Adding CGI interactivity to your site for free
by Waqar Ahmed

Adding CGI interactivity for free Knowing CGI's effectiveness is enough for a web designer to start dreaming of a interactive website. Consider a website with e-polls, Message Boards/Forums, site search, guest book, user registration and a field to enter your e-mail address to receive site updates etc. These are some of features one can add using CGI scripts. But this is just a day dreaming how many of us know scripting languages pearl C etc used to write a CGI script. One may say at least we can download thousands of free scripts available on internet and not to forget the many sites dedicated to free CGI scripts like Matt's Script archive, CGI resources and CGI scripts etc I have many of these free scripts but who know the alien language written when you open a .cgi file in notepad it usually gives you too much complex instructions about how you should install it properly and expected errors messages that may appear. Before all this you have to have a web space where you have access to cgi bin ( Perl language available on web server) So if you have a web site on free server that usually do not provide cgi access you should search for another free server with a CGI access or you have to pay to some web hosting company that will give you access to cgi bin. But like me many of others would not be willing to spend money just to try how cgi scripts are installed. You may have stopped thinking of cgi driven interactive site. Still you have a option to use cgi scripts without spending a rupee and without shifting your site to a free server that gives CGI bin access (bombarded with ad links, banners and pop ups). You can use free remotely hosted scripts services. Now lets see all three options to employ cgi interactivity. 1) Free CGI scripts on internet 2) Finding a host free or paid to install your CGI 3) Finding remotely hosted scripts free and paid to employ cgi interactivity. Since free is the most favorable and easy method so it would be in general interest to discuss it in detail. 1) Net is flooded with free scripts if you don't know try these search terms "free cgi scripts" "free cgi directory" and "cgi (forum/poll etc whatever you need ) script". These are some websites and directories about CGI free scripts. I. hotscripts.com II. mattsscriptarchive.com III. cgiresourceindex.com 2) Now you have scripts appropriate to your site needs second step is to find a web host and a bit of help on installing the script. lets just quickly look at free web hosting services with CGI access. a) Tripod : Tripod the second largest after geocities provide cgi access free. pros and cons keep in mind their server are slow and buggy Adds are bombarded as banner on every frame (yes every frame) in a page or a pop up ad with every page. It also support front page extension and FP's built in FTP If you have FP you can use FP's Guest book, Forum surely plus other b) Net Firms net firms is another site that provide cgi access. pros and cons There are no ads, yes its ad free free web host. netfirms requires you to enter your credit card info to create your free account. In addition they will charge you if you exceed your free web space limit. There are some free hosts that do not offer cgi access instead they give  guest book, forums and counters etc with every account. here you use script which is not written keeping your needs in mind this will not match with your web some times you can insert your header and footer. See if these scripts are your desired otherwise its better to use a different remotely hosted scripts. Some free web hosts and their add ons.   free host CGI  add on add type remarks Geocities no cgi guest book, counter pop up   free host department no cgi guest book, forum no adds   Tripod available   pop up, banner   freewebs no cgi       0Catch no cgi   banner   Net firms available   no adds   ProHost available   banners   3) The last option and most easy and inexpensive is to use a remotely hosted scripts service, these are websites that provide a number of CGI scripts installed on their server anyone can sign up and than select scripts for his website. Webmaster are required to just add code in their WebPages that will show a link to your guest book etc or a poll or counter embedded in your page. You fill all your information related to a service like Forum's title header and footer etc when you select a service all the content added by users of your website in your forums polls etc will be saved at remote script host's server also, which you can monitor or change at any time by logging on to remote script host's website. Now you have to search for a perfect remotely hosted script their are many renowned sites dedicated to serve free remotely hosted cgi scripts usually supported with ads plus services that provide free and paid remotely hosted scripts. paid scripts serve you without adds and with added features. Here are some of these remotely hosted scripts services. I am discussing only those services which I have used and which are ad free or display a not very annoying advertisments. CGI Spy : cgi spy is ad supported, with every poll or guest book etc their would be advertisement links or banners. They have long list of remotely hosted scripts free to use with more than one design to choose from. Scripts include site news, faqs manage,r counter, forum guest book, site search and polls etc hosted scripts : this is another add supported service with huge list of remotely hosted free scripts.23 scripts including top site, password protection, random image and download tracker etc. wwwtoolz : the only ad free service providing all basic remotely hosted scripts e.g forum, guest book, poll, counter, faq manger, site news and site search. Forum is nice plus you can show latest posts at your home page, only one poll for one account. This service went off for almost one month than there were some problems with their service now its running smoothly. Do check out this service. proboards : free and paid boards with excellent features and design. advertisements are shown as links and banners but still it looks very decent the drawback is that banners are usually very targeted (usually Google Adsense text ads). sites advertised in banners would be of similar content as content of your board think your traffic taken off to a site of similar content. You can upgrade to a add free and enhanced features board. Xsorbit : similar to pro boards check out this service it has some different features than pro boards and two upgrades to paid version. Web Poll Central : free skinable polls supported by ads, results for poll are shown with a full size  banner. Cerebstools.com : free up to ten polls with maximum eight choices only a text link is shown at the bottom of results. usually this text link is enough to motivate visitor to click on it. The poll script do not allow visitors to select more than one choice plus you can not edit your poll question once you submitted instead you will need to delete whole and add a new poll.(this service is off now) Bravenet : bravenet has long list of remotely hosted scripts including greeting card free for all links. Ads are displayed. Site Gadgets : 23 scripts including tell a friend, post card, mailing list, download tracker, compliments, free contents etc. Your CGI : free remotely hosted scripts like free meta tag generator, polls, counter and spam fighter.

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