Don't know enough to even title this one.

[Justin]

I'm pretty new with this stuff, but if you have a script that will add text to a file, the rest is easy.

Here's how I see it. He has a perl script that adds your input to one of the many text files. These files correspond with the categories. Then, the page itself uses SSI to include the contents of the files, in the proper sections of the page. Sounds too simple, but that's how I would guess.

Now you have caused me to want to try this myself! I might, but I don't think I will put it on my actual page, just a test page for kicks. That's the best way I have found to learn.

Anyway, if I do, I'll post the test page here. Maybe today or tomorrow.

Justin

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Justin Nelson, SFE Inc.
http://www.vdj.net

[Deb]

These are very common scripts -- many many to choose from and most are free http://www.aota.net/ubb/smile.gif

You'll find a whole list of these types of scripts at http://www.cgi-resources.com/Programs_and_Scripts/Perl/Link_Indexing_Scripts/

The scripts are already created and ready to run. You'll only need to download them, edit them (the info you need is in your activation letter), upload them, and make sure the permissions are set correctly (remember the cgi-bin 755 rule) and you'll be good to go http://www.aota.net/ubb/smile.gif

Enjoy!
Deb

[Alex Ethridge]

Thanks a lot, Deb and Justin; FutureQuest is the greatest. Never seen this much interest from a host.

Seems like you folks at FQ are aware that if you have happy customers you'll get rich.

By the way, I put a tiny plug for FutureQuest at the bottom of my BBS page.
http://imark2000.com/cgi-bin/Ultimate.cgi
It's not much but it was easy for someone who knows almost nothing about HTML to stick in at that spot.

[Deb]

*blush*

Thank you for the kind words/actions.. ALWAYS appreciated. As most know, we are not spending money/time on paid advertising and depending on word-of-mouth/keyboard...

Thanks a billion and I'm sure your skills are improving rapidly!

Deb

[Justin]

Want to see it one in action / add a link? check out http://www.vdj.net/links/ . I just set it up a few minutes ago. It's a freeware script, and I altered the HTML a little to match my site.

Notice that I have never set up / used a cgi script before. And I set it up in like 20 minutes! I am feeling very lucky this week, between finding the best web host on the internet, figuring out cgi and php3...

I have a feeling next week is going to suck.

Justin, who's using up all of his luck in one week.

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Justin Nelson, SFE Inc.
http://www.vdj.net

[Deb]

I have a question that may even sound a bit prideful but I want to ask anyway http://www.aota.net/ubb/wink.gif

In your HONEST opinions... do you feel the way FutureQuest is run and the way these forums work are helping to put a dent in the learning curve of designing web sites?

e.g. I guess what I am asking is ... On previous host when I was a newbie to the Internet I felt very alone when it came to having to learn all this new 'stuff'. I lived on YAHOO and searched my heart out trying to figure things out...

Now as I sit here and watch all of you on the forums I have seen MANY of you sign up with very little knowledge of any of this stuff at all yet within 7 days you guys are getting full web sites up and even using the 'kewl tools' like php and cgi etc...

Was I just a real slow learner or do you think that these forums are a large part of the reason you guys are learning so fast?

Answer honestly now http://www.aota.net/ubb/wink.gif

Deb
who learned that you can not start a true php file with a space at the top today *g*

[Bekariso]

Hey Deb

Hmm, yes I do believe these forums do really help a lot. So many people learn best from discussion. No tutorial can really cover every possible use of the program, or every possible effect to get from HTML or JavaScript, without being such a long and detailed tutorial that no one would read it! You need to either figure it out from trial and error, or talk to someone who has enough experience to put it together in their own mind as they talk you through it.

We started our very first HTML page on Dec 1, 1997, at Tripod (ick). On Dec 3, 97 we decided their "easy page maker" was useless, and from that point on for several months and a dozen pages, we learned entirely by picking through other people's source codes. Then we finally started looking at tutorials, but only rarely. There's just something about most of them that are either too condescending or too technical.

Of course, learning things like cgi and SSI from source codes isn't really going to get anywhere, so the more I look at them, the more grateful I am for these forums where I can ask as I go, and read others' questions and suggestions. (Of course, need full domain before can do cgi. We're aiming for last week in January, if the rest of the world co-operates.)

You said be honest, though, and so I'll point out that another part of the "dent in the learning curve" might be the proliferation of WYSIWYG editors (especially shareware and low-cost ones), which I had never heard of when I first started my pages, which brings us around back to a previous discussion in another folder.

Even still, this forum, and your support, and the supportive atmosphere you nurture is an amazing help! I think once upon a time, I posted what was apparently an obvious question on a Geocities community help forum. YIKES! I think I still have scars! The experience definately made me want out of GC, but it also makes me much more appreciative and amazed at the forums here.

Take care of yourself!!!

Adra

[Justin]

I agree fully. I hadn't thought about it until now, that just a week ago I was on Geocities with my simple little pages (they're still simple, but not for long), wondering how in the heck they can add code to my pages on the fly, like the popups, etc., and now I'm doing it myself. I had never heard of php3 until a few days ago, and while I knew what CGI was, I had no idea how it worked and how easy it was to set up.

So in answer to your question, my learning curve became a right angle because of these forums. I never posted in geocities' chats, because there were thousands of posts every second, and they flew by so quick. This is a lot more intimate, more personal. I feel like I've known all of you forever.

I am a programmer anyway, so I do catch on pretty fast with this stuff, but like bekarizo said (I keep wanting to say "bezerko"), you can only learn so much from tutorials and manuals. Sometimes there's just one little point that's not covered, one little thing that you can't get right, like the blank line in php3. I never saw that written anywhere. I can imagine looking through a million pages of documentation to find one little point like that.

The other good thing is that we can all learn something new faster. We pool our experience and knowledge, and we can teach eachother. Two heads are better than one!!!

I just have one question. How in the #&*$@ do you make the smiley faces without using an image tag!!!!!!!!!!

Justin - drawing a blank on smilies and php3 :-)

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Justin Nelson, SFE Inc.
http://www.vdj.net

[Justin]

Guess sometimes it does pay to read the FAQ http://www.aota.net/ubb/smile.gif http://www.aota.net/ubb/frown.gif http://www.aota.net/ubb/biggrin.gif http://www.aota.net/ubb/redface.gif http://www.aota.net/ubb/wink.gif

hehehe

[This message has been edited by Justin (edited 01-08-99).]

[Alex Ethridge]

I don't know enough about this stuff to even title this one; but, I visited the site below.

www.mtdesk.com/index.htm (http://www.mtdesk.com/index.htm)

The part I'm interested in is the "Add a URL... Free for All Links".

I want a page like that in my site so that I or anyone else can come in and add a link to my links page. Is this a script I can download from some place? How can I have a page like this?

[This message has been edited by Alex Ethridge (edited 01-08-99).]

[Alex Ethridge]

The forums help in more ways than just answering questions. The referrals I've gotten to other sites that have more detailed information/tutorials than is practical in forums is also handy and gives me a real boost. Some of that information I would never find without someone in the forums to tell me about it.

I think the reason it took you "so long" as you seem to think is that the internet is growing so fast. It probably wasn't so replete with findable information just a couple of years ago. Today, search engines are better and there is just more to search.

Three years ago, I don't think there was any such thing as a community forum at a host. I really think that most of them even now would rather the users didn't know each other. That way, they can pass their deficiencies off on the domains and the poor guy who owns the domain just believes it. I've seen a lot of that.

The short answer: Without the UBB BB forum, I wouldn't have even heard of FutureQuest. Without the FQ forum, I wouldn't have my UBB running yet.

[Justin]

Haha http://www.aota.net/ubb/smile.gif I started laughing when I went to my links page and saw that there was one more link - FutureQuest Virtual Hosting! Hehe http://www.aota.net/ubb/smile.gif

Well, at least the darn thing works, huh?

Alex, did you ever get the links cgi working on your site yet? You should - it's neat seeing links pop up. Of course, expect one for FQ if you tell the forum about it!!!

I only have 4 right now, though, and two were mine and one is FQ's, so I'll just have to wait and see how many pop up. I just had to laugh though. I've been hyper all day for no apparent reason.

Anyway, if you need help, I'd be glad to help you and answer any questions you may have. Believe me, it's easier than you think, as I said, it was my first CGI and it worked the first time. It took me longer to tweak the HTML to match my site than actually setting up the cgi. It came with this basic links.html page, and it said not to alter it or it wouldn't work - HA! Notice, too, that it's now an shtml page. I won't let some stupid cgi get in the way of my laziness (lazyness, whatever - I still haven't figured out that one yet).

Let me know if you tried it yet or if you want to.

Justin - happy to help and hyper as hell http://www.aota.net/ubb/smile.gif

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Justin Nelson, SFE Inc.
http://www.vdj.net