eBay™ Quick Tips!

Step By Step Guide to uploading your pictures to AOL

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to use your personal patch of online real estate, called My Place (available on America Online, version 5.0), to store your auction pictures. Log on to AOL and follow these steps:

  1.            Using the main navigation bar, choose Internet@-->FTP.
FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol, which, translated into English, means that this is how one computer transfers files to another computer over the Internet. A File Transfer Protocol window appears.

  2.            Click the Go to FTP link.
The Go to FTP link is on the right-hand side of the screen and has two arrows on it.  A window appears, listing FTP Favorite Sites

           3.            Select Members.aol.com, and then click Connect.
An informational window appears that tells you how much disk space you’re allowed to use with your files.

   4.        Click OK.
You’re connected to your Members.aol.com page, which lists the folders you can create to hold your images. By default, AOL has a README folder that contains Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about My Place.
       You also see the seven buttons you can use:
     *   Open opens the files you saved in My FTPspace.
    *   Download Now downloads files from My FTPspace.
    *   Utilities offers links to more options for deleting or renaming your files.
    *   Upload transfers files from your computer to your My FTPspace.
    *   Create Directory creates and personalizes files in My FTPspace.
    *   Help answers all your questions about My FTPspace.
    *   More allows you to view all your files.

   5.            Click the Upload button to put images you want to include in your eBay auctions in your My Place file.
A window pops up, asking you to type a remote filename. The remote filename is the exact name that you gave your image when you saved it to your computer’s hard drive

   6.            Type the remote filename and make sure that you’ve selected the circle next to Binary (programs and graphics). Click the Continue button.

Unless you’re uploading a text file, you should always choose the Binary option.

Don’t forget to add the image file’s three-letter extension. A filename for a .JPG image of a Rolex, for example, would be rolexwatch.jpg. Also, remember that most .JPG’s are case-sensitive, so don’t use capital letters unless you’re good at remembering exactly what letters you capitalize.

An Upload File dialog box appears on your screen, offering two options: Send, or Select File.

      7.            Click the Select File button.
Another dialog box appears, containing a list of files from your computer’s hard drive.

      8.            Locate the file you want to upload, highlight it by single-clicking it, and then click the Open button.
The Upload File dialog box appears again, displaying the file’s new Internet address in the File field.

       9.            Click the Send button.
 AOL begins receiving the image file. When the file is completely uploaded from your computer, you hear the famous AOL voice cheerily announce, “File’s done!” Ever get the urge to reply? Politely, of course.

When you upload your image with AOL, your image’s address looks like this:

members.aol.com/username/filename.jpg