Appendix I: Questions & Answers Regarding the HCC Manager Program

Q: I entered my Username and password, but I keep getting an "authorization failed" message.

A: This occurs because the Username and/or password you are using is incorrect. Ask yourself, "Should I be entering my full name or just my first name as the Username? Am I using the correct capitalization in both the Username and password?" Your Site Manager may need to reenter your password to clear up any confusion. The Site Manager can also check your Username by viewing the "Add/Edit/Delete Managers" screen. The bold name in the Manager's list is the actual Username that should be used.

 

Q: I'm taking over the web page from someone else. Can I use his Username and password?

A: I advise getting your own Username and password. It is easier to remember names you have chosen. Also, the person you took over from may still be responsible for other web pages and may not want to give you his password. If you use your own Username, you will want to remind the Directory Manager or Site Manager to give you access to that web page.

 

Q: I can't remember my password.

A: Contact the Site Manager. She can issue a new password.

 

Q: I've entered the Manager Mode, but I am not on the page I want to edit.

A: Just enter the web address of the page you want to update as you would any other web address. Click on the red check mark again. You won't have to reenter you Username and password.

 

Q: I'm finished updating my web pages, but I still want to do other things on the web. Do I have to exit the HCC Program?

A: No, you don't have to exit the Manager Mode. Just surf the net as usual. If you are using a public access terminal, you need to quit or exit your web browser when you have completely finished.

 

Q: I exited the Manager Program and then did several other things on the Internet. When I went back to do more work on the web page, I did not have to reenter my Username and password. Why not?

A: The web browser will retain the memory of the Username and password until you completely exit the web browser. If several people use the same computer (such as a public access terminal), be sure to completely exit the program to insure no one accidentally alters one of your web pages.

 

Q: I altered my web page, but I don't like the way it looks now. Is there some way I can bring back the previous version?

A: No. Every time you submit information, it is saved over the older version.

 

Q: I have made changes to my page, but when I look at it, I still see the old stuff. What's going one?

A: It sounds like information from the older version of your web page has been retained the web browser's cache. The cache of a web browser is different from the memory cache of the computer. In general, the memory cache of the computer does go away when a computer is rebooted. However, the cache used by the web browser may not. Some web browsers store a series of temporary files on your computer's hard disk rather than in temporary memory (RAM) to make accessing pages faster. In some cases, to remove these files, you must manually erase the web browser cache (usually done in the options/preferences under an advanced setting).

 

Q: I know HTML coding and want to use it to create a web page. Can I do this?

A: Of course you can. A word of caution, every time you update your page, you will have to use HTML code again. The HCC Program does not convert it. You can combine both the HCC program and HTML by applying HTML coding to specific portions of the web page within blocks. For example, you can make the title of books italics by enclosing in <i></i> tags and deselecting the "I am not using my own HTML" option.

 

Q: I have created a page using HTML. How do I put it on the web site?

A: Someone with Directory Manager access will be able to upload the files. The web pages are uploaded just like graphics files. Use the "Upload A Graphic, Page, Sound, etc." option.

 

Q: Can I use Frontpage 98 to create my web pages?

Yes you can use Fronttpage 98 to create our web pages, but or servers do not currently support the special Frontpage extensions. Avoid them when creating your pages.

 

Q: I've created several web pages and graphics I would like to upload. Is there some way such as FTP that will let me upload these all at once?

A: At this time you can only upload files one at a time. Options like FTP are not currently available.

 

Q: What is the :81 that sometimes appears at the end of my domain name?

A: The :81 is called a port number, and it is related to entering the Manager Mode. For the most part you can just ignore it. Just don't include the :81 when you make links to your web pages or your viewer will be prompted for a Username and password and unable to view the web page.

 

Q: I am trying to upload a graphics file. Everything seems to work OK, but the file only appears as a broken image. What is going on?

A: You are probably using Internet Explorer 3.x. A glitch in this browser version does not support file uploads. You will need to use a later version of Internet Explorer or use Netscape.

 

Q: How can I make my e-mail address into a link that brings up an e-mail box?

A: The email link is special; it requires you to add the phrase (without quotation marks) "mailto:" to you e-mail address in the first portion of the link. Here's an example - notice you only use mailto once:
xxLINKxx(mailto:help@hccweb.com, help@hccweb.com)

 

Q: I created my web pages using my own HTML. I had no problem uploading files until I came to the index.html file. I can't replace it with my file nor can I delete it and upload my own. Is there some way I can replace this file?

A: The index.html file is automatically generated when a new directory is created, and it cannot be removed. There are two solutions. First, the easy version. You can upload your index.html page under a new name and create a link to it from the existing index.html. In the second way, you go ahead and upload the file under a new name. E-mail us with a request to replace the current index.html with the new file (don't forget to tell us the name). The HCC programmer will make the appropriate changes.

 

Q: Can organizations which put up a web page our library site have an e-mail address through HCC?

A: No. If you do not already have an e-mail address, there are many locations now offering free e-mail addresses. See Appendix C of the User's Manual for more details.

 

Q: How can I find out the number of people visiting our web site?

A: You can find out the statistics regarding your web site at the following URL (replace "yourlibrary" with the correct address):
http://www.yourlibrary.lib.il.us/stats/

 

Q: If I want to delete a graphic file from a directory, where do I find a list of the graphic files?

A: There are two versions of the HCC Manager Program. In the new version (1.12), you just click on "Directory Listing Of/" under the Directory Manager Functions. You will see a list of Pages, Subdirectories, and "Other" which includes your graphics. In the older version (1.11), you can click on the "Delete A Page in This Directory" under Directory Manager Functions to view a list of all files in the directory. Be careful in this area -- you don't want to accidentally delete a file.

 

Q: You mention 2 versions of the program. What is the difference?

A: The new version (1.12) has improved many components found in Version 1.11 and added new features such as a Calendar block and the ability to view a list of files in a directory. You can get the new version by asking the Site Manager to request it.

 

Q: I was working on a web page but had to stop before I finished it. I don't remember where it was saved. Can you help me find it?

A: The Sitemap feature displays all the pages and subdirectories in the web site. It displays them as links, so you can just click on the name of your file when you find it. (Sitemap displays files using the "Page Window Title," so make sure you include one when you create your web page.)
http://www.yourlibrary.lib.il.us/sitemap

 

Q: Can we change fonts to others by using HTML? Or are you all working on giving us more choices of fonts?

A: Because web pages work on all types of platforms (Windows, Macintosh, WebTV), you don't have the same options available when doing page layout for a printer. One area you don't have a lot of control in is fonts -- everyone has different fonts on their computer. The viewer typically has ultimate control. For example, my father views the fonts at a larger size on his screen because they are easier to read. A person in my office has her default set to a funky font because she likes the way it looks and she can easily identify her pages from the community printer. (Font size and type are set in the preferences/options of a particular browser.) So it isn't a matter of having a variety of fonts from which to choose but choosing fonts common to all platforms so everyone can see your web page. The best you can do is use the HTML <font face=" "> tag and try to list fonts that are common to both the windows and Macintosh platforms. If the viewer does not have the font, the web browser will use the default font.
Ex.
<font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"> This tag should be in a text block at the very beginning of the page, and you will need to deselect the "I'm not using html" option in the edit screen.
</font> This tag should be in a text block at the very end of the page, and you will need to deselect the "I'm not using html" option in the edit screen.

Note: HTML purist would frown on putting a font tag at the top of the page and closing it at the end -- It's not good syntax and is a potential problem on new or unusual browsers. However with all browsers tested, this method achieves the desired result with minimum effort.

 

Q: Are there any books on HTML you can recommend?

A: Perhaps the most common books are by a woman named Laura Lemay (My current version is titled Teach Yourself Web Publishing with HTML 3.2 in a Week, but there are more recent versions available.). Judy from Tremont District Library recommends HTML 3.2: Visual Quick Reference by Dean Scharf. There are also several good web sites:
A Beginner's Guide to HTML (http://www.ncsa.uiuc.edu/General/Internet/WWW/HTMLPrimer.html)
Introduction to HTML (http://www.cwru.edu/help/introHTML/toc.html)

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