crosswinds
New Member
Don't get me wrong here but in my own mind unlimited disk space does not exist.
If you equate unlimited with infinite - I 100% agree. If, like CNR has pointed out, you equate it with no limits, it is 100% possible especially given the size of todays disks.
The bandwidth alone is not unlimited. Now perhaps a better term to use would be unmeaterd. That is possible in the sense that you don't put a restriction on any one user.
Yes, that is exactly how we are applying it. The bad side is that many, MANY people have abused the term and you guys are against it - and rightly so IMO.
But tell me this. If you offer "Unlimited" space and I was to come along and decide to use your service to backup every computer I own along with all my servers to your network. And fill up around 2tb of space. Your not gonna kick my --- to the curb?
If you are on the base free package - yes. Storage sites are not permitted because we have had people "back up" installs of games, etc and then serve them out to friends. That is spelled out clearly in the TOS.
I am working on an earnable/paid tier (the earnable system needs to be put in place but it's possible to earn credits by having a busy site to get upgrades for free) which explicitly allow storage/backup sites and then you'd be allowed to upload/download your files from a private interface - one that prevents others from accessing your files to avoid the whole 'distribution' and 'making available' that institutions like the RIAA like to use.
Even if the copyright files are not legal and you don't allow them. How are you going to stop people from uploading them?
pure-ftpd has an option to allow you to pass the uploaded file to a script. Over the past 11 years I have built up a script and signature file (using file names, crcs, etc), and based on file type (recursing into rar/zips) that score the upload. If it scores too high, it gets logged so that a human can review it.
So we don't stop the upload but we do review it and remove it or not.
If you offer unlimited space you are bound to get some pre-teen noobs that upload anything they want and don't care. And chances are 99% of the time you wont know the copyright files are even there. I mean how can you keep track if you have 40 some odd servers?
We get that every day! Right now it's only about 10 or 15 accounts but in the original free heyday, it was upwards of 500 or so. One person worked full time to police it.
We are not structured like a standard cPanel/[someother]Panel setup where 1 account is on one server. Free has 20 servers, each fulfilling a particular role working together as 1 system. The number of file servers is much lower (4). The scripts are installed there - keeping it manageable and the scoring logs are sent to and combined into one on an admin system that our policer checks.
If it was truly unlimited why would you have to keep buying more? Its unlimited servers right?
That is if you equate unlimited with infinite. That does not exist. Since our goal is to always provide more than all the users consume, buying is mandatory.
And eventually even if you only keep the servers at 66% load they are going to get oversold and something will go wrong.
66% is the max we reach. Hardware is purchased before then, specifically to avoid overselling. Given the way I map users into server groups (notice not a single server) I can even move/replicate user sites to new server groups/colos/countries without them noticing and keep expanding, should our existing colo's not be able to provide.
It requires diligence and the willingness to spend money to keep people happy - exactly the same the majority of hosters here provide.
I realize I probably skipped around in this post quite a bit but its 5:30am and I am tired. I also realize some of you [mainly the op] will feel the need to -rep me for voicing my opinion.
-rep? Never - I thank you for questioning me and being civil! I 100% believe in free and open speech, so long as it does not tread on the grounds of hate/slander.
Your posts/questions make me think and answer, hopefully in a way that clears things up.
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