I'm totally confused! Can you explain this whole thing in plain English?
Under Start Here! > Getting Started Guide we have added a brief overview of what we are trying to do. This is a good source for people totally new to linking and web design in general. A direct link for it is located here.
How do I setup Link Foundry using Dreamweaver?
The Dreamweaver tutorial is located
here.
How do I setup Link Foundry using FrontPage?
The FrontPage tutorial is located here.
How do I setup Link Foundry using NetObjects Fusion?
The Fusion tutorial is located here.
I see the code
in my page, not the directory
- or -
I pasted the code, but I don't see the directory.
If you see the code on your webpage and not the Linkfoundry directory,
the problem is usually one of three things: (1) you pasted the code incorrectly, (2) the page is not being run (parsed) by your server, or (3) you are using the wrong type of code for your server.
First make sure you have pasted all of the
code.
If you are using ASP, it should start with <% on a line by itself. If you are using PHP, it should start with
a <?php on a line by itself. Don't try and retype any of it, just paste
the whole thing in.
If that doesn't fix it, then it means the
web server isn't treating it like an asp or
php file. Most webservers are not configured to "run" asp
or php in files that end in .htm or .html. If this is a new page you've just made,
and it ends in .html or .htm, change it to
.asp or .php depending on which piece of
code you are using.
If this is an existing page called something
like favorite_links.html, renaming your existing
.html file to .asp (or .php) will fix this
problem, but you must remember to adjust
any links you have pointing to it. If there
are other sites linking to your linkpage,
this is even less desirable. You can create
a new page, ending in .asp (or .php) for
your Linkfoundry directory, and any other
linking things.
If it still isn't working for you, you may
be using the wrong code. If you've been using
asp code, try the php code. And vice versa.
(Remember to name it .php or .asp!) You can get info about you server by reading this bit of info.
Remember, that you can STILL use Linkfoundry
without hosting your directory. In the Link
Settings page of your account you can choose
to have Linkfoundry host your directory.
Then you only have to put a link to that
directory on your home page.
When I do a site check, it says "error: the link page code has not been entered correctly" but I am sure it's there, I can see it!
You are probably using frames on your link page. (For a detailed intro to HTML Frames, see this w3.org article.)
What are frames? The use of multiple, independent sections to create a single Web page. Each frame is built as a separate HTML file but with one "master' file to identify each section. When a user requests a page with frames, several pages will be displayed as panes.
Before we go further, in general, you should avoid frames. Why? Because many search engines have a problem indexing, and "understanding" sites with frames. And having a site that gives SE's a problem sort of defeats the whole purpose of trying to rank higher. Back to the problem....
Take a look at this pic of a member's page:
As you can see above, in the address bar (A), we are viewing the links page, located at: http://www.jukemania.com/links.htm. You can also see the Link Foundry code is in place (B) but is giving an error message. Just by looking at this page, it looks like it should be working.
However, let's try something:
(This requires Internet Explorer. You can't use Firefox.)
Use your mouse and RIGHT-CLICK where the arrow (C) is pointing. You will see a menu open near your cursor. Click on "Properties" and Properties window will open:
Notice the Address it shows (D). It says linksr.php ! This tells you that the area where the Link Foundry code is located is actually a pane (part of a frame)!
This is why Link Foundry can't find the link and the site fails the check. It was told to look on the page: http://www.jukemania.com/links.htm but the link is actually on linksr.php
So to get this site up and running you would have two options:
1. Remove the frames from this page (Recommended. Frames are archaic, and are not SE friendly.)
2. Make some changes.
Change #1: Change your Link Foundry URL settings by going to Settings > Link Page Settings and make sure you enter the correct page where it says "Link Page URL". In this case it would be "http://www.jukemania.com/linksr.php".
Change #2: This link page is probably not linked directly from your home page. Why? Because you were probably linking to links.htm (the "master" frame page). So you would need to add a link on your homepage to this page. Once you do both of these things, the check will pass and your site will be activated.
How can I tell if I need to use PHP or ASP code?
Go to www.serverheader.com and enter in your complete URL (e.g.. http://www.yourdomain.com) then click "Go". In a few seconds you will see the results. The 2nd or 3rd line of the results should reveal the type of server you have.
If you see anything that says "Apache", "Unix", "Linux" or "PHP" you need to use PHP code.
If you see anything that says "Microsoft" or "IIS" you need to use ASP code.
If you see anything that says "ASP.NET" you need to use ASP.NET code. (not yet supported).
