Often, we take a look at a web site we come across and say, "Gee.  I wish I could have a web site!"  I know I thought that when I first found the online community and wanted to do something of my own.  It took me all of a week to get something up.  It was very simple to start out.  I didn’t have anything fancy at all. 

Actually, my first efforts were little more than what you see here in this post....no images, no background, just plain old text.  I added to it as I learned how to play with things more.  I actually find that it’s fun just to mess around and see what I come up with.  I’ve had pages that I’ve played with and put up just for myself....just to mess around.  That’s actually a good way to get more confident in creating things so that when you do it for others to see, you can relax and have more fun with it.

Well.... If  I can do it, you can too!  Here is some helpful information to help you get rolling if you’d like to create a site of your own...

1)  You don’t even have to know programming or anything like that.  There are programs out there that do half the work for you.  You just need to grab one and start using it.  My own sites over the years have all been done using one of these free programs.  It’s called AOLPress.  It’s so easy that even a computer illiterate like I was when I started out can use it very quickly.  You have tools, similar to those in the posts on this forum, that allow you to plug things into your pages.  It’s really quite simple.  And, there’s a whole section of tutorial material built in that walks you through step-by-step hands-on examples of how to do things. 

If you’ve ever thought of doing a site but don’t know where to begin, I’d highly recommend this program.  Unfortunately, it’s hard to find since it’s so old.  Soooooo......I’ve put a copy of the program in my own web space.  Feel free to download it.  Here’s the link.... http://home.comcast.net/~tklduo/aolpress.exe  You’ll want to right click and save it to your desktop.  Then, you’ll install it like any other program.  Since the program is no longer supported by AOL servers, the extra goodies you’ll see in your program list aren’t available.  But, the program itself is all you really need.

I’d recommend starting with basic stuff and wait until you’re somewhat comfortable with things before trying to get too fancy.  That will also have the added effect of impressing your visitors with your new look once you get to that point.    

2)  You will need to find a host for your site.  There are several free web hosts out there that allow you to place your site on their system to share with others.  Most internet service providers (the folks who give you your internet access) have space available to you.  But, it rarely allows adult material.  So, it strictly limits what you can put up.  Doing a simple web search for free adult hosts will give you a ton of them.  BUT... You’ll want to be sure to find one that allows the types of material you want to use. 

Even the adult servers limit what kinds of stuff you can put up.  I have yet to see one, for example, that allows you to put up clips.  It eats too much of their bandwidth.  So, they simply don’t allow it.  Most are fine with simple text and image material, though.  When you go looking, you’ll want to be sure to read through what is and isn’t allowed before signing up with anyone.  It will help you to avoid getting shut down before you get anywhere with your site. 

You’ll also want to consider what you do or don’t want the host to add to your site.  Free hosts may be free to us.  But, they still have to be paid for somehow.  Most will either place a banner on your site, will have popups or will send a portion of you visitors to other sites before letting them through to your own site.  These are a pain.  But, it’s the nature of the beast.  My own preference is for the popups if they give you an option.  That way, you can quietly tell your regular visitors to get a popup blocker and they won’t even see the pesky little things.  (Sneaky, aren’t I?)

3)  Getting your site from your computer to the internet host you’ve chosen is another step.  Until it’s actually online, nobody is going to see your site.  So, you have to upload it to the host. 

Most hosts provide an html upload option for those who want it.  This simply lets you choose the files on your computer one by one and press a button to upload them.  This is very simple and often a good way to get started.  But, if you’re planning to do a lot at one time,  it takes a while. 

Many hosts also allow you to use what’s called an FTP  Program  (file transfer protocol) to load your files onto them.  This is a good option to have if you’re planning on something a bit larger in your site.  This kind of program allows you to upload several (or all) of your files in one shot.  If you’re on dialup and have the oh so wonderful experience of getting booted from your connection a lot, there are some that will automatically wait for you to reconnect and then finish the transfer from where it left off.  The program I use is a free one that’s very simple to use....even for a ninny like me!  Here’s a link to a spot where you can grab it.... http://www.tucows.com/preview/195147.html 

And there you have it.  You really can have a site of your own!  If you run into any problems, just pop a note in the help section of this forum and one of us will be glad to give you a helping hand.