Creating password protected HomePage sites in iWeb

Among several recent announcements from Apple was news that the company would discontinue its Web application .Mac HomePage. While many new Apple users may have never used this feature from the former .Mac (now MobileMe), several legacy users have some concerns with their established HomePage Web sites. As of July 7, 2009, all .Mac HomePage sites will remain live, but will not be able to be added to or edited.

From Apple Support Discussions user "Clif Norrell1":

"I have been using .Mac Homepage to set up several Web pages to share audio files with my clients. I have been able to set up a different Web page for each client, each with their own password, with files there for them to download.

I know that I can use MobileMe's new file-sharing feature to e-mail links to individual files, but this doesn't work as well as having all the files downloadable on one or more Web pages. 

Is there a way to duplicate this using iWeb now that my .Mac Homepage sites are going away? I don't want the audio to stream. I just want to make the files available for downloading, and don't see any page templates in iWeb '08 for file downloading."

Possible solution
Using iWeb is certainly possible to accomplish what "Clif Norrell1" is hoping to achieve. When dragging and dropping an audio file into an iWeb page, iWeb assumes you would like the audio to stream. If you would simply like this file to be downloaded:

1. Add a text box with the file name to your iWeb page.
2. Inside the text box, highlight the text you would like to enable as a hyperlink.
3. From the Inspector window (Option Command I), choose the hyperlink settings.
4. Check the box to "Enable as a hyperlink."
5. In the "Link To:" drop-down menu select "A File."
6. In the Finder dialogue box, navigate to your music file, highlight it, and click "Open."
7. Set your hyperlink formatting as you wish, save your work, and publish your page.

You now have an iWeb page with a link to a downloadable file. You can also use pictures as your linkable item and follow the same process to enable it as a hyperlink to download your file.

Part two of the issue is creating individually password-protected pages for each client that "Clif Norrell1" has. To accomplish this in iWeb:

1. Each unique password-protected page must be contained in a new Site.
2. From the iWeb menu bar select File > New Site.
3. Select the template you wish to start from and follow the steps above to create your user links.
4. Click on the Site Name in the left column of the iWeb window.
5. Check the box to "Make my published site private.?
6. Enter the username and password for your site.
7. Save your work and publish.

Resources
Read this TUAW Article about .Mac HomePage expiring.
Read this Apple Support Discussions forum thread regarding using iWeb to replicate the functions of HomePage.

Experiencing problems? Have feedback? Let us know!

Resources

TUAW Article

Apple Support Discussions ...

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