Overview
Over the winter break 2005-6, we set up a system that will allow coaches to upload
content directly from schools using FTP. That means it is possible to
give coaches and the school teams direct access to modify both web content
and the object path files (models, textures, sounds) for your worlds. This can be set up
on an individual basis for those teams that want to
use it, you come to a consensus on whether you need this and how you will
use it.
The plusses are: coaches/teams can upload content quickly and
easily without sending it through the mentors (saves on mentor workload,
turnaround time, email use). Coaches can also modify web
content directly, which is more convenient than asking mentors to make
content changes. You will surely find other uses as well, such as
uploading pictures from schools.
The challenges: It is possible to quickly and accidentally break any
content (web sites, world content) to which FTP access is granted; you are
expected to make backups and be careful. Since multiple people will be
modifying the contents, it is possible to clobber each other's changes.
Using this system will require understanding the file structures needed for
Active Worlds and the web sites (mentors will have to help coaches with
this). It will take time and effort to learn to use this system
effectively, and to avoid breaking each others' changes.
Policies
Getting Started: If you think this will be beneficial to you,
please read the more detailed documentation
to better understand what you're in for. Then discuss (mentors and coaches) whether
you can really use this. This requires talking about it on the phone.
If agreed upon by all coaches, mentors, and staff representative, a site will
receive an FTP account. This account will be named the same as the base "sitename"
used for that site (usually an abbreviation of the site's actual name), as in CUni
account names, world names, web page subfolder, etc. The password will be chosen by
the coach(es) and set in a phone conversation with the Technical Coordinator. By
default the account will have read access to both the web site and object path,
and read/write to a root folder (it will not have access to any other folders
on the server unless otherwise discussed). For this to occur, the folder names
of these folders will be changed to match the sitename. As determined by all
involved, the account may be given modification access to either the web site or
the object path or both; it must be specified whether modification access to the
web site should be for the whole site, or for a specific sub-folder (recommended).
In other words, you should discuss and decide the following:
- What content coaches need access to (web: entire site or separate subfolder;
object path: textures, sounds, models, avatars, or everything)
- What type of access is needed: read-only, writing new files, overwriting
and deleting existing files. This can be different for each type of content.
- How will you communicate about who is modifying/uploading content and where?
If this is not done carefully, you can lose modifications, break links, etc.
- How will you test things to make sure they work once uploaded?
The FTP account will be removed at the end of the program period for which it
was created (usually the end of the spring semester).
