Is there other newbies that are experiencing the the same thing I am?
Maybe I should realize you get what you pay for. All I wanted was to find a host that would email me when I need help, but what I end up with is waiting for hours upon hours for an email, and when I do get an answer it is very vague. Even if I am lucky enough to get a quick answer, one liners can be quite vague for a newbie.

I didn't pay a whole lot for the service though. I didn't see any address or phone at their site. I am hoping that maybe this web site nightmare will go away and they will give me some good answers to my burning questions. I have a bunch of questions I need desperately to get answered. I have not been able to get needed questions answered in detail. Now I might have to get another host and go through all the hassle of moving things.

I really think when a hosting company doesn't have a phone number and no address posted on their site that they are leaving themselves highly suspect of not being able to answer even email questions from newbies in detail. I really get a feeling that there is a lack of caring.

As far a control panels, this stuff might be great, but for newbies it can be a nightmare trying to figure the whole thing out.

Is there a great site for newbies, one that is Windows 2000 with ASP?
Low Cost (maybe I need to pay a little more for better service) but now that this has happened to me, I am a little gunshy of even more expensive companies doing the same thing to me. A lot of hosting companies can post and in their post they say, "try me, try me I'm great". But how do you really know?

Any suggestions
Has other newbies ran into the same thing? All these free control panel offers and low cost hosting with lack of interest in their clients needs?

Maybe the hosts of these sites feel that when they offer these great deals they don't have to deliver as much service?

This happens all the time, and you definatly get what you pay for.

Usually if the prices are cheap, the service is also. With an exception of VERY few.

Ask around on the Requests board, usually the host's there will help you out :)

I am fairly new to the whole hosting/reselling and the one thing I like about my host is that they have a forum, and just like any other forum if you use the search feature most of the time you can find what you need. I would not sign up with a host without a working phone number.

what kind of control panel are you using? Maybe someone here has a FAQ or manual that can help you out.


Monte

I am not sure what you mean when you say Control Panel. But the Hosting Controller has: "New FTP Account", "DNS Manager", "Domains" and "Disk Usage". I am new to this control panel thing.

I thought by emailing this morning 8:am that they would of get back to me by now 9:15 pm. But they have asked me to go to their help desk area to submit a question. I had to use Outlook Express email so I could use it's attachments (.gif file), a photo of Ultra Dev 4 application server dialog box in Define Sites area.

I guess I just have to be patient, but I am thinking because I emailed (via Outlook Express and not Help Desk) them, they might not get back to me anytime soon. I would just like to be able to get some of my questions answered with in an hour or two. Is that too much to ask? But for the amount I paid maybe that is all I deserve.
Maybe these people are swamped and just don't have the time for everybody. Or they could be off to the beach etc.

I would love to learn how to develop dynamic web pages. I am on a mac and I am using Ultra Dev 4 and that is in itself a curse. Because I have to do so many things remotely. I am at the mercy of the hosting company on how to set everything up. I have this very strong desire to learn Ultra Dev, but I am getting the feeling that I'll have to keep it on hold for a while.

I know if I had Dreamweaver Ultra Dev for Windows on a PC I could find books out there that utilize the Personal Web Server and easily set up their connections locally.

Right now I am at a loss on how to set up the Application server in Ultra Dev as well as the DSN connections.
It really is much trickier than on a PC."

I don't know if you are a straight web user or are attempting to act as a web reseller, but its clear from your post that you are seeking a mentor.

I'm afraid that its unrealistic to expect your hosting provider to offer that as a service.

After all, whether a hosting provider is charging a client 3$ a year, 3$ a month, or $300 a year, how much personal support and tutoring can one realistically expect?

Personal responsibility has to come into play. Whatever your goal is - writing a web page or site; or selling web services - you owe it to yourself (and to clients if you have them) to learn and become as expert as you can.

Its not impossible. The resources (information) are available on the web for free, or for fee (training). If you are motivated you will learn what is required.

The bottom line - the hosting company's primary responsibility is to **host what you write**.

If you don't know how to write dynamic web pages or use Ultradev or some other tool, it is not their responsibility. Full stop.

If you are expecting more, it would be best for you to close down your hosting account and instead invest in education for yourself.

cheers
mw

Your probably right about that. I have tried to find books on Ultra Dev for the mac. I've posted in News groups related to Ultra Dev. Went to Macromedia Ultra Dev group. Still there are so few mac Ultra Dev people out there. Finally found one person that seemed to know what she was talking about and she was too busy, even offered to pay her.
I am finding out it is much easier to develop dynamic web pages on a pc for the simple fact that most of the books are geared toward pc.
I even emailed Lynda.com's Ultra Dev guy and he said that his tutorials are geared to pc. There is a big difference in the two when it comes to learning Ultra Dev 4.
Hey, I've got to use a server in order to learn Ultra Dev and it has to be remote. If I was on a pc it would be different I could use PWS that would probably be a dream.

why dont you get virtual PC for your mac...

I have symilar concerns about what you are saying. Users are demanding more and more help with there code and are not willing to read the manual.

I make it a policy that if a user is installing a forum or any share ware, to give me a link to there instruction because I want to learn how to do it also. so far I've had to the opertunity to install a huge amount of application. I do it so as to educate myself ( i bet alot of host do it also ). but the truth is that we as host should not be the parties installing this stuff.

right now I'm trying to install slashcode on a shared platform. What a :angry: .

mike

to 21 inch guns

Ya that is something that I havn't really thought of. But I feel that there could be a bunch of incompatability problems plus of all the books out there on Ultra Dev, none seem to mention how to work with V. PC.

But that could be an option.
V PC is coming from an angle that I really havn't entertained or for that matter any of the UD books at Amazon.

Originally posted by tile
Your probably right about that. I have tried to find books on Ultra Dev for the mac. I've posted in News groups related to Ultra Dev. Went to Macromedia Ultra Dev group. Still there are so few mac Ultra Dev people out there.

If you are finding it difficult to find resources on one particular tool or technology, then I suggest you pick a different tool or technology - one that is common and where there are lots of on-line or print resources.

The knowledge you pick up and skill you develop will later help you help yourself with Ultradev or other tools.

In other words - pick something common, pick easy goals, and knock those off first before moving on.

A very kind person has read the post and has offered to help me. So maybe I am going to hang on and see if I can learn UD 4 mac.