Reviews..

[amelen]

Can anyone write some comments and suggestions for my hosting service? http://hosting.t35.com

Current Features:
35 MB of Space Free
Unlimited Bandwidth / Hits!
No Fees, everything is Free!
Super Fast hosting!
http://t35.com/you (shortest url u can get on the net for free)
Cgi-Bin Installed on Request!
Free Pre-Installed GuestBook!
Free Pre-Installed Web Board!
Free Pre-Installed Form Mail!
EZ-web HTML Builder
PHP Support!
SSI Support! (Not only on .shtml pages by .html and .htm too! A feature unque to this hosting service!)
Discounts and Special Offers

Banner Ad: A behind the window pop-up that pops up once per visitor per hosting account. That means most likley that the members only have one pop-up on there Index, and none for the rest of there sites for that visitor..

Comments? Suggestions? The service is pretty new, and only has 1012 active members.

 

[Nick]

Unlimited Bandwidth / Hits!

There is no such thing as 'unlimited'.

http://t35.com/you (shortest url u can get on the net for free)

DHS.org offers http://you.n3.net/ which is shorter, and it's free.

Cgi-Bin Installed on Request!

Why make users wait longer. Have it installed on all accounts.

(Not only on .shtml pages by .html and .htm too! A feature unque to this hosting service!)

HyperMart, VirtualAve, and any host that offers access to .htaccess files offer this. It isn't unique to your service.

Banner Ad: A behind the window pop-up that pops up once per visitor per hosting account. That means most likley that the members only have one pop-up on there Index, and none for the rest of there sites for that visitor..

Everbody hates popups. I'd rather have a banner on all of my pages than one popup.

 

[amelen]

Well it is unlimited, but i put restrictions of file sizes, etc.. So in real life nobody uses a lot.

I am amazed that there are two letter domains offering hosting.. I never expected that, since there are more productive things that can be done with two letter domains.

I can't offer every member a cgi-bin cause of security issues. Untill i work that out, i offer to install one script for them manually. Or the member can upgrade there account and get ftp and cgi.

Yes hosts that offer .htaccess files offer this, but how many people do u know that can edit the .htaccess file and change the shtml settings? I was offering access to the .htaccess before, and out of my over 1000 active members, not even a handfull ever even looked at it.

With the current fall in advertising rates i can't offer banner ads. But at least its not a pop-up on every page like VA and hypermart. And it pops up behind the window.. nobody sees..

Thanks for the input though.. Anyone else? Any suggestions? BTW. if any one knows any banner or any other good advertiser i can try, i would be glad to take of the annoying pop-up..

 

[Technics]

Then it isnt unlimited then.

Originally posted by amelen
Well it is unlimited, but i put restrictions of file sizes, etc.. So in real life nobody uses a lot.

 

[amelen]

it is..

The bandwith is unlimited.. If a member has a page getting 2million visitors per day.. i have no problems with that. But when a member is using bandwith by distributing mp3 files or illegal warez, that is a problem.. And for that purpose i put file restrictions. And if someone uses that much bandwith, getting thousands of visitors per day, i think its only logical they get pay hosting.. I don't know many sites that get over 10k/day in hits and use free hosting..

 

[Technics]

So can if i owned yahoo i could host with you for free and get Real unlimited bandwidth?. Don't make me laugh.

 

[Nick]

Well it is unlimited, but i put restrictions of file sizes, etc.. So in real life nobody uses a lot.

I don't mean to be rude, but, ...bullshit. Unlimited doesn't exist. There are no unlimited hard drives or unlimited bandwidth. You know very well, for example, if someone hosted a free software company with all their stuff for download off your host and they were drawing hundreds of GBs of bandwidth you'd prolly ask them to leave. Especially if only ONE of your banners is getting shown to their visitors and they have their banners all over and making a lot of cash off them.

I am amazed that there are two letter domains offering hosting.. I never expected that, since there are more productive things that can be done with two letter domains.

It's free redirection with path forwarding, not hosting. I was just pointing out that your url wasn't the shortest available.

I can't offer every member a cgi-bin cause of security issues. Untill i work that out, i offer to install one script for them manually. Or the member can upgrade there account and get ftp and cgi.

I've talked to a few server admins about the "security issues", and all of them have told me just what I thought they would: "That's probablly an excuse. If you do it right there aren't any major risks." I'm so sick and tired of places saying that.

Yes hosts that offer .htaccess files offer this, but how many people do u know that can edit the .htaccess file and change the shtml settings? I was offering access to the .htaccess before, and out of my over 1000 active members, not even a handfull ever even looked at it.

If they wanted to figure it out, they would. Some people don't mind using *.shtml. It's not really a big deal that you offer this...

With the current fall in advertising rates i can't offer banner ads. But at least its not a pop-up on every page like VA and hypermart. And it pops up behind the window.. nobody sees..

How do you advertisers feel about paying you for ads that "nobody sees"?

 

[amelen]

hmm

To Nick:
hmmmm..
I see your point.. Well there is no real unlimited.. But to 99.99999% of the members that use my service, the bandwith that is avaliable is unlimited.

Regarding the security issues.. Allowing ftp access and cgi-bin to all members does pose security issues. Although they might be minor, i had some experience with this just half a year ago.. Were it did turn into a major problem.

Regarding my advertisers.. They are well aware that it is behind the window ad, and that is what they are paying for. Even though the rates are much less, and my profit margin decreases, its better for the members.


To Technics:
I would have no problem with hosting a site such as yahoo for free... My advertisements would pay for the bandwith expenses. I am hosted on a fractional oc-12, and if needed can use most of the bandwidth on the oc-12, which should be more than enough to support almost any site.


To All:
Instead of just complaints, can i get some suggestions? I am open to change.. And having only a few thousand members, i still have the ability to make major changes with ease.

 

[Technics]

If you say so....

Heres a suggestion to improve your service. Quit lying and lay down some real figures. How could you possibly make any money from hosting a site like yahoo. Do you know how much bandwidth they use?. As you said banner AD's arent paying as much as they where so if you had 3 or 4 yahoo sized sites ud be bust within a week. NOTE :: your unlikely to ever get a site margingly this size but dont say u can do something u clearly cant.

 

[amelen]

hmm

As with any hosting service, i get profit from advertising which is greater than the bandwith fees. And as my bandwith fees go up so will the advertising revenues. The more traffic i get the more money i get, its that simple. So i don't see what the problem would be with hosting big sites, do you? I would be happy if i had 3 or 4 yahoo sized sites. And although profit margin is much smaller than it used to be because of the slump on internet advertising, I can still pull out a profit, and thats what matters most. BTW.. what real figures are you looking for?

 

[Cracker]

He's got you there, Technics. It's the people who aren't chicken that make the most money.

[Edited by Cracker on 12-30-2000 at 09:52 PM]

 

[Dust]

Hey sounds nice. But what about mysql?

I wish more hosts offered it

But hey just a suggestion

And also, users tend to like preinstalled scripts. Maybe like htmlgear.com. I dont know if they have an affiliate program, but you could see. And if they don't I'm usre you could set up some sortof deal with them.

(users are automaticly signed up for an account at htmlgear.com or something along those lines on signup)

sortof like tripod.

 

[amelen]

To Dust:
Thanks for the suggestions..

Mysql would be very difficult to set up as each member would need there own mysql database..

I currently offer some pre installed scripts, but nothing major.. I will look into the services htmlgear offers and see what i can do.


To Cracker:
I am not a she
Alex Melen
becomes amelen

 

[Technics]

MySQL aint hard to setup. Just assign a certain amount of time each day to make databases. After you should do some work since they are making you money . I can make a database in 30 seconds. About the only thing i can do right first time of asking too .

 

[Webdude]

You know, this person is new to free hosting and trying to learn it...and half you people dog her like crazy (her right?). She asked for advice, not cutdowns.

Anytime a host claims unlimited 'anything', is is automatically considered a scam because history has shown that to be what it is. You should always openly set a bandwidth limited, and say so, even if you dont actually enforce it. Claiming unlimited also has another negative lashback....it attract warez sites like flies on.....

Anyway, get rid of the 'unlimited' note and you should be fine.

 

[Nick]

WD, [if you're reffering to me] I wasn't 'dogging him like crazy'. It's called critism. Amelen posted his site on this board for reviews. If he didn't want critism, he shouldn'tve posted in a public forum. While I can't really prove that my critism was constructive, it's still critism and since Amelen is in a business now, he's going to get critism from other people, along with mine. Critism is a great tool for business IMHO. With it, you can learn what people like and don't like to see, what people want and dont want, etc.

Besides, this forum is for FWP discussion, so as long as I'm discussing FWPs why does it matter? It doesn't have to be helpful...

 

[amelen]

thanks..

thanks
And btw its not her..
many poeple assume that cause my nick is amelen
but it makes perfect sense to me.. Alex Melen
became amelen..

Also, i am considering opening a co-venture with another company which will provide sponsorship (adsale representation) for members.. Any info on what webmasters will look for in such a program will be appricaited.

 

[Webdude]

There's a big difference between destructive critism and constructive critism.

I don't mean to be rude, but, ...bullshit. Unlimited doesn't exist.

Not only are you contradicting yourself there, you are also being destructive in your viewpoint to them. Though the rest of your message there was great.

I've talked to a few server admins about the "security issues", and all of them have told me just what I thought they would: "That's probablly an excuse. If you do it right there aren't any major risks." I'm so sick and tired of places saying that.

There are always security risks involved with offering it. If you really did talk to some server admins, then you talked to some foolishly overconfident ones. They may have good security, but no security is unbreakable. Then you have to consider that this person is new and has a lot of learning to do. I commend Amelen (are you male or female??) for being careful in an area where she/he doesnt understand all the security issues yet. It's better than getting tons of members and a hacker taking them all out at once.

I wasnt talking about you in specific Nick, just saying everyone needs to lighten up on newbies. They havent been around as long as you and I have and dont know the history of things that have happened.

 

[amelen]

Webdude.. + All others..
Just for cleryfication purposes.. i am male..
Also i have been making webpages for many years now.. my first one that generated a decent profit was back in 1995.. Its just that i am new to this hosting thing.. Just started few months ago (and already thousands of members!).. Thanks for everyone's supports and comments..

 

[Nick]

Originally posted by Webdude
Not only are you contradicting yourself there, you are also being destructive in your viewpoint to them. Though the rest of your message there was great.

WD: ''I am who I am, and I do what I do'' is all I really have to say about that. Everyone has their *ahem* more interesting personality traits whether they like to admit it or not. I can be rude, and sometimes I can be a smartass and I know that. I have to live with it, and if you choose to read my posts here, you will to. I try to be helpful a lot and I think that a lot of my posts, espicially in the Webdesign/HTML forum, are quite helpful; however, some things just piss me off. For example, the word "unlimited". One can only hold anger over things that annoy them for so long. Some can hold it in and be calm about a situation, not me. If I don't like something, or something is pissing me off, you will know about it. Simple as that.


Oh well. WD: I hope you see my point, that is, if I really even made a point .

And the best of luck to amelen, just stay away from the word unlimited and you'll be fine.