.duke.edu/web/orchestra/. If possible, we will create the Web URL exactly as requested.
- State the purpose of the proposed page: academic, research, professional, campus-oriented, recreational, etc.
- Include a description of the organization or department sponsoring the proposed page.
- Provide the full name and Duke NetID of the person who will maintain the site.
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What will our Web site's URL be?
The URL will be http://www.duke.edu/web/(requested name). Note that /web must be part of the URL.
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How much Web space is our site allotted?
All group Web sites are initially allotted 5 MB of space. If your group needs more, visit ask for help. Please indicate the amount of space you would like and provide justification.
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How do we publish our site?
- Name your home page index.html.
- Use your NetID and password to log into WebFiles. You'll be connected to your home directory.
- Click the Shared Spaces tab.
- Under Departmental and Organizational Web Spaces, click the Upload to (requested name) button.
- Navigate to the desired file.
- To view your Web site, visit http://www.duke.edu/web/(requested name)
Alternatively, you may use a secure FTP (SFTP) client or the AFS client to publish your site. If you use an SFTP client, connect to the host login1.oit.duke.edu. The complete directory path to your group Web space directory is /afs/acpub/project/web/(requested name).
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Is training available for creating Web pages?
Yes. OIT's Student Technology Services offers students free Web publishing training
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Who has access to our Web directory? Is there a special password?
Rights to your Web directory are based on the NetID and password of the individual you designate as the manager of the site. Only this individual has access to the site.
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I'm the site manager. How can I grant other people access rights to our Web directory?
To grant users rights to your Web directory, read about
setting folder permissions in WebFiles.
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What are some tips for creating Web pages?
- Graphics can greatly enhance the attractiveness of your pages. If you use them, be aware that some browsers don't display graphics at all. View your pages in several browsers to see what they look like.
- Using a few good graphics and effects is more effective than using too many. Large graphics can take a long time to download if a user has a slow connection.
- Put your most important or most requested information on your home page. You don't want visitors to your site to have to click through links to find the information they're looking for.
- Use a template to give your site a consistent look.
- Put contact information (email address, telephone, etc.) at the bottom of each of your pages.
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