Development: Website Owner's Guide
Quick Summary
- A website owner is an authorized decision-maker and point of contact with BSDIS for help requests. Every BSD-hosted site must have one or two owners.
- A website owner is also able to edit a website or authorize others to edit a site. See the Editor's Guide for details on how to edit your site.
- Site owners should contact the BSD Help Desk to request assistance with a website
Overview
To maintain security and clear communication BSDIS must know who has ultimate control over a site. Every BSD-hosted website must have one or two owners. A website owner is an authorized decision-maker and point of contact with BSDIS for help requests. Examples of requests that must come from an owner:
- to authorize a new employee to edit a site
- to restore a file from backup tape
- to password-protect a site directory
Similarly, BSD sends announcements relevant to hosted sites via an announcement mailing list for site owners.
Site owners are responsible for understanding and following BSD hosting policies.
A website owner is of course always a site editor as well; however, there can be site editors who are not owners. For example, a website a lab may be owned by the faculty member who runs the lab, who then authorizes three lab members to edit the site. So all four can edit the site, but BSDIS will only act on communication from the faculty member.
Editing
See the Website Editor's Guide for details on how to edit.
Security
User Accounts
When you edit your website files or access a password-protected website file via your browser you should use your BSD account. Note that this is not the same as your CNET ID. Examples of BSD accounts: an email address that ends in @bsd.uchicago.edu or @medicine.bsd.uchicago.edu, or a login to the BSDAD domain. For questions about your BSD account, including creating an account or resetting your password, contact the BSD Help Desk.
Access Control
All BSD website's have access control rules which determine who can view files in their browser and who can edit files on the network shared drive. User-level access control rules are determined by the website owner and implemented by BSDIS. Typically, most website files are viewable by anyone (no password required) in a browser, but editable by only a few people (who have to prove their identity by using their password). Other arrangements are possible, e.g. limiting access to view your site to campus computers, or password-protecting some or all of your site.
To make any changes to the security of a website the website owner(s) should submit a ticket to the BSD Help Desk. The request must originate from an owner. Please be as specific as possible.
Bad example:
- "Give John Smith access to my website."
Which John Smith (i.e. what user ID jsmith, jsmith2?) Which website (if you have ownership of more than one)? What kind of access (read-only or edit)? For the entire site, or just a particular directory?
Good example:
- "Give John Smith (jsmith2) access to edit all files on the website example.bsd.uchicago.edu."
Help
For help with questions that have not been answered by this guide please contact the BSD Help Desk.
