Your ability to do things on Emerson.build is dictated to a large degree only by the limits of your imagination. That said, there are some technical requirements and limitations that you should be aware of and might want to review.
To spark your imagination, here are some ideas that might help you get started:
Install a Web Application in Your Space
Emerson.build makes it very simple to install certain Web applications in your Web space. Web applications are just special software that run on a Web server. Usually they allow you to build and manage a website. The kind of site you can build depends upon the type of application you install. Here are some examples of applications that you can easily install within the Emerson.build web hosting interface:
WordPress: WordPress is a blogging application. While it allows you to quickly and easily set up a blog, it also comes with a set of features that really make it possible to set up any kind of basic Web site without much difficulty. We have resources available that are focused on installing and using WordPress.
Omeka: Omeka is an open-source web application that can be used to create and display online digital collections. We have information available to help you install and use Omeka.
These are just a FEW of the open-source applications that are available to you in your Emerson.build web space; you can find a list of all of the applications you can install automatically here.
Organize Your Site with Subdomains and Folders
Through this project, you’ve received a domain name that you can actually subdivide and organize any way you like. There are two main approaches to organizing your domain space and the applications you install: creating subdomains or creating subdirectories (which can also be called simply folders). Each approach allows you to point viewers to the pages and applications you’ve set up, but the links your viewers will access look different depending on which approach you’re using.
Here’s an example of one way you might choose to organize your site (using the subdomain vs. the subdirectory approach):
| To Install… | Subdomain Approach | Subdirectory Approach |
|---|---|---|
| … WordPress as your “main site” | yourdomain.com (“root”) | yourdomain.com (“root”) |
| … a second WordPress instance for a course you’re taking | course1.yourdomain.com | yourdomain.com/course1 |
| … Koken for a public photo gallery of your photos | photos.yourdomain.com | yourdomain.com/photos |
| … MediaWiki for a club you belong to that wants to collaboratively edit its bylaws | docs.yourdomain.com | yourdomain.com/docs |
| … OwnCloud so you can access your files on your laptop and at work | files.yourdomain.com | yourdomain.com/files |
This is just one way to organize your site and then use different sections to do different things. There is no “one size fits all” solution to this challenge, and what you do should be driven by what makes sense to you. To start, you may just want to install one thing at the “root” of your domain, and then let the rest evolve as you get to know more about what’s possible.
To learn more about subdomains, subdirectories, and organizing your site, please visit the “What is a Subdomain?” section of this documentation.
Map Your Domain (or a Subdomain)
If you already have a digital presence that you’d like to pull into your emerson.build space, domain mapping is an option you may wish to explore. This allows you to assign your domain (or a subdomain) to another service. Some services that work with domain mapping are:
When you map a domain, users who visit your URL will automatically see your space on one of these services. It’s a great way to incorporate your activity elsewhere into your domain, and it might be a good first-step if you’ve already established a presence somewhere else and just want to point your new domain to that space.