Adobe Contribute Web site Editing
To purchase Adobe Contribute, go to the Adobe web site. Here you can buy the software for around $149.00 and there are also helpful tips and tutorials. We have typed up our own set of instructions below.
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First you must open the Contribute software. Either click on the software icon, or find it in your programs list.
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Next you need to find the site in which you want to make changes to. You can do this in two ways. You can browse for it in the address bar just like you would use Internet Explorer. Or you can click on the create a connection to your web site link. This would be the third icon down in the center of the screen when you open the program.
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Once you have established which site you wish to edit, you need to setup a connection to that site. Do this using the Connection Wizard. The first screen will ask if you have a connection key, which you do not, so hit the next button to by pass this.
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Then you will be prompted to either enter in the web address, or verify that it is the correct one in which you wish to edit. Then select next.
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When asked how you want to connect, select FTP (file transfer protocol), then hit next.
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Next you will be asked for the name of your FTP server. Which is simply: ftp.yourdomainname.tld TLD stands for top level domain, which means the extension of your site, .com, .net, .org, etc.
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Your FTP username would be the hosting username that was setup when your web hosting account was created.
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Your FTP password would be the password that was setup when your web hosting account was created.
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Next you are asked to identify yourself to other users of the site. Just enter in your name and email address.
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The information you have entered will be verified, click done. Then you can proceed to edit your site.
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Contribute is acting exactly as your internet browser would at this point. You may browse through your site until you find the exact page you would like to edit. Once you have chosen this, click the edit site button in the upper left corner of the window.
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Now you can begin to make changes to your site. The program functions similar to Microsoft Word or other such publishing tools.
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You can select text and change fonts, colors, sizes, etc. by using the tool bar at the top of the window. To insert an image, place your cursor on the screen where you wish it to go, then click the image button in the tool bar. From the drop down menu pick where you would like to get the image from, either from a file on your computer, or from a picture that exists somewhere on your web site already.
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To create a link, place your cursor where you would like the link to go, then go to the link button at the top of the tool bar. Choose browse to web page. Now enter in the text for the link(Cool Web Site), and where the link is going to go (http://www.CoolWebsite.com) Then hit okay. To edit an existing link on the page, select the link in which you wish to change, and go to the link button at the top of the page and select browse to web page. Then enter in the new address in which you would like this link to point.
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If you would like to create a link that goes to a file such as a pdf, you would do the following. Place your cursor where you would like the link to go. Navigate to the link icon in the tool bar. Select file on my computer. Create the text in which you would like to display for the link (Newsletter 4/25/05), and browse to the file on your computer (newsletter.pdf) Then hit okay.
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Once you are satisfied with your changes, you need to publish your site. To do this, just hit the publish button in the upper left corner of the window. A pop-up should appear that tells you your site has been changed. And then your changed site will open.
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Next time you wish to make changes you can actually select your site from a list on the opening screen. Your FTP information will be saved. You can navigate to any portion of the site you wish to change, and publish.
