Hosting and Content Management Systems

1. Hosting and Content Management Systems Cindy Royal, Ph.D Associate Professor Texas State University School of Journalism and Mass Communication croyal@txstate.edu www.cindyroyal.com www.onthatnote.com tech.cindyroyal.net twitter.com/cindyroyal facebook.com/cindyroyal linkedin.com/in/cindyroyal

2. Hosting Basics • Hosting and domain registration were once separate processes. • Hosting – the company and/or server on the Internet in which your site is hosting. • Domain registration – getting your own easy-to-remember domain name for your site. • Now most hosts provide one-stop shop for both, as well as other features. • There are literally thousands of hosts from which to choose. And there are a variety of other ways to get content online. • Choosing your hosting platform is different for everyone, but you have to comprehend the range of options before you can choose. • The old fashioned method of writing your own code, using Dreamweaver and ftp'ing (file transfer with a client like Fetch) files is not recommended. A multi-user site needs a content management system of some sort. • Content Management systems can run the gamut of simple blog platforms to more advanced and customizable options.

3. My.HSJ.org • Follow on Twitter @youthjournalism or Facebook www.facebook.com/My.hsj.org • Free • Easy to set up; limited customization • The ability to control a workflow, approve student work before publishing • Can get a unique Web address • Searchable, archivable • Can host advertising • Visit http://my.hsj.org/Home/Intro/tabid/93/Default.aspx to sign up. • We will be working with a system for the Institute to give you an idea of how it works.

4. School Newspapers Online • Follow on Twitter @schoolnewspaper or Facebook www.facebook.com/pages/School-Newspapers-Online/33049526641?ref=ts • $$$$ - $600 for first year to start up. $300 per year to renew. • They set up the site for you. You just have to add content • Wordpress based. • A few themes from which to choose. • Can add “extras,” for a fee. Multimedia, ad rotation, forms. • Interested to hear about support from anyone who is using. • More info at http://www.schoolnewspapersonline.com

5. Wordpress • Can use either Wordpress.com or a self-hosted site. • A Wordpress.com site can be started quickly. But you are limited in customization. You must pay to gain access to CSS (minimal fee per year) • A self-hosted site gives you more control and has the ability to use all sorts of plug-ins. But you usually have to pay per month for hosting. • Self-hosted sites are fairly easy to get going on most hosts. Try something like Bluehost or Dreamhost. On their control panels, most have easy Wordpress installations. • But, it's more difficult to manage, maintain and execute. It requires someone with a general knowledge of the Web to develop and use. It's a good experience, though, for a program that wants to give students Web skills that are very valuable, and there is a strong support community online. • Both Wordpress.com and a self-hosted site use roughly the same interface, so trying out a Wordpress.com site is a good way to get experience.

6. Other • There are plenty of other platforms you can try. • Blogger – simple blogging platform • Tumblr – visual blog platform • Weebly – a free website platform • Wix – a free website platform • You can substitute or complement with a Facebook page. • Or you can use other forms of social media to get content out: Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest... • You can host video content on YouTube. Set up a channel for your newspaper.