Originally posted by Saeed Amer:
o how are (discussion) Forums created/administered on web-sites? For example, like the ones on Java Ranch site!
How are they created? By installing a forum software such as UBB, Jive, phpBB, etc.
How are they administered? Well, that depends on what kind of tools the selected forum software provides.
Originally posted by Saeed Amer:
o what is the best (safest) way to allow people to upload/download their documents to the web-site?
Only allow uploading after the user has authenticated. This way, you'll know who uploaded what and when. Now, by authentication, I don't mean "registration". I mean such identification that a malicious user can't just create a dummy account from an Internet cafe, upload a gigabyte of child porn, and leave no trace of his true identity behind when shit hits the fan. At the very least, require email verification during registration.
Originally posted by Saeed Amer:
o how are advertisements processed?
You look at a picture, realize that it's an advertisement for something you most definitely don't want, and forget about ever seeing the ad.
Seriously, I don't quite get what you're asking?
Originally posted by Saeed Amer:
o how are payments processed in a secure manner?
First of all, you must secure any page/request that displays or transmits sensitive information such as credit card numbers with SSL encryption. Second, only use well-known service providers such as PayPal, Authorize.net, 2checkout.comj.
Originally posted by Saeed Amer:
o what are the best and most reliable "web hosting" options available?
Well, the more you pay, the more you get. Most websites are hosted on shared servers, meaning that the same box is running websites for hundreds or even thousands of customers. If you've got enough cash to throw at the hosting provider, they can host your website on a dedicated server where you're the only one using that machine's resources and you also typically get a bit more control over your runtime environment (JDK versions, etc.).
The level of quality of hosting services varies and
you should probably ask around for opinions and experiences before signing up with a particular hosting provider.