[dba-SQLServer] Starting an ASP.NET Project (may be OT)

Apologies if this is completely OT.

I've been told that as a company we would like to start moving to ASP.NET 
applications rather than Windows Forms applications. Windows forms apps I 
know, and have been doing for years. I have never done anything with ASP. The 
IT department is being incredibly difficult about helping me get started. This 
is political, they resent an "outsider" (i.e. a developer not in their 
department) being able to do, well, anything.

I'm not stupid, but I am almost completely ignorant when it comes to ASP.NET.

IT told me that I could publish my test projects to http://intranet/artestweb 
and use my network login. When I start up Visual Studio and try to start a C# 
ASP.NET Web Application, it tells me that the path 
\\intranet\wwwroot$\artestweb\rallen\WebApplication1 either does not exist or 
that I do not have access. When I ask IT about this, their response is "I took 
a look at the folder and there is no directory rallen.  Check to see if you 
have a local version."

They are being deliberately difficult. I have no idea how to create the 
directory, where it is on our file system, anything. Trying to create a local 
project, i.e. on the filesystem of my work station results in an error that 
says that the file path and URL do not map to the same server location. I 
simply don't understand (yet) what I need to do. Earlier in this mess, they 
asked if I had made a DNS. Well, yes, I have a DNS that supposedly connects to 
the Intranet database, but it, too, does not like my username/password.

If someone could explain what I should be looking for, or what I should ask, 
or anything at all that would let me deal with this situation from a position 
of just a little more strength, I would surely appreciate it.

Thanks,

Ron