What comes after Frontage?

[Paul Martin]

I have been happily creating and managing my model businesses web site in
FrontPage 2003 but have just received notification from by webspace provider
that at the end of this month they are discontinuing Frontpage Server
Extensions and that we won't be able to use the features they provide after
the end of the month.

They blame Microsoft for having discontinued support and development of them
in 2006.

Now I should perhaps point out that I am just a user for FrontPage and don't
neccessarily understand all the terms used and all that it does beyond that
fact that i can produce web pages on screen and that it what appears on the
web.

Having recieved the news of FPSE being discontinued i went and had a look at
the Microsoft web site and see there are now two programs that replace FP
although from the explanations there I am none the wiser as to which is
appropriate to my needs.

Anyway, I'll get to the point of this message now.
1. Do I need to worry about the lack of Frontpage Server Extensions?
2. If I need to change software what to I change to?
3. If I get brand x,y or z will it download my website from the internet or
am I going to have to start from scratch?
4. What new product is going to give me the least hassle transferring and
learning?

Sorry I have gone on a bit but I am in a bit of a flap in case I suddenly
can't use my webite and I have no real idea what to do

Grateful for any opinion, advice or guidance

Paul Martin

 

[Thomas A. Rowe]

If you are comfortable with FP, then you could consider moving to another host running Windows 2003
servers, where the FPSE are still being supported by MS.

--
==============================================
Thomas A. Rowe
Microsoft MVP - FrontPage

http://www.Ecom-Data.com
==============================================

 

[Dan L]

If you don't use any features or components that require the FPSE (such as
forms, FP search, discussion group, etc) then you can still use Frontpage to
edit and update your site, you'll just have to use FTP to upload the files to
your server. You can find other form, search and discussion apps to put on
your site if needed.

 

[Jens Peter Karlsen]

See inline.

Anyway, I'll get to the point of this message now.
1. Do I need to worry about the lack of Frontpage Server Extensions?

Depends on if you use them or not.

2. If I need to change software what to I change to?

Normally that would be Expression Web. Download the 60 days trial from
Microsoft and see how you like it.
Ask questions in microsoft.public.expression.webdesigner

3. If I get brand x,y or z will it download my website from the internet or
am I going to have to start from scratch?

If you don't have a local copy (Why!?) Publish the online Web to your
Local computer using FP. EW will work with the files just fine. If you
use anything that requires FP Extensions you will have to replace it
with something else.

4. What new product is going to give me the least hassle transferring and
learning?
Both.


Sorry I have gone on a bit but I am in a bit of a flap in case I suddenly
can't use my webite and I have no real idea what to do

Grateful for any opinion, advice or guidance

Paul Martin

Regards Jens Peter Karlsen.

 

[Jennifer]

I'm in the same boat, confused about my options.

How precisely would we upload to the host? What FTP process? From Frontpage?

 

[pepper in seattle]

Why are we stepping back in time? Forced to use ftp? how archaic? is
microsoft ever going to bring back server extentions?

Example, now i can design with clipart and counter and contact form and hit
save and it saves pictures and html files to the web automatically.

without fpe we have to first ftp the pictures to the web before selecting
the clipart otherwise it points to clipart on our computers and not the web.
the extra step of finding the file and drag and drop to web site is confusing
to most of us who have enjoyed the simplicity of publishing to the web by
merely hitting save.

Once again, why is microsoft taking us 3 steps backwards in server technology?

I have over 50 websites using fpe now, and my hosting company gave me 4 days
notice they are turning it off. 1and1.com largest hosting company in the
world i think.

Someone at microsoft, are you listening? or have you gotten so big and
corporate like you forgot who your customers are?

Pepper in Seattle

 

[Ronx]

Microsoft still supports FrontPage extensions on Windows Servers.
Windows 2003 (with FP extensions) will be supported for at least 5
years, and extensions for Windows Server 2008 are in Beta. It is (and
always has been) up to the host whether they install the extensions on
their servers or not.
Support for FP extensions on Unix was stopped in June 2006, and was
provided by Ready to Run Software.

Without the extensions you will have to use PHP, ASP, asp.NET or other
server side scripting for form processing, this is much more secure and
flexible for the web site author.

There is no difference to constructing the web using clip art either
with or without extensions. The procedures are exactly the same:
Convert the clip art to .jpg or .gif, Import (or drag) into open web
site, add to pages from the folder list. Using this method FrontPage
will always use a relative link to the images, and .jpg images will not
be degraded by letting FrontPage save them.

Editing a live website has never been the best practice. All your
mistakes are instantly live. However, Expression Web and SharePoint
Designer (the successors to FrontPage) are both capable of editing a
live web site using FTP.

When 1and1 decided to remove FP extensions they should have given more
notice. It takes a long time (months, not days) to plan a replacement
for a server farm, and part of this planning should have been informing
affected customers.

 

[pepper in seattle]

Microsoft has taken 3 steps backward in Server technology. Instead of making
things work faster and easier, it's now slower and more complicated.

With fpe you can insert built-in microsoft clipart to a webpage and save. It
writes the files to the site including the new graphic. Without FPE you must
first download it, save it on the hard drive, drag it to the web and then
select it to be inserted into the page and save it to the web. If you insert
clipart offline and FTP the page before you FTP the clipart, it will point
to the jpg on the computer, not the website, a common mistake made by many
webmasters.

writing cgi script for formmail is way more complicated than telling the
form to send email to (e-mail address removed) which is how simple it is now.

I don't have time to recreate all the forms in the next two days, so trying
like crazy to come up with cgi scrpt that i can point the existing forms to.
Hiring a programmer to do this is going to cost somebody a lot of money.

Moving 50 websites to a windows server would be very costly and would take
the sites down for days, so switching servers is not an option.

Microsoft has disregarded the needs of a lot of customers by not supporting
Front page extentions after millions of websites have been created using this
simple method of opening a website from the browser, selecting built in
clipart, adding a form and telling the form to send mail to emai and hitting
save.

ASP.net is not available on linux server. Only options are CGI or PHP.

Wait till Tuesday, you are going to hear a lot of people not as polite as
me, scream bloody murder.

pepper in seattle

 

[pepper in seattle]

I bought Expressions, what a mess. There are form tools but no way to send
the form to your email. Unless you know cgi programming, this is frustrating.

Also Expressions does not allow for inserting video into a page.

Expressions does not have a preview built in either, so no preview.

This is not only harder to use but painful to understand.

Why is website publishing suddenly becoming more complicated instead of
simpler and more user friendly.

I do not suggest puttting multiple websites on a windows server. Its very
dangerous, you can destroy another website as it only publishes to the root
folder.

clock is ticking 2 days left and i still don't have a solution.

I downloaded formmail.pl but i'm staring at code i don't understand,
somebody please help me, how can i keep 50 websites working on a linux server
that suddenly abandoned front page extentions?

pepper in seattle

 

[Thomas A. Rowe]

Expression Web is designed to be somewhat on par with Dreamweaver.

You can have as many web site on a Windows server as you want, it they are each set up with a static
IP address and individual user account, then you will not have the ability to accidentally destroy
other web sites.

You can then use ASP or ASP.net to process form data to databases or to send emails.

You web host is the one that chose to discontinue the extensions, not Microsoft, which is still
supporting them under Windows Servers.

--
==============================================
Thomas A. Rowe
Microsoft MVP - FrontPage

http://www.Ecom-Data.com
==============================================

 

[Jennifer]

Pepper, I'm in the same panic mode although only have 6 client webs with 1&1.
I agree switching hosting company isn't the solution.

I was going to try Expressions too, now concerned with your comments. No
preview??? Are you SURE there's no way to insert a video clip??? Come on
Microsoft, answer these concerns.

And 1&1 ... I'd suggest you seriously consider delaying your switch, at
least give us some time to find a solution.

I'd like to hear from people who have actually USED other web software like
Dreamweaver, etc. as many of us will apparently have to leave MS.

 

[Thomas A. Rowe]

For questions regarding Expression, suggest you post to the Expression newsgroup:

microsoft.public.expression.webdesigner

--
==============================================
Thomas A. Rowe
Microsoft MVP - FrontPage

http://www.Ecom-Data.com
==============================================

 

[Tom [Pepper] Willett]

Take a trip over to the Expression newsgroup, where Pepper's duplicate posts
have been replied to.
--
Tom [Pepper] Willett
Microsoft MVP - FrontPage
"You're a daisy if you do!"
---
FrontPage Support:
http://www.frontpagemvps.com/
===
: Pepper, I'm in the same panic mode although only have 6 client webs with
1&1.
: I agree switching hosting company isn't the solution.
:
: I was going to try Expressions too, now concerned with your comments. No
: preview??? Are you SURE there's no way to insert a video clip??? Come on
: Microsoft, answer these concerns.
:
: And 1&1 ... I'd suggest you seriously consider delaying your switch, at
: least give us some time to find a solution.
:
: I'd like to hear from people who have actually USED other web software
like
: Dreamweaver, etc. as many of us will apparently have to leave MS.
:
: --
: Jennifer M.
:
:
: "pepper in seattle" wrote:
:
: > I bought Expressions, what a mess. There are form tools but no way to
send
: > the form to your email. Unless you know cgi programming, this is
frustrating.
: >
: > Also Expressions does not allow for inserting video into a page.
: >
: > Expressions does not have a preview built in either, so no preview.
: >
: > This is not only harder to use but painful to understand.
: >
: > Why is website publishing suddenly becoming more complicated instead of
: > simpler and more user friendly.
: >
: > I do not suggest puttting multiple websites on a windows server. Its
very
: > dangerous, you can destroy another website as it only publishes to the
root
: > folder.
: >
: > clock is ticking 2 days left and i still don't have a solution.
: >
: > I downloaded formmail.pl but i'm staring at code i don't understand,
: > somebody please help me, how can i keep 50 websites working on a linux
server
: > that suddenly abandoned front page extentions?
: >
: > pepper in seattle