Web site hosting
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it cost?
Nothing extra. The dues you pay to CUPE National cover the cost.
What is my address?
Once your site is set up and working, your address becomes something.cupe.ca, where something is a short version of your local, division or council name.
Who is eligible?
Any local, council, division or other officially constituted CUPE organization or affiliate.
How do I sign up?
Sign up for a members.cupe.ca account. In addition to giving you an email account, this is also the first step in setting up your cupe.ca web site.
Fill in the website hosting application form. We will need to know the name of the organization whose site you want to set up, and we will need proof that you're authorized to set up a web site for that organization. A fax or an email from the person responsible for the organization will do.
Once we've created your site, you can start organizing and adding to it.
What if I don't know HTML?
The CUPE web site uses a content management system that allows authorized visitors to create web pages just by pasting text into a form. It does the formatting. Or, if you prefer, you can do the formatting using several methods.
What's HTML?
HTML stands for "Hypertext Markup Language." It's the document formatting language used to create web pages. There. Now you know. If you host with us, you can forget the answer to this question at your leisure. Of course, if you know HTML, so much the better. But it's not necessary.
Do I have to use the content management system?
No. If you want, you can upload your site manually using SFTP, SCP or FTP. We provide you with a separate userid for uploading your site and you're on your own after that.
Who controls the site?
You do. Local autonomy is an important part of how CUPE has operated since it was founded. You decide what goes on it and you decide how it looks.
Can I post anything I want?
Yes, with two exceptions. CUPE National is technically the publisher and we are legally liable for all contents on our web site. So we reserve the right to remove anything that contravenes libel laws, would hold the union in contempt of court or that would leave us open to criminal prosecution.
We also reserve the right to remove anything that contravenes CUPE's Equality Statement.
In any case the person responsible for a cupe.ca web site will be notified, and given a chance to correct any problems before action is taken.
How do I change how it looks?
CUPE gives you a choice of nine different site styles. You can choose another later, or if you know CSS and/or HTML you can modify your page templates to your liking. Just don't delete the stuff in the squiggly brackets.Can I use my own stuff?
Yes. You don't have to use our content management system. You can upload your own pages to our server via a web form. But there are a lot of reasons why you might want to use our system.
Why would I want to host with cupe.ca?
If the content management system alone doesn't thrill you, think also of some of the other features the site offers that will be available to your division, local, council or committee:
- mailing lists
- web-based email
- headline sharing
- online actions and petition
If you were to set up this sort of site yourself it would cost you thousands of dollars to develop and about $100 a month to host it.
Are you going to send me spam?
You can sign up to receive CUPE Today or CUPE action. And your local can also set up a list of its own with us. If there is some CUPE-related matter that is truly urgent, we will send you an email about it. But we anticipate fewer than one message per month that goes to all users. Otherwise, the only email you receive from us will be invidual-to-individual, solicited correspondence.
Why are you doing this?
The web is a useful tool for unions to reach their members, for members to talk to each other and for us to get our message out to the world. Besides - isn't it time technology worked for workers?
Local web site hosting how-to guide
Mar 2, 2005 11:14 AM This 60 page Adobe Acrobat document explains how to use CUPE's content management system to publish your local's web site. It introduces the idea of how we host sites, and explains how to choose a look for your site, customize it, and add stories, events, and links.
What is a content management system?
May 10, 2004 04:41 PM CUPE's content management system (CMS for short) allows you to set up and maintain a dynamic web site without buying any special software, learning HTML. If you can type, copy and paste and click a button that says "save." You can run a web site.
Sections and articles: which to use when
Apr 6, 2004 12:00 AM
At first glance, sections and articles seem to be identical. Both let you insert title, content and blurb. Why do you need both?
CUPE's privacy policy
Jul 9, 2003 11:48 AM We will never sell, trade, rent or donate any information you give us. We will only send you urgent notices related only to the mangement or administration of your account. We honour all unsubscribe requests, whether automatically or by email to webmaster@cupe.ca.