Why Arent You Using CGI?

The very name CGI used to send chills up my spine. Foryears I put it in the 'too-hard-basket'. But like mostthings in life, CGI is not as scary as it seems. Ifyou have a cgi directory on your website and you knowhow to FTP files, chances are you can have a CGIscript up and running in less than 20 minutes.

CGI (Common Gateway Interface) is not a programminglanguage but a standard that allows visitors tointeract with your website. CGI scripts can be writtenin a number of different languages but most arewritten in Perl (Practical Extraction and ReportingLanguage).

This article gives you details of five free CGI scriptsthat will do the following:

1. Mail out your Newsletter from your server 2. Track the number of times your free E-Book is

downloaded 3. Rotate banners on your website 4. Create your own auto responders 5. Allow visitors to recommend your website to friends

At the end of this article are details of where todownload these 5 free scripts. But first, here aresome basic guidelines on how to configure and installCGI scripts:

1. CGI programs usually come in a zip file. Unzip thefile and open the README file. This document will giveyou instructions for configuring the program file.

2. Open the program file using a text editor such asNOTEPAD (the program file will usually have the fileextension .cgi but may have other extensions such as.pl).

In most CGI programs you will have to configure thefollowing 4 items:

(a) the path to perl

This is where the perl program resides on your server.The path will usually be:

#!/usr/bin/perl

but could be:

#!/usr/local/bin/perl

If you're unsure what your 'path to perl' is, checkyour web host's online 'manual' or FAQs. If you can'tfind it there, simply ask your web host.

(b) the path to sendmail

Most CGI programs notify you when your visitors havecompleted a particular action, and for that, theprogram needs to know where the 'sendmail' programresides on your server. The path to your UNIX sendmailprogram will usually be: /usr/sbin/sendmail

But it could also be something like this:/usr/lib/sendmail

Again, check the documentation on your web host'swebsite, or simply ask your web host.

(c) the absolute path to your CGI directory

The absolute path tells the CGI program exactly whereto find the file (or files) that it needs to open.Unfortunately, the absolute path to your CGI directoryis not something you will be able to guess or deduce -it is completely arbitrary and depends entirely on howthe system administrator at your web host haspartitioned your host's hard drive.

The easiest way to find out your absolute path is toask your web host. Another way is by using telnet -just type in pwd (print working directory) and thatshould give you your absolute path.

(d) Your email address

This is the address that the CGI program will use tonotify you when an action has been completed.

3. Uploading

Upload the program files to your cgi-bin (or adirectory off your cgi-bin) using ASCII mode. Neveruse BINARY mode, as this will play havoc with theline-breaks in the script.

4. Set the File Permissions using CHMOD

CHMOD (changing mode) is the term for setting securitypermissions on files. The README file will usuallytell you the permissions that you need to set for eachfile. The script file will need to be set to 755. Thisallows the file's owner to read, write, and executethe file; anyone else can only read and execute it.

You can set the permissions using telnet, but theeasiest way is to use the built-in option in your FTPprogram.

5. Calling the Script

Now that you've configured the script, uploaded it andset the permissions, it's time to try it out! You dothis by 'calling the script' using a URL in an HTMLdocument. This is what the URL for calling your scriptwill normally look like:

http://www.yourdomain.com/cgi-bin/script.cgi

Again, the README file should have specificinstructions on how to call the script. In addition,most CGI programs are accompanied by a web pagethat contains the form your visitors would use tocall the script.

And now here are the details of the 5 free CGIscripts I mentioned earlier:

-----------------------Subscribe Me Lite-----------------------

Subscribe Me Lite is a program that allowsprospects/customers to automatically subscribe and/orunsubscribe themselves from your mailing list. It hasa built-in mass mailing form for sending out yournewsletter or updates.

More Information:http://www.cgiscriptcenter.com/subscribe/index2.html

-----------------------Rob's File Tracker-----------------------

Rob's File Tracker is a perl script that counts filedownloads or click-thrus to any file. Very useful ifyou want to know how many people are downloading yourfree E-Book.

More Information:http://www.robplanet.com/cgi/tracker/

-----------------------AdRotate Pro-----------------------

AdRotate Pro is an ad rotation program that's easy tosetup and easy to use. Features include unlimitedrotations, expiry by date, views or clicks, defaultads for when all ads are expired, and customerreports.

More Information: http://www.vanbrunt.com/adrotate/

-----------------------MasterRecommend---------------------- -

This script allows visitors to recommend your websiteto a friend by sending an email, without leaving yourwebsite. The program will also send you a copy of yourvisitor's message (nice to know what your visitorsthink about your website).

More Information:http://www.willmaster.com/master/recommend/MasterRecommendmanual.html

------------ -----------Master Auto-Responder-----------------------

This is a standard auto-responder program. Thescript allows you to set the "From:" and "Subject:"lines for your auto-response.You can also choose toreceive a copy of each email that the auto-responderreceives.

More Information:http://mastercgi.com/howtoinfo/howautoresponderswork.shtml

If you need more help installing your CGI scripts, hereare two excellent free tutorials:

http://spider-food.net/install-a-cgi-script.htmlhttp://www.stefan-pettersson.nu/scr ipts/tutorials/installcgi.html

------------------------------------------------------------
Michael Southon has been writing for the Internet for over 3
years. He has shown hundreds of webmasters how to use this
simple technique to build a successful online business. Click
here to find out more: http://ezine-writer.com/
------------------------------------------------------------

---

Print On Demand Questions

Print on demand (POD), a cross between self-publishing and digital... Read More

Medium and the Message

A debate is raging in e-publishing circles: should content be... Read More

The Five Deadly Fears of E-Newsletter Publishing

1. Fear Of Having Nothing To SayAs a small business... Read More

What Makes An Ezine Worth Reading?

What makes your ezine hot stuff? With literally thousands of... Read More

Word Newsletter Templates - How to Easily Create Them

You can use Word newsletter templates for both Word and... Read More

Ezines ? An Excellent Approach To Internet Marketing

What is an ezine? An ezine is an abbreviation for... Read More

Secrets To Successful Publishing

Have you ever wondered what would it take to compete... Read More

How to Build Your List ? 7 Powerful Strategies

If you have been an internet marketer, or had any... Read More

Internet Marketing Strategy: 9 Pragmatic Ways Increase Your E-zines Subscription

It is possible to increase the subscription to your e-zine... Read More

Ezines VS. Trade Journals

As many people know Industry Trade Journals in America have... Read More

Some Things I Have Learned About the Exciting World of Ezines

1. Don't ever stop advertising for new subscribers.I know this... Read More

OK People - Lets Get Real!

It's all about numbers - or so some ezine publishers... Read More

Ezine Advertising Strategy Exposed-15 Tips to Boost Your Profits

In my opinion, Electronic Magazine (Ezine) advertising is the greatest,... Read More

8 Killer Mistakes For Ezine Failure You Must Avoid

It is true that sometimes in life there is a... Read More

How To Increase Your Sales From Your Newsletter

The first and most important thing you should know when... Read More

Finding the GOLD with Ezines and Google!

HiHow'd you go with your product search?Here's another way to... Read More

Who Should Offer an Ezine?

If you are a professional, consultant, coach, speaker, seminar leader,... Read More

Top 10 Tips to Give Your Newsletter Impact!

There are thousands of email newsletters or "ezines" produced every... Read More

Managing Internet Addresses in Your Email Newsletter

Web and email addresses pose a special challenge for writers... Read More

Write Your Weekly Ezine in 5-Minutes! (or better yet, dont write it at all)

How to write your ezine in 5 minutes by legally... Read More

How to turn your Newsletter into a Web Page...in 45 seconds!

Do you place back-issues of your Newsletter onyour website?There are... Read More

Start Your Own Ezine Newsletter & Profit!

The information listed here is worth more than gold. if... Read More

Search Engines Can Be The Online Writers Best Friend

It's an exciting time for online writers, with a wide... Read More

3 Things You Need to Do to Turn Net Information into Cash

Although we are in the information age, very few people... Read More

10 Newsletter Ideas to Write Articles for Your Newsletter

Since you publish your newsletter on a regular basis, sometimes... Read More

The Future of Email Newsletter

The future of email Newsletter - Llando Ford 07.28.2004 What... Read More

10 Tips For Ezine Publishers

1. Many Ezine Publishers use too many styles of separatorin... Read More

Your E-zine 13 - A Formatting Checklist

While sending out a text e-zine may seem like a... Read More

How to Get E-zine Subscribers From In-Person Events

While I run my business completely online, I really enjoy... Read More

22 Ways to Grow Your Subscriber List

1. Don't bury your subscriber form, place it on your... Read More

Top 7 Techniques For Generating Subscribers To A Newsletter

Imagine you are sitting at home relaxing reading a book... Read More

Is It a Newsletter or Just One More Commercial?

When I purchased my very first computer, not too long... Read More

Three Breathing Techniques For Any Ezine Article

I subscribed myself to many ezines. I'd love to read... Read More