About your SOI file directories (folders)

As a SOI citizen you have a total of 4 Mb reserved for you on the SOI server which you can use as you please. As soon as you add a new nickname - or create a new room - SOI automatically creates a folder for it on the SOI server. In these you can store any kind of files you want and make them accessible on the Internet that way.

Example: If you make a room called heaven - or add a new nickname - for example Sphinx - SOI automatically creates a directory (folder) with the same name.

How to examine your file directories (folders)

You can always examine your SOI file directories (folders) and the files stored in them the following way:

1. Click the [Controls] and go to your control room.
2. Then click the [FTP Files] and it will open a form where all your directories (folders) are listed as links.
3. Click the directory (folder) of your choice and it will open an additional form where all the files in that particular directory (folder) are listed as links.

Note:
If you click one of these files - for example a .JPG, .GIF or .HTM file - the file will be opened in your browser and the file's URL or net location address will be displayed in the location drop down list at the top of your browser.

File URL or net location

As soon as you've stored a file of some kind in one of your SOI file directories (folders) - the file becomes accessible on the net - i.e. it gets an URL or net location address attached to it. Depending on if you've stored the file in a nickname- or a room file directory (folder) - the URL of the file automatically becomes:

• http://soiroom.hyperchat.com/roomname/filename for a file stored in a room directory (folder). Replace roomname with the name of your room directory (folder) and filename with the complete filename of the file.
• http://soiuser.hyperchat.com/nickname/filename for a file stored in a nickname directory (folder). Replace nickname with the name of your nickname directory (folder) and filename with the the complete filename of the file.

Note 1:
The following URLs are valid as well - If you for example have a room called "heaven" - http://heaven.hyperchat.com/filename and if you for example have a nickname "Sphinx" - http://sphinx.hyperchat.com/filename

Note 2:
A .GIF or .JPG image which has been stored in a room directory (folder) can be used to decorate that particular room.

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Upload files to the SOI server

In order to store your files in your various SOI directories (folders) - you need to upload them there - i.e. copy them from your local hard disk to the specific directory (folder). For this you use a special internet service called FTP (File Transfer Protocol). There are 2 ways to upload files with:

• The easy way - done directly from SOI. This way allows you to upload only one file at the time.
• The "account based" way - i.e. using a FTP application of some kind. This way allows you to both upload and/or delete multiple files.

Note:
The "account based" way can even be used to down-  or upload files from/to any other file server you've access to on the net.

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The easy way

1. Click the [Controls] and go to your control room.
2. Click the [FTP Files] (Not the [FTP Controls]!) and it opens a form where all your SOI file directories (folders) are listed as links. Besides them you can also check out how much of your server space has already been used and how much you still have left.

3. Click the specific room- or nickname directory (folder) to which you want to upload a file and it opens an additional form.
4. Position your cursor into the "Upload File" text box and click the Browse button.
5. Find and open the file on your local hard disk (Note: You probably have to change the file format in the dropdown list of the Open-box to "All files" )

6. Position your cursor into the "and save as" text box to the right and enter a complete filename (either the same as the original one or a new one) - like: stars.gif or babe.jpg - Don't forget the file extension!
7. Click the Upload File button.

Note 1:
You've to repeat this procedure (from step 5) for every file you want to upload!

Note 2:
In your file form you can even delete files or move them to another room- or nickname directory (folder) .

Note 3:
As soon as you've uploaded a file it appears as a link in the form. If you click it then it will be opened in your browser and you can check if it has been transferred properly.

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The account based way

Another way to upload files to your SOI file directories (folders) is to use an FTP application. There are a number of  FTP applications free to download from the Internet. The advantage of using an FTP application is that you can upload and/or delete multiple files. In this explanation I've used CuteFTP as an example. With a little thinking - I'm sure that you'll be able to use any other FTP application - since they don't differ that much from each other.

This explanation starts from scratch and will lead you through 3 major steps - i.e. from how to set up your FTP password at SOI to how to do the actual uploading with your FTP application.

Step 1: Set up your FTP password at SOI

1. Click the [Controls] and go to your control room.
2. Click the [FTP Controls] and it opens a form.

3. Enter a password (not your SOI password!) into the "FTP Password" text box
4. Make a note of it and the information above.
5. Click the Change Password button.

Note: This you only have to do once.

Step 2: Set up your FTP application

1. Start CuteFTP
2. The application normally starts with an open FTP Site Manager form, else select "Site Manager" from the FTP menu.

3. Select a folder or make a new one with the Add Folder button at the bottom of the form.
4. Click the Add site button
5. A new form, the FTP Site Edit form opens

6. Enter the proper information (of which you've made notes when you set up your FTP password at SOI) into the text boxes.
   • Enter some name, like "SOI" or "State of Insanity" into the "Site Label" box.
   • Enter: ftp.hyperchat.com in the "Host Address" box
   • Enter your User ID (which is the same as "FTP Username" from your [FTP Controls] form
   • Enter the password you've set up at SOI in the "Password" box
   • Open the "Host Type" drop down menu and choose Unix.
   • Click the OK button -- the form closes and you're back in the "FTP Site Manager" form.

Note: This you only have to do once.

Step 3: Connect to SOI and upload files

1. Select the appropriate folder and site in the "FTP Site Manager" form .
2. Connect CuteFTP to SOI by clicking the Connect button at the bottom of the FTP Site Manager form. Once you're connected, CuteFTP will show you your local directories to the left and your SOI directories to the right.

3. Open the relevant directories (folders) at both sides.
4. Select the files you want to upload. If the files are listed in a sequence, click the first one, hold down your <Shift> key and click the last one. If they are listed randomly, click one of the files, hold down the <Ctrl> key and click the others.
5. Drag and drop the files to the right side, i.e. point at one of the selected files, hold down your mouse button, drag the files to the right and release the mouse button.

Note 1:
With CuteFTP you can delete multiple files from your SOI directory (folder). Select the files and push the <Delete> key.

Note 2:
This you've to do every time that you want to upload files to- or delete files in your SOI file directory (folder)

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