Guiltless Hosting?

With this fusion of environmentalism and capitalism, you can attempt to feel guitless while hosting your files. Sustainable Hosting, LLC has been founded as a joint venture of Earthsite and Holistechnology. Sustainable Hosting is an environmentally responsible hosting company that is powered by renewable wind energy. 99.9% uptime, decent rates….

read more about Sustainable Hosting | digg story

I got really excited when I read a CNN Business 2.0 article my friend Jamie sent me about how the guy from TechCrunch, 36 year old Michael Arrington quit his job to blog: Blogging for Dollars. The blog brings in 60k per month in revenue. Amazing that one guy’s talent and enthusiasm for the niche attracts all those loyal readers. I’ve been reading TechCrunch Blog for a while and I will certainly look at it differently now.

(Business 2.0) — Michael Arrington is a partying kind of guy. While showing off his home in Atherton, Calif., he boasts about how he crammed 500 people into his one-acre backyard at a bash in February. Then there are the official parties, like the one he threw in mid-August at August Capital, a nearby venture firm. Arrington posted an open invitation on his website at 3 a.m. By sunrise, all 500 spots were taken; the onslaught of traffic crashed his site. “I knew it would be fast,” says Arrington, who houses so many out-of-towners in his ranch home that he often isn’t sure who’s crashing on which mattress on which floor in which room.

Arrington, a 36-year-old entrepreneur behind a long list of unrecognizable startups, has suddenly become one of the rising stars of Silicon Valley. Why? The answer lies in TechCrunch, Arrington’s blog about new technologies and companies. In the year since he launched the site, he has amassed such a strong following that he’s become a go-to person for VCs and tech execs looking to leak corporate tidbits or announce news. More than 1.5 million readers regularly check out his site. But here’s what gives Arrington real distinction: He’s pulling in $60,000 in ad revenue every month. That’s 10 times what the site was making earlier this year, which was when Arrington, convinced of the potentially monstrous riches ahead, quit his day job as president of a startup to blog full-time.

Pencil, paper and notebooks may have just become more antiquated. This blogger is working with another on a project about using blogs in the classroom and explains the tools one could use in a classroom environment. Blogging platforms, Flock, NetNewsWire. RSS is an important part of the project. We didn’t have blogs in my high school. If so, I might have showed up more often and stayed awake

I thought I would start by sketching out the technical tools, programs, web services etc. that Jenn has decided to use, as well as provide some background on those decisions. If this is not all clear here, please have no fear, I intend to develop this all in much more detail later.

I’m not sure that I have a strong opinion either way on the Net Neutrality debate. Susan’s article gives some facts and quotes that might sway some of you. I did learn one new word: “Luddite”

Net Neutrality Pits Google, eBay, and Amazon, Against Telcos

By Susan S. Davis

As telephone and digital companies continue to grow through mergers and acquisitions, network (”net”) neutrality, has become a contested area of law in the United States. Contoversial statements from Telco officials, as telephone networks appear to monopolize, has fueled the fire of independent Internet giants, such as Google, eBay, and Amazon, who fear that network owners will create a biased, two-tier Internet system, unfairly placing the telco services first, above all others. In addition, there is concern that network owners may seek to entirely censor or block content at their own discretion, thus creating an imbalance of partiality.

Read the rest of this entry »

Do you submit stories to news sites or submit URLs to directories? URLs matter when digging (digging as in digg.coming). The author of this article was asked how to handle URLs on sites like Digg. The URLs you choose to submit actually make quite a difference. Their uniqueness plays a big factor in getting promoted to the front page.

read more… | here’s the digg story

RARhost is a unique file hosting storage site, only for .rar archive files. There are many features such as the ability to see the contents of the .rar archive before downloading, ensuring the archive contains the files you want. The size limit per archive is 200mb, and you can upload as many archives as you want! This looks interesting; if any of you RAR freaks out there have tried it, please speak up.

read more | read digg story

Insiders Guide to Web Hosting
Copyright © 2006 Geoff Morris

A good friend of mine just could not get her head around the concept of web hosting. She likened it as to some ethereal computer somewhere up in the clouds, with an intimately massive hard disc. Well, in many respects, her concept was partially right.

Web hosting is a business that provides servers or computers for your website to actually reside in. It allows users all over the world to be able to access your website. There are a number of ways you can use web hosting.

One of the methods is to do web hosting on your own. This method allows you to have total control over your website and be able to have control of all hosting services you require.

The biggest drawback for this hosting method is it is very expensive and can be very difficult. It requires a lot of technical skills to do web hosting. Unless you have the money and technical skills required, it is highly recommended that you turn to one of the many hosting services provided by reputable hosting providers rather than doing it on your own.

But if you are determined, you can host your websites on a desktop computer. The disadvantage in doing this though is that all files and accounts on your personal computer can be exposed to security risks, such as hackers.

In order to prevent this you need to install costly software called a firewall and this in itself can prove very time consuming as well - these firewalls sometimes block the very things you want on your computer!

Aside from that, the amount of time you need for web hosting leaves you little time to attend to other business - not a good idea.

Another web hosting option is free hosting. Free hosting can be good if your website is a personal one. Also, if the web hosting features are secondary considerations for you.

There are some disadvantages in using free web hosting though

1. fact that you cannot use customer service,

2. the number of selling banners on your site,

3. uptime is not guaranteed and others…

If you are running a business, it is a huge disadvantage to have no uptime guarantee considering the fact that you are relying on the business site to generate sales or provide necessary info about your products.

Paid web hosting is another viable option. But you need to consider the web hosting costs before you sign the dotted line. You also need to know beforehand what features are you exactly looking for to prevent paying for costs of features that you do not really need.

When choosing a web hosting service, there are a number of things you should look out for:

1. Does the service offer an easy to use control panel. i.e. is it easy to upload your files and so forth.

2. Has it got a stats counter, so you can see what activity is going on on your web sites.

3. Does it support your actual applications. Some sites may only offer Linux, which may not run some applications.

4. Does it offer good levels of technical support

5. Does it run an Affiliate Program ( so if you are happy, you will recommend it, and make a few bob)

6. Does it offer a high percentage of ‘Up Time’. i.e do they have a good reputation. You don’t want your sites down rally for any time at all. Time is money.

7. Does it offer a fixed number of domain names, or sub domain names, or is it pen ended?

8, What volume of bandwidth can they offer you, or do you have to pay more over certain volumes of downloads per month.

9. Based on personal experience, if you go for a ‘branded’ web hosting site ( i.e. an affiliate of a large organization (like GoDaddy for instance) make sure that the affiliate is not going to go belly up, or walk away with your money. Check that you are covered at least in some extent from the main web server organization, I once lost all my hosting on such a service provider during 2005, which cost me dear in lost business and relocating dozens of my web sites to another host.

10. Make sure the service is within your budget.

This is not by any means an exhaustive list. There is a Blog on my main site I see the Author Bio Box) if you would like to add any other comments.

Web hosting services could cost you for as low as $10 to as high as $5,000 a month. The cost will depend on the disk space, data transfer, features you add and whether or not you require a dedicated server.

Dedicated server refers to web hosting a single company’s web site only. Dedicated servers cater for large companies with complex features in their websites. That would justify their huge monthly charges of $5,000. Chances are you are not looking to something quite that big - not yet anyways!

Payment schemes for paid web hosting are monthly, semi-annually, annually or once every 2 years.

Small companies can use shared server services so as to minimize the costs. $5,000 a month web hosting fee is definitely way too much for individuals or small to medium-sized companies. Shared servers serve the same purpose and are much more affordable.

Most paid web hosting service has money back no questions asked guarantee. They also assure you of 99% uptime. In cases where they were not able to maintain a 99% uptime, some reputable web hosting service will reimburse you an amount equal to the number of downtime minutes.

Web hosting can be a simple or complicated process depending on the kind of features your website requires. Whether you opt for a free or paid web hosting service, the decision would boil down to personal preference and necessity.

Getting on the web can be a profitable and enjoyable experience, I hope this article has helped clear up any issues you had with web hosting information.

Geoff Morris has been in Internet Marketing for some years, and has been coached by some of the top gurus. Visit his On Line Web Hosting Research web site for ideas on Web Hosting facilities at http://www.hostingonlineguide.info

Donyell returns with yet another outstanding article that explains why your own domain name is important.

With society becoming more and more technology savvy it always surprises me when a business owner wants to jump into running business without having the basics.

10 years ago having a domain name was something to do if you wanted your company to have an upper edge. But now, in 2006, it’s not optional.

Every company big or small should have its own domain name. This should be especially obvious if your company is Internet based, however every company can benefit.

Having your own domain name gives you a certain look of creditability. I’ll give you an example. Who would you rather do business with? An accountant that charges $150/hour whose email address is accountz4u@yahoo.com or an account who charges $150/hour whose email address is Billy@AccountingService.com?

If you think it doesn’t matter, then think again. With all the scams and fraud going on people are getting a lot more careful about who they make online purchases with. Do you want the first thing they see to be your free email address?

This brings me to the point that your company doesn’t have to have a website in order to use a domain name. You can benefit from just using the email account.

Having an email address with your company’s name not only gives you a greater look of creditability, but it also allows you to brand your business. With each and every email you send, your company’s name will be seen.

If you don’t currently have a website, one day you might change your mind and decide to put one up. A lot of people are price shopping and gathering information from their computer before they even pick up a phone book or call directory assistance.

You think you don’t need a domain name because you can have a website that’s free? Big mistake.

Don’t just put up a website on angelfire or geocities because it’s free. Ask yourself, would I trust my personal and credit card information with a company whose website address is www.freewebsitehosting.com/folders/business/sallyscomputers? How creditable is that? Also consider what would look better on a business card. That long web address or www.sallyscomputers.com.

But you don’t have to take my advice. If you don’t want to invest $10 a year for a domain name, don’t worry; your competitor will.

Some nice thoughts about Free Web Hosting from Mackster’s blog… 

Like my dad always told me, nothing is really free.

There are companies out there that offer free hosting for your web site, and there are some good uses for free web hosting, especially if you are setting up a personal temporary site, and, in some cases, it can also be helpful in some Search Engine Optimization strategies if you are setting up a collection of related websites connected with a common theme (though some webmasters go too far and incur the wrath of G–gle).

Read the rest of this entry »

HostingCon Participants Speak Out!

The HostingCon 2006 Blog notes that as the recent HostingCon 2006 wound down, The Hosting News asked participants to briefly summarize their experience at this year’s conference. Here’s what they had to say:

“It’s good to see the industry mature to a point of critical mass with services that make a difference to small businesses.” - William Toll, Director of Product Development, Affinity Internet, Inc.

“I noticed a significant increase in the number of sophisticated questions that I received.” - David Snead, Attorney, W. David Snead, P.C.

“HostingCon is good!” - Isabel Wang, isabelwang.com.

“What a fantastic turnout! Great enthusiasm from all the attendees.” - Cliff Boodoosingh, Senior Editor, Tophosts.com.

“Great venue, central location with an 8 out of 10 on organization and planning.” - Chris Seepe, General Manager, Website Experts.

“As an exhibitor it was great to be able to talk to the hosting industry, and both new and existing customers.” - Jackie Cook, Director Channel Research, Tucows, Inc.

“Bigger and better than last year!” - Frank Feingold, President, Doreo Hosting.

“George Roberts is to be commended on once again uniting the web hosting industry, and bringing us together to communicate, strategize, and have great fun together as well. Thank you George!” - Ben Fisher, Cheap Hosting Directory.

“HostingCon is a great place to network!” - Justin Raczak, Director of Marketing, Rackmount Micro.

“Very good and very positive - the networking and contacts were most valuable.” - Marcelo Espejo, Hosting Regional Lead, Microsoft.

“Good mix with nice traffic!” - Mark Breglio, Senior Online Marketing Manager, swsoft.

“The show has been great! We have had a lot of Web Hosting Talk members visit. It’s great to put a face to the name.” - Dennis Johnson, Community Leader, Web Hosting Talk.

“It’s good to get your name out and work with your peers in the industry. We’ve also met our partners in person” - Matthew Van Dam, Sales Manager, Verio, Inc.

“The show’s been excellent! We love the amount of excitement and enthusiasm there is for hosted exchange in the hosting industry.” - Gagan Prakash, COO, groupSPARK.

“The show was most successful with our branded comparison shopping reseller network - as well as our domain registrar services.” - Jami Russo, Director of Sales, Planet Online.

“There’s no other show like it! The value of face-to-faceinteractions are hard to overestimate.” - Allison Heather, Director of Sales, Web Host Industry Review.

“The show’s been terrific! We’ve made alot of good contacts both for the business side and our own conference.” - William Mayo, Technical Writer, MIVA Small Business.

“This is my second HostingCon and the show has grown exponentially. The quality of the traffic is superior to last year as well.” - Michael Cruz, Vice President, LPanel.

Although many of us don’t have to “fake” it, Penguin Pete’s Blog’s about How To Totally Fake Being A Geek:

Yes, it’s come to this. The same people you raked on in high school now run the world and control every gizmo you own or want to own. And, as you hold your “normal” identity throughout your life, there are times when it may be advantageous to pose as a geek. Maybe to convince your first date that you have job prospects beyond “Walmart clerk”. Maybe to slip in the door at Comdex. Perhaps even to escape being hacked to death by the evil-looking punks at the Internet cafe, the ones with the Tux penguin tattoos and the Mohawks who are eying your laptop. Hint: They don’t like you because of the suit and tie; they HATE that!

 This is another Donyell Nelson blogging article that points out some blogging mistakes that lots of bloggers seem to make. Donyell has a way of keeping things simple and to the point. Read, learn and enjoy.

1.You have your own domain name and web hosting but you decide to host your blog elsewhere. Why? If your website is www.anythinghere.com then your blog should be hosted at www.anythinghere.com. There is no reason for you to use an external blog service. First of all you are putting the control of your blog in their hands- what happens when they decide to erase it? - Believe me, it happens. The second reason this is silly is because you should want to brand yourself and your business. Using another company’s domain is great for their branding but not yours.

2. Long blog entries bore people. Don’t be afraid to break up entries, you don’t have to post the whole story in one day. Also, make use of bullet points, numbered lists, and pictures.

3. Save the long words for your doctoral dissertation. We know you are smart, we know you have a nice vocabulary but we don’t want to read “magnanimous” when “noble” will do. Keep it simple.

4. A RSS subscription option is very important. Don’t be afraid of it. Don’t run from it. If you want people to read your blog on a regular basis then you have to make it easy for them to do so. Having an “enter your email here” box is a nice start. But if I have 25 blogs I read, I am not going to want 25 different emails coming to me each time someone updates.

5. Writing for search engines and contextual advertising is not the best way to make money. Sure, you may get a few adsense clicks here and there but do you really think that people will come back for more if your sentences read like “I think you should make money with your financial payday loan so you can work at home and be rich with this banking information that I will give you for more money.” To put it simply, write for people-not for machines.

It is interesting to see design concepts in the East versus the West. It really does look like the Japanese are having more fun. Is that a leprechaun holding a pink ice cream?

Web hosting companies usually have very corporate websites. They want to provide an air of professionalism and reliability. At least in the West. Prime example, the website of 1&1, arguably the largest web hosting company in the world.

read more | digg story