Frequently Asked Questions

General FAQs

FAQ question  How do I set up a website for my department?

FAQ answer   To have a departmental website set up for a department, please contact a member of the web team at web@winthrop.edu.

FAQ question  How do I set up a website for my club or organization?

FAQ answer   To have a website set up on the Birdnest server, simply follow these steps:

  1. Visit the IT website and click on the left side menu item "Faculty & Staff Services," then "Organizations, Generic Web, and E-mail Request System."
  2. Login to the request system using your Winthrop username and password.
  3. Complete the form, click the "Submit Request" button, then log out of the system.

Question  When should I use a .GIF and when should I use a .JPG?

FAQ answer   Deciding what image type to use on a web page is extremely important. This decision can mean the difference between people staying on a site or immediately leaving. The .gif and .jpg image formats typically are used in the following ways:

When to use a .gif:
  1. Flat color areas
  2. Graphics, logos, logotype
  3. Some small-area photographic/continuous-tone images (test file size)
When to use a .jpg:
  1. When the .gif is a larger files size than.jpg
  2. Lots and lots of colors (generally photographs)
  3. Large-area photographic/continuous-tone images
  4. Some small-area photographic/continuous-tone images (test file size)

Question  What is the proper way to reference Internet-related information according to
       the Winthrop Style Guide?

FAQ answer   Read the correct way to handle e-mail and web addresses. Additionally, review how Winthrop handles the following:
  • e-business - A hyphenated word referring to a business with a presence online.
  • e-commerce - A hyphenated word referring to buying or selling activity that occurs online.
  • electronic mail address (Winthrop's format) - In most cases, Winthrop assigns e-mail addresses as lastname+firstinitial@winthrop.edu (smithj@winthrop.edu).
  • e-mail - The informal reference to the noun "electronic mail" and should always be hyphenated; use "e-mail," as a verb, only in informal writing.
  • online - The correct spelling for term meaning computer connection to World Wide Web; do not hyphenate.
  • URL - The correct acronym to use when referring to an Internet address, using all uppercase letters; in running text, Winthrop italicizes URLs.
  • web, website - Short for "World Wide Web;" use lowercase "w" (updated July 2010)
  • worldwide - Use as one word.
  • world wide web - The formal name, more frequently referred to as the web.

For additional style assistance, visit the Winthrop University Style Guide online.