Perfect Free Web Host?

[zazoo]

Im new to writing on this board, but I've been reading peoples comments for a long time now. One thing that I noticed was that there’s a lot more negative comments than positive, and people really hate it when web hosts get "Greedy" (and that’s understandable)

Soooo.... I decided to create my own free web hosting service, im not going to post the name because I don’t want people to think its spamming (actually its not even on the net yet) but I would like to put in any features that you guys suggest, so please help create the web hosting service of your dreams and it will be interesting to see if you complain about the features that you, yourself suggested

oh ya and by the way... Don't think that this site is going to fail just because it wasn't created by some huge corporation I've studied business for some time now and have followed the web even longer

[Epgs]

php
mysql
100+ megs space
ftp
control panel
e-mail
domain hosting
no ads (or user placable banners)
revenue sharing (if there are banners)
fast
reliable
cgi-bin
good customer support
.htaccess support

[Giancarlo]

And $25 Bucks per ad click... j/k..
If that was true EPGS how much do you think that this host would be losing? A Hundred Thousand? Five Hundred Thousand or a Million Dollars annually?

[Unknownguy]

subdomains
Free domains

[ace0]

guys...get serious...maybe something like this:

*50MB-too much?
*no ads
*fast (well, you are or you aren't)
*subdomain
*ftp
*cgi and maybe other features (depends on how much you know, and how much other people can help) -(my advice, don't come here) -(just kidding:))
*The more the merrier...

[zazoo]

first I would like to say WOW that was a fast reply thank you

and second out of the things that you guys have said I can do the following...

100+ megs space - 25 Mb of space (if they need more than that, than its probably illegal but ill get them more if they really do need it)

ftp - I can’t do this due to security issues and the server I'm putting it on

control panel - it will have (and a beautiful one might I add)

e-mail - it will have 10 Mb accounts witch should be more than enough

domain hosting - it will have

subdomain hosting - it will have (www.thesitename.com/yourname)

no ads - It will have

fast - It will be fine on a/some OC-12 server(s)

reliable - it will have 2 back up power units for each server to ALMOST guaranty 100% up time

good customer support - it will have excellent support I have already chosen the team for this

and again for security I cant allow the users to install the following but I can have them installed manually by someone on our team, on request
cgi-bin
.htaccess support
php
mysql

I would also like to say that this isn't just for me I think that its about time that free hosts start listening to what there customers want instead of deciding what they want for them

[Edited by zazoo on 05-12-2001 at 09:53 PM]

[Unknownguy]

subdomain hosting - it will have (www.thesitename.com/yourname)
Subdomains are normally; http://yourname.thesitename.com

[Epgs]

yeah that is a subdomain by definition.

but sounds good but if you have no ftp then you will loose a lot of customers. imho

[BC]

Alot of free hosts offer alot of features..the problem is, they don't know what they are doing, or think they do. So what kind of experience do you have? And how do you plan to offer all these features without ads?

(Don't mean to be so cynical, but we've been down this road before :) )

[zazoo]

Originally posted by BC
So what kind of experience do you have? And how do you plan to offer all these features without ads?

I have been creating websites for three years now (writing out pure html code in notepad) with html and have (and still am) learning cgi scripts. Dont think that im rushing into this without thinking about it because I've been creating this site on my hard drive for 4 monthes.

The website will make money a number of ways, we will offer to build websites for people, for a cost
we will have advertisments on 404 not found pages, forbiddon pages ect
we will have advertisments on the conroll pannel

we have other ways as well but we can't let out all our secrets heh heh heh

[ace0]

you better have A LOT of ads!!! Good luck.

[bluedragon]

What kind of file sizes/types will you allow? ^^

[Zero]

Since you aren't going to have FTP, at least have a way to upload zip files so they will unzip automatically. Or have some way to transfer files directly from one webhost to another (mirror).

[LeX]

Originally posted by Zero
Since you aren't going to have FTP, at least have a way to upload zip files so they will unzip automatically.
Yeah, I was thinking about the same thing. You know how Redrival's fileman allows you to unzip a zip file (and the original zip file disappears)? Yep. Like that.

Oh, and may I add that making websites for 4 years doesn't mean anything. You may be an expert at CGI, PHP, ASP, Java, JavaScript, VB... etc., but that doesn't necessarily means you know how to run a host. Just thought I might let you know.

[AlabamaMan]

Ads use to bother me but I dont give a rat <bleep> about them anymore.
Webspace should be 20-50
FTP (a must)
Fast

cgi-bin, subdomain, no ads are not that important.

[LeX]

cgi-bin is important.

[gyrbo]

I only use PHP, mutch easier, and you don't need to configure a thing most of the time. With perl you need to change the first line. FTP is the best.

[BC]

Yep, LeX, you took the words right out of my mouth. Sorry, but he does have a point Zazoo. Designing websites has nothing to do with managing a server and acting as a webhost. I am a web designer also and briefly considered hosting web sites, but realized that not only was it way out of my league, it is alot of work, time, energy and expense. I would recommend that maybe you offer free and paid hosting, because like someone said, "You will need alot of ads" to stay in the black. I don't mean to be so discouraging, just realistic. Good luck!!

P.S. I would strongly encourage you to offer FTP--either that or some fanatastic uploading system. :)

[Zero]

I think what he means by saying he's designed websites for so long is that he knows, basically, what people need in a webhost. And he's willing to take the time to learn what he needs to.

Also... uptime is immensly important. Especially when you are a small site that is beginning to amass a following. My advice is to iron out all the problems you can before you make your site available to the public.

[zazoo]

Originally posted by Zero
I think what he means by saying he's designed websites for so long is that he knows, basically, what people need in a webhost. And he's willing to take the time to learn what he needs to.

Also... uptime is immensly important. Especially when you are a small site that is beginning to amass a following. My advice is to iron out all the problems you can before you make your site available to the public.

This is what I ment, he took the words right out of my mouth

The site will be up almost, (if not) 100% of the time. I have also got alot of money set aside for this if it becomes nessasary (and im sure it will). Also, I'll look into that unzipping idea but ill have to find out more about zip files first. It will allow you to upload upto 30 files at a time through your browser, and I'll try to get an ftp service but I can't prommise