CGI
Executable scripts must be uploaded to your cgi-bin in ASCII or text format. Scripts are available from a variety of sources. Ask your account person for information. The following are the CGI paths and permissions:
Perl 5: #! /usr/bin/perl
Sendmail: /usr/sbin/sendmail
Date: /bin/date
Domain Path: /home/yourdomainname/public_html
Cgi-bin Path: /home/yourdomainname/public_html/cgi-bin (puts you in your cgi-bin)
CGI Permissions: Always chmod 755 all scripts in the cgi-bin.

Telnet/SSH
For security reasons TELNET and SSH connections to accounts are not permitted.


WEBMASTERS REFERENCE SITES

Script Indexes
http://www.resourceindex.com - If you're looking for a PERL or PHP Script that does something, you'll probably find it here.
http://www.hotscripts.com - An extremely comprehensive directory of Cold Fusion, ASP, and PHP scripts.
http://www.scriptsearch.com - A directory with a particular focus on PHP, JavaScript, PERL and CFML scripts.

PHP & MySQL
http://www.zend.com/zend/tut/ - Plenty of tutorials from the makers of a host of PHP related products.
http://php.weblogs.com/ - This is THE PHP Blog to read.
http://www.phpbuilder.com/ - Articles, Forums and a Code Library for PHP addicts.

JavaScript
http://www.javascript-2.com - Search over a dozen JavaScript archive depositories from one page.

DHTML
http://www.dynamicdrive.com - A huge collection of DHTML scripts, including browser compatability information.
http://www.dhtmlshock.com - DHTML & JavaScripts for the taking. Note that you have to use the drop-down menu in the left-hand navigation menu to navigate to the categories.

Photoshop
http://www.photoshoptoday.com - A huge collection of tutorials on everything from creating CD covers to brick textures.
http://www.designsbymark.com - A nice collection of tips, both written and in Quicktime format, on advanced effects such as enhancing photographs and creating stained wood textures.
http://www.good-tutorials.com/ - 1165 Photoshop Tutorials.

Flash & ActionScript
http://www.flashkit.com/ - Arguably the most popular site about Flash on the Internet.
http://actionscript-toolbox.com/ - A great reference site with a good collection of samples to learn from.
http://www.flashguru.co.uk/ - Tutorials & news about Macromedia Flash, updated very frequently.

XML
http://www.topxml.com - A "get to the point" library of XML articles. Great site!
http://www.XMLpitstop.com/ - More tutorial links than you can shake a stick at.
http://www.PerfectXML.com/ - Articles, news, event listings, software listings, sample book chapters and more for the XML crowd.


TIPS ON LOW COST WEBSITE PROMOTION

Promoting an organization or small business website in the search engines can be a daunting task. Use of free submissions and link popularity is a good starting point for an inexpensive - yet still effective - website promotion campaign.

Start with the basis of good search engine and directory listings. Make sure to read and follow each search engine and directory's rules for submissions. Before making submissions, always verify that all your website links and pages work, with no pages "under construction".

Search Engines and Directories

Begin with the Open Directory Project (ODP) (http://www.dmoz.org). ODP is free and provides secondary search results to many other search engines. (Secondary search results are search results that come up after the primary search results of a search engine are shown.) Google uses the ODP directory results in their search engine results.

It is preferable to secure a listing in ODP before submitting your website to Yahoo!, but it often takes time to become listed in ODP and may not be possible. If you can afford a yearly $299.00 subscription to submit to Yahoo! (http://www.yahoo.com), do so. If you are a non-commercial website, you may be able to submit your website for free. You will find the rules about free submissions when you click on the "suggest a site" link at the bottom of your chosen category page.

If you do B2B (business-to-business) with other companies, Business.com (http://www.business.com) is a reasonable $99.00 subscription per year and gives you the opportunity to list not only your home page, but four other pages from your website. The Business.com search results are used by many other business sites for search results.

Inktomi is a good choice for a reasonably priced link (yearly fee of $39.00 for first page, $25.00 per page 2-1000 for additional pages) and will get you into secondary search results for the MSN search engine. Position Technologies (http://www.positiontech.com/) has a good submission program available for Inktomi.

Zeal.com (http://www.zeal.com) listings are part of the LookSmart directory, which provides primary search listings for MSN. You must sign-up to become a Zeal editor and pass a test before being able to add your non-commercial submissions to Zeal. Articles and tutorials are good choices to use when submitting non-commercial information from your website to Zeal.com.

Many of the major search engines still include a free submission section for their listings. Paid Inclusion and PPC (pay-per-click) are always the faster choices, but if your budget is limited you may want to consider submitting and waiting the 6-8 weeks (or more) it often takes to see your listings show up.

Google (http://www.google.com) is the top search engine and one you want to be listed in. Google provides secondary search results to other search engines and directories. Other major search engines providing free submissions include: AltaVista (http://www.altavista.com), and AlltheWeb (http://www.alltheweb.com).

Secondary search engines you can submit to for free include Gigablast (http://www.gigablast.com) and ScrubtheWeb (http://www.scrubtheweb.com). One smaller directory is JoeAnt (http://www.joeant.com).

Link Popularity Methods

If you are a small business, seek out business directories to submit to, especially those directly related to your business.

Looking in Yahoo! and ODP categories for business directories can be very helpful in getting a start on your search for links.

For link popularity, searching in Google is a quick way to find suitable websites to request links from or submit to.

Search for specialty search engines. If your business is in the medical field, search for medical search engines.

When looking for link partners, select sites that reflect your website's topic or subject. Links from sites that are not related to your site are not weighted as heavily by the search engines in deciding how to rank your site.

Visit your competition's websites. See how they are ranking in the search engines and find out which keywords they are found under.

Link popularity is a very time-consuming activity, be prepared to spend a minimum of 10-20 hours in order to start building your link popularity. This may be a daunting enough task you might want to consider working with a search engine marketing professional.

Helpful Tools

It is always a good idea to keep in mind that many tools are not "exact" and can vary due to the search engine algorithms changing (which can be often). I like to think of it as an "approximation" of the information I am seeking.

The Google Toolbar (http://toolbar.google.com) shows you the approximate link popularity of other websites (note the green bar that says "PageRank" after downloading the tool), as well as giving you choices such as checking backlinks (who is linking to the webpage), similar pages, a cached snapshot of the page and more when you right-click on the web page. Visit your competition's webpage, then use the toolbar to view who is linking to them.

The PageRank and backlink information is very helpful in regards to researching your competition. The backlinks you find via the toolbar may show you some quality websites to submit links to. Seek out websites with PageRank 4 and up to get the most out of your submitted or reciprocal link. Hovering your mouse over the Google Toolbar tells you the page rank of the page you are visiting.

To learn about writing an email request for a reciprocal link and other linking strategies, visit Eric Ward's website (http://www.ericward.com/articles/index.html).

The Overture suggestion tool (http://inventory.overture.com/d/searchinventory/suggestion) is a free way to check how popular your keyword phrases are in comparison to the monthly results of Overture. This will not give you a complete picture since Overture is used on many but not all search engines. It will help you decide which keyword phrases are the best choice, as well as as variations on your keyword phrases.

MarketLeap (http://www.marketleap.com/) measures your link popularity, and that of three of your competitors. The report is free and gives you a benchmark showing where your popularity lies online vs your competitors.

Lastly, if you want to "do it yourself", the top places to research and learn from are Search Engine Watch (http://www.searchenginewatch.com) and Webmaster World (http://www.webmasterworld.com). Search Engine Watch and Webmaster World's sister site, Search Engine World (http://www.searchengineworld.com) both have free newsletters full of information to help you promote your website.


DOING SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS ONLINE

We have assembled this list of links to tools and resources that can assist your company in learning more about ebusiness and allow you to make educated decisions about starting a small business online.

12 Ways to Give Your Webstore a Sales Boost - WilsonWeb A 71-page e-book in PDF entitled "12 Ways to Give Your Webstore a Sales Boost: Proven Techniques to Increase the Conversion Rate in Your Online Store." It contains all the tricks I've learned in building 18 online stores for my clients to increase their sales rate to the maximum. I explain twelve different approaches to increasing the conversion rate (the percentage of purchasers to shoppers).

Alberta Innovation & Science's "E-Business Infokit" A series of video presentations to teach small and medium-sized enterprises how to plan, market and build businesses online.

Backbone Magazine - The Strength of eBusiness Backbone Magazine's aim is to provide business people with a tangible tool to enhance the way they do business in Canada's New Economy.

BLG TechLaw Group Borden Ladner Gervais advises creators and users of technology on all aspects of information technology, biotechnology, computer, Internet and e-commerce law, including the development, acquisition, protection, and exploitation of technology and intellectual property.

Builder.com Created by developers, for developers, Builder.com brings software developers fresh, real-world perspective on topics from programming to architecture to management. Builder.com will improve the way developers work with the information, tools, and services to help them conquer the challenges they face everyday in real-world development.

Business BC Internet Directory Free Internet directory listings

Business Development Bank BDC is Canada's small business bank. BDC has developed programs to provide timely and relevant financial and management services to small and medium sized companies looking to engage in e-business such as: Techno.net, Innovation Financing, BDC Connex, and the E-Strat Consultancy Program.

Business Opportunity Classifieds Directory of Business Related Sites - Reciprocal Link necessary

BusinessGateway.ca BusinessGateway.ca provides a single access point to all the government services and information needed to start, run and grow a business.

BuyItCanada.com Canada's Online Directory (free directory listing)

Canada Business Directory Canadian web sites (free listing)

Canada Customs & Revenue Agency (CCRA) - GST/HST and Electronic Commerce This bulletin explains the CCRAís interpretation of key provisions of the Excise Tax Act relevant to electronic commerce, and outlines how the CCRAís administrative policies pertain to transactions made by electronic means.

CanadaOne Internet Business Directory Free Internet directory listing

Canadian E-Business Leadership Program The Canadian E-Business Leadership Program was created to recognize the successful implementation of e-business tools and techniques. Organizations and initiatives of all sizes will be entered and judged on the positive impact of the Internet and e-business/e-commerce.

Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants Canada's Chartered Accountants are responding to the rapid growth of e-business by developing competencies in information technology, by taking their tools on-line, and by offering new assurance services designed to help protect consumers engaging in electronic transactions.

Canadian Internet Registration Authority CIRA is a not-for-profit Canadian corporation that is responsible for operating the dot-ca Internet country code Top Level Domain (ccTLD) for all Canadians in an efficient and professional manner. CIRA also carries out other Internet related registration activities.

Canadian Netizens A free, monthly report offering an extensive demographic analysis of Internet users in Canada.

Canadian Standards Association Privacy Code The global information age offers huge economic and personal benefits. At the same time it raises concerns about the individual's right to privacy and the protection of personal data. CSA's Model Code for the Protection of Personal Information (Q830) sets out ten principles that balance the privacy rights of individuals and the information requirements of private organizations. The Privacy Code was developed using CSA's renowned consensus-based methods. Drawing on the experience gained through this development process, CSA has published a suite of companion resources to help your organization put the Code into practice, wherever you do business in the world today.

Canadian Youth Business Foundation The Canadian Youth Business Foundation (CYBF) is the only national organization in Canada that enables young entrepreneurs to pursue their aspirations of building successful enterprises by providing business assistance not otherwise accessible to them.

CanLinks.net Canadian web sites (free listing). Weekly Hot Sites featured in the Province newspaper.

CCRA - SME Information Centre This section of the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency (CCRA) Website is tailored to meet the needs of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) but is useful for all importers and exporters.

Community Store Fronts The World's Premier Marketplace for Shopping and Fundraising Securely On-Line

Dmoz.org Open Directory Project - It's a must to add your web site to this free directory.

eBay.ca eBay is the world's largest personal online trading community. eBay created a new market: efficient one-to-one trading in an auction format on the Web.

eBiz Enable -- On-line Marketing Guide Introduction to On-line Marketing -- Internet marketing information in a simple, concise format.

Electronic Commerce Council of Canada The ECCC is a non-profit business-led association established to promote and maintain global standards for the identification of goods, services, locations and related e-commerce communication.

Electronic Commerce in Canada Industry Canada's e-commerce resources and links which range from assiting in getting your busines onlne to integrating your business practices with computer and Internet technology.

FeatureWeb.com British Columbia Web Directory (free listing)

Gimpsy Directory that uses an action based classification method (Free listing)

Idea Cafe Biz Web Guide Web site directory for small business (free listing)

IndexDirect.com Vancouver Island Online Business Directory (free listing)

International Business Opportunities Centre The International Business Opportunities Centre provides a matching service - connecting foreign buyers with Canadian companies. The Centre works in partnership with Canada's trade officers who are located around the world in Canada's embassies and consulates.

International Internet Marketing Association The International Internet Marketing Association (IIMA) is a non-profit professional association serving Internet marketers and business strategists. Our mission is to inspire Internet and traditional marketers to use the Internet as a vital component of the marketing mix

Internet Advertising Bureau of Canada IAB Canada aims to encourage the use of the Internet as a viable marketing and advertising medium and to provide industry-accepted guidelines and standards for its use.