ITSS WebDev Guide
Getting started
This section covers topics to help you make some decisions about your web site before you get started, including deciding who will create and maintain the site, and where you would like to have the site hosted.
You have several options for creating your web site:
- Create it yourself - If you like web development and have the time and skills to create and maintain a site, this may be the best option for you. Use the WebDev Guide as your reference tool.
- Use student workers - Many departments have chosen this route in the past, with varying success. Problems most often occur when the student leaves, and a new student must relearn what was previously done.
- Hire an external vendor - If you choose this option, please have the vendor contact ITSS staff before beginning the coding for the project. We will work with the vendor to ensure compatability with our web server and compliance with University policies. Also, you will need to decide who will maintain the site once it's online (the vendor? you? ITSS?).
- Hire ITSS web developers - ITSS offers web development services to the campus that include design, maintenance, custom programming, and more. ITSS staff have detailed knowledge about the UMD web site, web server, and University policy and procedures. In addition to design skills, our staff are well-versed in accessibility and usability issues, and have extensive web programming experience (forms, databases, e-commerce, etc.). For details on this service, see: Web Development Services.
If you are creating a department or other official web site, you will need to decide which Internet/email account will be used to manage the web site. This account (and password) is needed to upload and manage your files on our web server. (We do not provide guest or anonymous access.)
For official sites, ITSS recommends that you use one of the following:
- Use your existing department account (for example: umdchem).
- Open a separate department account that is specifically used for web development (for example, wwwchem). To request an account for web developement, see: Departmental/Functional Email Accounts.
The UMD web is not a single machine serving the web, but is a collection of systems with multiple web servers and technologies on them. Sometimes a single web application can span several servers and systems. If you are planning to create a web presence on the UMD web server, the following information may prove helpful:
- Main web server
- Our main web server (www.d.umn.edu) is an Apache server running
on Linux (Debian) operating system. Both HTTP and HTTP + SSL are supported on www.d.umn.edu.
- Web developers at UMD can incorporate the following into their web site on www.d.umn.edu:
- Java
- PHP
- MySQL - for department projects only; ITSS will create the database and access; web developers can then create tables, queries, etc.
- CGI programs
- Before creating a web site, contact ITSS to determine the current version of the web server software listed above.
- WordPress
- ITSS offers a common good virtual server service that provides the WordPress application to campus departments and business units. For details, please see: Managed WordPress Service.
Official web pages: You may request a specific URL by completing the online request form:
Requesting Storage on the UMD web server.
The general guidelines for URLs on the UMD web server are as follows:
- Colleges and departments:
- http://www.d.umn.edu/dept/
http://www.d.umn.edu/college/
- Special events, outreach, misc:
- http://www.d.umn.edu/outreach/name/
Personal web pages: You do not need to request a URL. Your personal web space is automatically created when your UMD Internet/email account is opened; your URL will be:
http://www.d.umn.edu/~username
Other options for personal web pages include:
Student organizations: Student organizations have a number of options for hosting web sites that do not require them to request a URL on the UMD web server:
For additional information, please see the following policy:
Official UMD web pages serve to carry out official University business. Requests to include a link on the UMD site are reviewed by the Campus Web Committee and are subject to approval. Pages that do not comply with University policy and web guidelines may be rejected.
Personal web pages are not linked from the UMD home pages, but may be linked from your personal directory listing (Internet Account Options).
Student organization web pages are not linked from the UMD home pages, but may be linked from the Student Organizations web site.
For additional information, please see the following policy:
The University has specific policies regarding e-commerce, web accesibility and copyright.
- E-commerce
- University units that accept payment cards (credit or debit) as a method of payment must meet University policy, state and federal laws, and contractual obligations to the University's banks and financial institutions.
- See: Accepting Revenue Via Payment Cards
- Accessibility (508 compliance)
All University pages must comply with federal accessibility guidelines. A well designed page can be every bit as attractive and flashy as any other page on the Web while remaining accessible. In addition, the improvements made because of accessibility issues will benefit all users.
- See: Accessibility of Information Technology policy.
- Copyright
- Copyright is the area of law that deals with creation, ownership, sale, and use of creative and expressive works. Many people think of copyright as a distant thing that doesn't relate to their lives, but there are lots of reasons everyone should know a little bit about copyright.
- See: Copyright at UMD
Training and Tools
ITSS offers a variety of training through workshops, technology sessions, and online training materials. The UMD Center for Economic Development(CED) is also currently offering a number of computer workshops related to Wordpress.
Training
Tools
Rev: 9.18.12 sab
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