[wplug] To server host or not to server host.....

[Michael Semcheski]

Robert E. Coutch wrote:
> I realize this topic comes up more often than hairballs from an
> angora. This question is SLIGHTLY different.

And still, everyone has an answer.

> 1 - Find a hosting service that offers these exact services (if such
> a hoster exists). 2 - Rent a server with enough bandwidth. Install
> Linux, Apache, php, etc. and run the whole thing ourselves. 3 - Get a
> business DSL line to my home and set up a server here to do all this.

I have experience with all three.
1)  Last night, I had a very good experience with pair.com.  My
codeveloper of a website I am affiliated with last night ran an UPDATE
query against our subscriber database and left off the WHERE clause. 
Our database with 1200 records got hosed.  Tech support restored a copy
of our database for us, in 15 minutes, at 12:00 AM.

2)  Renting a server is very expensive.  Use only if you need the speed
or exotic requirements.  Hint:  You don't.

3)  If you're already paying for DSL, shop around a bit.  You might find
that its not that much more expensive to get SDSL with a static IP
address.  Hint: You don't need Verizon.

So, its probably worth it to get the service from a full-service
provider, and its cheaper anyway.  There are, however, a lot of fringe
benefits to the other two, if you can afford them.

---Mike