Hello Fellow WHTers!

Research your prospective provider

I remember when I first landed on WebHostingTalk.com. I had been bouncing from host to host and was researching (for the first time) the next prospective host. I was captivated by the attentiveness of the members as they seemed to be quite helpful and knowledgeable when it came to sorting out any type of answer. I chose a host based on members' recommendations for my needs, and was never disappointed.

When I decided that I would pursue the business venture of hosting, I again reached out to WHT. One of the popular providers of the time had piqued my interest. Since my venture involved colo and/or dedicated, I needed a stable dc that offered both. I exchanged several emails with the Director. As I don't believe you can do too much research when you're investing time and money, I started making phone calls -- several phone calls at all hours of the day and night.

Everything was looking great! So my partner and I drove the 1,600 miles to personally visit the data center. We decided to go straight to the dc before even checking into the hotel. We stopped at a service station, cleaned up from the trip and tossed on some fresh clothes.

When we arrived at the address given I was certain that we must be at the wrong place. The building appeared to harbor a paint store and a barber shop. After a couple of quick phone calls, I was able to reach the person I had been emailing and telephoning. He said he'd meet us there in about 20 minutes.

When he pulled up in his 4-wheel drive mud truck, I didn't pay it much mind. People drive what they drive. I'd still be driving my '58 VW if it hadn't been lost in a fire. I asked him where we were going (thinking I'd be following him in my car). He said, "Right here" and walked towards the building. We enter the barber shop, and on the back wall was a wooden entrance door with a 1'x2' pane of glass. He fumbles through keys and unlocks the padlock that held the door in place.

Following him in, we're immediately in front of several servers on metal racks. As he showed us around the small room, he explained how "they" were building a new dc that should be finished within the year. I explained that, although I was impressed with what he'd been able to do in the back room of a barber shop, I'd need to do some more thinking before investing in his current dc. While it may have been fine for some people, it wasn't fine for me at the time.

It just goes to show that everything can look good on paper; everything can sound great over the phone; but if you're not careful, you could end up in the dc in the back of a barber shop.

Our first highlighted thread features a member who wants to know how to test out a colo center. I sure hope he reads our newsletters!

Thanks for listening. And I'll see you on the forums!

Dennis Johnson (aka SoftWareRevue)
iNET Community Coordinator

Got suggestions? Send me an e-mail:
suggestions@webhostingtalk.com

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Web Hosting Wiki Spotlight

What is Web 2.0?

Web 2.0 is the more interactive aspect of the Web that has evolved in the 2000s. The term Web 2.0 applies to websites that use not only content that their owners provide but also user-generated content. Web 2.0 means providing and using a variety of tools to make the Web more interactive, faster, and easier to use. Another way to define Web 2.0 is that it's a more interactive approach to how people use the Web.

Social media sites such as Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter are examples of Web 2.0 sites. But any website can be a Web 2.0 site by having options for users to interact with the site and with other users.

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	Community Liaison Member since 2/12/2006	Forum Posts: 1,608

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