Finding a Host for your Site

Local Site

When you first create a web site it is stored on the hard drive of your machine.
People have to use your machine to see it.
If you want a friend to see it you can copy it to a floppy disk and mail it to them
(If you have a PC and your friend has a Mac - you have a problem)

Intranet

In a business you can copy the files to a shared directory on the firm's file server. Anyone on the network (with rights to the directory) can then see it.
This is called an Intranet site

Internet

Once we want the world to see our work it is usual to hire a space on a computer that is on-line 24 hours a day.

You can, theoretically, store your site on your own machine, connect to the internet, and allow other to see it there. This requires major computer knowledge and effectively blocks the teenagers from the telephone line.
An expensive, security ridden exercise

Internet - "Free" Storage

This is not so much Free as a Trade. You trade a spot on their server in exchange for them placing ads on your site - the advertisers are paying for your storage.

Internet - Paid Storage

Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are businesses that provide internet services. Many, but not all, provide a range of services including access to the net, email and site storage.
Charges, and the way the charges are structured, vary from firm to firm.

Internet - Sponsorship

If you have a friend or relative with a large, partially unused site they may, for a time be interested in hosting your site for a time in a sub-directory.
If you are a school or community organisation it may be possible to find a firm willing to sponsor you by providing space on their site.

Disadvantage: If sponsorship stops - you have to start again in the search engines - and lose the people who have you bookmarked.