iWeb Website on Multiple Computers?

[thenewguy]

Question:

I just made a website for a friend's organization using iWeb. They are getting MobileMe, and I'm going to try to set the website up using an external domain.

A few questions:
1) once the website is done - how do I transfer it to their computer? If I make it live on my computer (set up their MobileMe account, etc) will they have automatic access to it if they also sign into MM on their computer? Or do I need to physically transfer the iWeb files?

2)Once the website is Live, can they only edit the website from the computer on which the website resides (this may not be relevant depending on answer to question 1).

3) Is there any way to have the website live and have multiple people at the organization able to access and edit the website from their own computers (assuming they all had the MM login info)?

THANKS!

 

[Giovannino]

1) They need to have Mac computers with iWeb installed to be able to edit and iWeb created website
Have a look at this page about transfering the site
http://iwebfaq.org/site/iWeb_Transfer_Site.html
Also read the Notes about changing permissions on that page.

2) They can only update the website if they have a Mac, iWeb and the Domain file mentioned on the previously linked file (if you put the domain file on MobileMe they will be able to access it to edit it from nomatter what mac with iWeb)

3) As already told they need to have the Domain file, a Mac and iWeb on it to be able to edit the site. If they have all of these requirements then they can edit and publish the site. They all need to access the same file.
About sites to be edited by a group online from nomatter what computer have a look at this page:
http://iwebfaq.org/site/iWeb_Group_website.html
and the Blogging page on the same site.

 

[Cromulent]

You should just invest in some shared hosting because from the sounds of it you are planning to host it yourself or the organisation themselves are planning too. Much, much better to pay someone to host it for you.

I might have misinterpreted what you said so if I have please ignore 🙂.

 

[thenewguy]

thanks for the answers!!

No, we won't be hosting it ourselves. And yes, everyone will have macs with iWeb.

The office has a mac, and I didn't know if only that computer would be able to edit the website, or if any of the staff that also had macs could set it up. but it looks like I need to read that FAQ page and I'll be all set.

I think they're just going to get MobileMe and I'll set up a unique domain for them to use with it.

thanks all!

 

[thenewguy]

So I've moved forward with this project and run into an issue.

I can get 3 computers logged into the same MobileMe account, no problem.

However, even though all the actual content files of the website are stored on the iDisk, there's no way to open iWeb and say "i already have a website associated with this account, load it up!".

The only way I can figure out how to let multiple people edit an up-to-date website would be (and this is theoretical) to have one person edit the site, then upload the Domain file to the iDisk storage. Then when person #2 wants to edit the site, they have to copy that Domain file from the iDisk to their Library:Application Support:iWeb folder. Then edit the site. Then when they're done, RE-COPY that file back to the iDisk. Rinse and repeat for each person.

That is horribly obtuse - and not really possible for people not super comfertable with computers to begin with.

Is that really the only way? it seems ludicrous that the domain file is ONLY stored remotely.

 

[sickmacdoc]

While I can't disagree whatsoever with your observation about this being far too clumsy to be very practical, realistically it may be the only workable way.

One thing I might suggest is that some Automator actions (or Applescripting) might go a long way towards automating and thus vastly simplifiying the process for the other users. If they were able to just invoke an Automator action to download the domain.sites file to their local machine and save it in the right place at the start of their editing session, make changes and publish the changes, then execute another at the end to upload the modified domain.sites file again it would make it easier overall.

One thing to keep in mind through it all though is that iWeb was not targeted whatsoever toward a collaborative workgroup solution to website design, but rather as a "personal web page builder" if you will. Since it was really not built on the foundation of a collaborative design, the fact that the only place that the site designs files are located are in a single file on a single computer does not (although it certainly does not fit your wishes unfortunately) seem out of place. It would seem that the ease of use that iWeb offers for its original designed use is somewhat of a tradeoff in the first place. It has limitations because of that ease of use which can be addressed by the use of Adobe Dreamweaver etc, but at the cost of the loss of the simple use iWeb offers.

Content management, collaborative editing and other issues of that type are possible in systems designed for that, such as Adobe Contribute (for more see http://www.adobe.com/products/contribute/?promoid=121DJGRI_P_US_FP1_CT_MN&tt=P_US_FP1_CT_MN ) and it is a shame that iWeb does not offer at least some content management options, but it seems such is the nature of the beast.

Good luck with your dilemma!

 

[Giovannino]

You can also leave it on the iDisk and just double click the domain file without downloading it to the computer and re-uploading it.

Just leave it there on iDisk. Double click. iWeb opens, edit it, save (changes are saved on the iDisk located Domain file itself)

 

[thenewguy]

You can also leave it on the iDisk and just double click the domain file without downloading it to the computer and re-uploading it.

Just leave it there on iDisk. Double click. iWeb opens, edit it, save (changes are saved on the iDisk located Domain file itself)

Brilliant.

It's still a cumbersome setup but, as slickmacdoc pointed out - I'm trying to do something iWeb wasn't strictly meant to do.

But you're idea is perfect - just what I needed. To make it even more slick, since the iDisk connection is always live (assuming you're connected to internet) you can drag the Domain file to your doc and just launch it from there.

thanks!