A Tad Ignorant (help!)

Hi all,

I apologize if my question is stunningly lame and taking up valuable space. I looked for a step-by-step guide to signing up for hosting, but couldn't find one. (You'd be amazed by how web and computer savvy I usually am.)

I've just registered a domain name and would like to sign up for hosting (w/DreamHost, of course). But I don't even understand or know the significance of the questions on the sign-up form/page, such as:
- FTP user / CGI-runs-as user: [I must create a new user.]
- New username: [Is that me? Am I choosing a user name for myself?]
- Specify your web directory: /home/username/_________/ [What should I put in this blank?]

My goal is to sign-up successfully and start using my domain for email while I design my first page.
Thanks to all for your assistance.

Tym

PS Brett if you want to call me and walk me thru this, I'm OK w/that. But your time would be better spent creating informative guides to the sign-up process (that's BUYING) DreamHost services - or sleeping.

Are you saying that you haven't already signed up?

I'm just seeing this on the order form:

First domain to host:
First FTP/shell username:
First email address:

Just put your domain for the first one and whatever you want your first email address to be in the last one.

For the FTP user, just make up a user name. It has to be unique on the server, so something simple like joe or fred will likely be taken.

New user name might just be for the panel and maybe I didn't see that because I'm logged in. If that's the case, I thought they went to just using email addresses and auto-assigned the first 3 letters of first & last name... but I guess you could choose a name there, too.

The web directory usually just defaults to your domain, but you can make it whatever you want.

Domain name makes it easier to manage if you have a bunch:

/home/username/domain1.com
/home/username/domain2.com
/home/username/domain3.com
/home/username/domain4.com
etc...

The username will be replaced with whatever you choose as the FTP/Shell user name. You can always add more of these later and even edit the info per domain through the panel.

Does that help... or did I just make it seem more confusing?

Thank you very much for your prompt response. I'm not entirely sure of the significance of what I entered, as far as future usage and structure goes, but as you can see, DreamHost is now the host for tburnham.com.

I'll give it a couple of days and then I'll really start making trouble. I'll try not to lean too heavily on Support after this.

Thanks again for your assistance.

tym

Between Support and the forums we can probably help you get things going. If you hit the forums first, you may get a quicker answer and we'll direct you to support if you need their help.

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