Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get a web site?
Can my site have a user-friendly name?
How do I start using the new SMU template?
How much disk space am I allowed?
What software should I use to work on my Web site?
How do I edit my site if I am not using FrontPage?
Can I put an e-mail form on my page?
Are there any SMU graphics and images available to me?
What do I name the main page of my Web site?
What can I name the other pages in my Web site?
How do I give others access to edit my personal, organizational, or departmental site?
Are there online videos to help me with my Web site?
Who do I call for help with my Web site?

How do I get a web site?
Please fill out this form to notify the Help Desk (Mac OS X Safari users please use this form instead). It is your own responsibility to create site content.

Can my site have a user-friendly name?
Yes. You can keep long web addresses short and user-friendly by requesting that the Webmaster's Office set up an "alias" -- a shortcut name that automatically redirects users to your real site. Example: smu.edu/mla redirects to www.smu.edu/continuing_education/personal/mla/. Please read the official policies on URL naming conventions.

How do I start using the new SMU template?
Please read the information and use the checklist on the What You'll Need page.

How much disk space am I allowed?
Please see the Official Quota Policy for the current disk space limits for official and unofficial pages.

What software should I use to work on my Web site?
The University officially supports only Microsoft FrontPage as a site editing tool. Faculty and staff members may get FrontPage for free by downloading it or by calling the Help Desk at 214-768-HELP. There is also a sizable community of Macromedia Dreamweaver users on campus. They maintain a mailing list for questions, advice, tips, and tricks.

How do I edit my site if I am not using FrontPage?
You will use FTP to transfer files between your computer and the web server. FTP is used through Dreamweaver or in stand-alone applications such as Fetch. Here is key information you may use to set up your FTP connection:
Host name: Use www.smu.edu, faculty.smu.edu, or people.smu.edu (use whichever server is hosting your site)
Username: SMU\UserID (substitute your own eight-digit UserID)
Password: Use your SMU account password.
Directory: It's the first word after the server name in the URL. For example, if your URL is http://people.smu.edu/bsmith, then your directory is bsmith.

Can I put an e-mail form on my page?
Yes, but FrontPage's built in e-mail forms do not work with the SMU template. If you want to use an e-mail form, please use our simple e-mail form builder.

Are there any SMU graphics and images available to me?
The SMU Photographer also has a large library of images that may suit your purposes. Requests for images should be sent to the SMU Photographer.

What do I name the main page of my Web site?
If you are using the SMU template, you must name your main page default.asp. Non-template pages on www.smu.edu may use any of the following names: default.asp, default.htm, index.html, index.htm.

What can I name the other pages in my Web site?
Other pages in your site may be named anything that makes sense to you, following a few simple guidelines:

  • They must have the .asp extension if they are using the SMU template.
  • Use only lowercase letters.
  • Do not put spaces in the names of files.
  • Keep the number of characters in the file name to a reasonable size -- 20 or less if possible.

How do I give others access to edit my personal, organizational, or departmental site?
Please e-mail your request to the Webmaster's Office.

Are there online videos to help me with my Web site?
Yes! Video help is available for users of FrontPage. These videos require Windows Media Player.

Who do I call for help with my Web site?
We know you will have questions, or occasionally get completely stumped, as you get into the web conversion or maintenance process. We all do. Please see the Contact Us page for a list of people to contact about various questions.