To the small part of ignorance that we arrange and classify we give the name knowledge.—Ambrose Bierce

About the Server
This server used to run on an old desktop designed to run Windows XP, but running Debian 8. It now runs on a laptop under Debian 9 Linux. I switched because the old server had no battery backup. Because of the wind in the area, we have frequent power outages that last just a few seconds. However, even though the cable modem and router would reboot, I still had to manually turn the server back on. Now, as the power outage is shorter than the laptop battery life, web service will come back as soon as the cable modem and router finish rebooting.

Debian is a distribution of Linux. Linux is a natural choice for any kind of server because it is free and the server software tends to run well “out of the box.”

The running of this server depends on two things:

The first thing is important because it means I can associate a domain name with my IP address, without having to frequently update the IP address. (Technically, my IP address is dynamic, but it doesn't change unless I change routers.) The second thing is important because I can run servers on well known ports, making them accessible to everyone. (The only thing I can't provide is e-mail.) The alternative would be to run the server on an unblocked private port; in that case, only those who knew the port number could access the server. If you want to run your own server, verify first that the above holds for you.

If you want to run a secure server, check out the Let's Encrypt site.
Also, for getting familiar with the basic web development languages, check out W3 Schools.

Why is this site here?
This machine is primarily here to help me learn. It serves as a test bed for any ideas I might have concerning web design and content. (I may not be the best, but I do like to “tinker.”) I do host some user pages, and some of the tasks involved in their design and development have provided me with a rich learning experience.