How to create a Parish Website

1. The great thing about publishing on the Internet is that Website content can be changed very quickly. The main decision that will need to be taken is precisely what information should be published. Most Websites evolve over time and decisions on content can be reviewed frequently. As new techniques are learnt overall Website appearance will improve. Besides the necessary text, photos, graphics and other multi-media enhancements can easily be added.

2. The proliferation of FREE Internet Service Providers, like Freeserve, mean that even the smallest Parish can experiment with creating a Website. Hopefully, this Website will serve to help anyone wanting to establish a Parish Website. Whilst the hosting may be free care needs to be taken with regard to the cost of telephone calls. The hyperlinks on this Website should minimise the amount of time spent searching online.

3. Once Website techniques have been mastered a unique Website address may become a priority. If the Website is to be maintained by a Parish Council then a domain name with a .gov.uk suffix may be considered. An appropriate name will need to be approved by UKERNA, http://www.ja.net, alternatively, a domain name with a .org.uk suffix can be considered. If cost is an issue the latter alternative should prove less expensive. For a list of accredited Registrars click here.

4. The choice of a host server will depend on the degree to which sensitive information will need to be stored. In most cases the only documents that will be stored are those destined for public distribution. The ISP, Netdirect Online, provide perhaps the least expensive solution, if a .org.uk domain name is required. NetDirect will register a domain name, free of charge, on behalf of a subscriber to their free dialup service, although, careful examination of the terms and conditions should be undertaken by anyone considering this offer.

5. Most dial-up accounts include webspace where public information could be displayed. One megabyte of webspace can easily accommodate about 50 A4 sized text documents. For confidential documents, when email is not appropriate, a service similar to that available from driveway.com might be useful.

6. This Website, http://www.TheParish.net/, resides on a full service server costing £80 (equal to the UKERNA fee for a .gov.uk domain name alone!) bi-annually including domain name registration fees and 1 MB of WebSpace. At any time this service can be upgraded to include secure, password protected, directories.

7. For many a significant aspect of owning a domain name is the opportunity to receive emails at a unique address. Usually an email address is linked to the ISP being used as the dial-up connection to the Internet. Someone using AOL to connect will have user@aol.com as an email address. Ownership of a domain enables the owner to receive emails addressed to user@domain.com where 'user' is any name the owner chooses to be known by and 'domain.com' is the chosen name registered in the official domain name database. For a small fee the firm that registers the domain name will usually arrange for email to be redirected to the owners dial-up account. A significant advantage is that the domain owner can change to another dial-up ISP without having to change his/her receiving email address.

Visitors requiring assistance with the development of a Parish Website may send an eMail to: Website@TheParish.net

Now try guessing the 9 letter password for the Private Access pages!