L i n k B o x - Joining the Exchange

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Sample Link #1
Sample Link #2
Sample Link #3

Hi, producers! Thanks for your interest in joining the LinkBox link exchange.

HOW TO GET STARTED AND GET LISTED IN SIX STEPS!

1. GRAB THE TEMPLATE FILE - Download the text file, which simply conists of a link to your series, and the date and name (or episode #) of the newest episode. To download:

• For PC users: Right-click on the "Download LinkBox Template" link below. A menu will appear, after which you should choose "Save Target As" (or "Save File As" depending on your browser type). Name the file after your series (not just initials), with no spaces (such as thewestwing.txt).
• For Mac users: Hold down the "CTRL" key and click on the "Download LinkBox Template" link below. A menu will appear, after which you should choose "Save this file as..." Name the file after your series (not just initials), with no spaces (such as thewestwing.txt). If you have a very long title, keep it to the first nine letters.

Download LinkBox Template

2. CUSTOMIZE THE FILE - Open the file in Notepad or another plain text editor. You can even use Word, as long as you remember to save it as a plain .txt file.

You'll see the following:

The items you need to replace are in capital letters to make it easier to find and edit them -- but please do not use all capitals when you replace them!

SERIES_URL = replace with your full URL (including "http://"). Important: Don't touch the quote marks or the "target=_blank" code!
Example: http://www.something.com

SERIES_TITLE = replace with the series title.
Example: The West Wing

EPISODE_DATE = replace with the date of your latest episode in the US month format.
Example: March 10, 2002

EPISODE_URL = replace with a direct link to the latest episode. If you use frames and can't link directly to a single page within your site, you might prefer to link to your homepage instead. Important: Don't touch the quote marks or the "target=_blank" code!
Example: http://www.something.com/episodes/deadirish.htm

EPISODE_TITLE_OR_NUMBER = replace with whichever is appropriate for your series.
Example for titled episodes (note the quotation marks): "Dead Irish Writers"
Example for numbered episodes: Episode #3

Here's an example of an edited file:

3. SAVE THE FILE - Save the file as a text file, making sure you've named it as above -- after your series (not just initials), with no spaces (such as thewestwing.txt).

4. PREPARE TO UPLOAD THE FILE TO THE EPPY - For this, you'll need to have access to an FTP program. There are shareware and freeware FTP programs such as CuteFTP (30 day free trial) or CoffeeCup FTP (free), and I know AOL users can have access to their FTP site.

Here's the information you'll need to input in order to set up the FTP upload:

FTP host address: epiguide.com
USER ID: linkbox@epiguide.com
Password: (please write the epiguide for this info when ready to upload; or, you may already have received it via email)
Login type: Normal

And here's an example of how your FTP program might look (it's a screenshot from CuteFTP) -- but there is one difference: you MUST use the full "linkbox@epiguide.com" as a username, not just "linkbox" as implied in the image:

5. WRITE US - Write to the epiguide to learn the private FTP password. In this message, please let us know the name of your series, and the exact name of your file -- we'll need to know what to look for.

6. UPLOAD AND LET US KNOW YOU'RE DONE - Finally, once you learn the password, just login to the FTP server and upload your file to the site. Do not touch any other files you'll see in the directory. When you've uploaded the file successfully, send us a note to let us know that you're ready to be linked. That's it!

HOW TO MAINTAIN YOUR LISTING AND LINKS

Whenever you have an episode update, simply edit your customized file. You'll only have to change the lines that relate to the episode itself -- the date, the episode link and the episode title. Upload as above, except now you no longer need to let us know when you make changes. You can use your own schedule.!

Do try to get in the habit of making these updates -- don't want outdated links, right? (If you're going on vacation, you might want to remove the episode info and just have a link to your series.)

That's it! If you have any questions, visit the epiguide Forums or drop us a line!