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

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.

My.HSJ.org Follow on or Facebook 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 to sign up. We will be working with a system for the Institute to give you an idea of how it works.

School Newspapers Online Follow on or Facebook Online/ ?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

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.

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.