Hello,

I can see the point in limiting MySQL, because there's a fair chance once the user makes a database it will be used. However, why do companies limit FTP accounts, email accounts and sub domains?

Surely if the ftp and email accounts start affecting server performance you can ask the client to reduce the amount they are using and show them the TOS about processor usage if they over do it.

Subdomains are a bit like parked/addon domains I suppose. However, other than SEO there's not much difference between using a subdomain and a /folder.

I, personally, feel they are just another limit the user needs to worry about.

What are your thoughts?

In my opinion,

I think why people usually limit things such as email and ftp account is to show the difference between all the packages that they have. The more limits for the cheaper packages and the lesser the limit for more premium packages.

Anyway that is my 2cent.

Is more a marketing decision than technical decision

Normally, users within a certain diskspace and bandwidth limit would only require a certain amount of these features. As you get more diskspace and bandwidth you would require more features. If a user was given an "unlimited" amount of features and the user took it for granted it could overload the server and eventually crash it. Why bother with the hassle by telling someone there were limits in the TOS after the server has crashed when you could tell them before hand on the website by limiting their resources. In my opinion, it's better to be straightforward with the customer rather than telling them after something bad has happened.

Hello,

I can see the point in limiting MySQL, because there's a fair chance once the user makes a database it will be used. However, why do companies limit FTP accounts, email accounts and sub domains?

Surely if the ftp and email accounts start affecting server performance you can ask the client to reduce the amount they are using and show them the TOS about processor usage if they over do it.

Subdomains are a bit like parked/addon domains I suppose. However, other than SEO there's not much difference between using a subdomain and a /folder.

I, personally, feel they are just another limit the user needs to worry about.

What are your thoughts?

It's a way to say you have limited resources on the shared network and not lie about it like many place (unlimited) because if you really create a lot of sub-domains many host will suspend you our disable your backup.

So I guess people just due that because is right and they fell that is not good to lie to the customer by offering 'unlimited' because nothing in the world is unlimited.

There is a diference betwen folder and sub-domain but mainly they say this because most addon domains go under sub-domain and not plain folder of the main site.

My thinking was to add a soft limit on the account (say 50 of each) then if the user needs more they create a ticket and ask for more. If they've got a valid reason I could extend it for free.

In my opinion,

I think why people usually limit things such as email and ftp account is to show the difference between all the packages that they have. The more limits for the cheaper packages and the lesser the limit for more premium packages.

Anyway that is my 2cent.

ding ding winna!

If a user was given an "unlimited" amount of features and the user took it for granted it could overload the server and eventually crash it. Why bother with the hassle by telling someone there were limits in the TOS after the server has crashed when you could tell them before hand on the website by limiting their resources. Yup exactly. A lot of hosts that give "unlimited" (or the huge plans) this or that will eventually say "oh hey you can't do that." Also, there are limits for apache connections, depending on configurations, so limiting what can be added and connected to prevents issues.

As for email accounts, the same holds true. The more email accounts a server has to handle, the more spam it has to handle, the more email it has to process. It's easier for the mail server to say "address doesn't exist here" then to process the email, save it, forward if needed, check for spam, etc. So, the less email accounts on the server, the better of it is.

I learned if your offering 50 sql databases, 1000 emails, ftp etc, it would make more marketing sense to offer unlimited. Because the overselling rule comes to play of who would ever use 1000 email accounts on a shared host or 50 database etc.

I think addon domains are an exception. To be honest I hate offering addon domains because it allows the customers to hae multiple websites under 1 account for $7/mo month. Back in 1999 you never really saw a hosting account which had this option for under $20-30/mo if any. So the good old days we would have 1 customer who had 20 accounts because he had 20 websites. Now the same custoemr will have 1 account with 20 websites. Loss of money. Damn you cPanel for creating addon domains :(

People look at it as a way to make more money for the business. So say they would give 5 free email accounts with the package and then provide an additional 10 for say £1.50. They make money from doing this. I agree with the comment above about the packages aswell. I also agree about the addon domains aswell. Majority of Hosting Companies now-a-days provide 'unmetered' FTP accounts ect but limit addon domains.