I'm gonna leave this topic open so that anyone who thinks of something that ought to be in here can add it.
Q: What is hosting?
A: Hosting is “the storage and maintenance of the data making up the content of websites.†To say it simply, it’s maintaining a personal website.
Q: What is a host?
A: A host is someone who has server space for your website.
Q: What is a sub-domain?
A: Your website. Your host has a domain. You have an offset of it, hence the prefix “sub.â€
Q: What does it take to get hosted?
A: Hosts prefer you to have good graphic design skills, and familiarity with some coding language (HTML, CSS, PHP). Some also require you to already know how to use an FTP (file transfer protocol) server. Sounds complicated but it really isn’t. If you’ve used Geocities, Angelfire, Imageshack, etc, to host files, you can use an FTP. If you need some help, I’m sure your host would be willing to help you (within reason, that is).
Q: What’s so great about getting hosted?
A: You get to be creative and expand and learn more about design. It’s especially great if you need more design freedom than a myspace, xanga, livejournal, or blogger can offer.
Q: Is it easy to get hosted?
A: That depends on the personal preferences of the host.
Q: Do I have to pay to be hosted?
A: For the most part, no, but again, that depends on the host. There are also a lot free hosting sites out there (check out the "Free Hosting" section in the http://www.createblog.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=14636).
Q: I’m looking at the features that the hosts are offering, but what are they?
FTP – I mentioned it before, but didn't go into detail. FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol. It is the concept of moving files from the hard drive on your local computer to your host's server, where others can look at them. The process of transferring files is called uploading. Some of the different FTP programs include http://www.smartftp.com/, http://www.cuteftp.com/, http://www.ftpx.com/, http://www.turboftp.com/, http://www.wsftp.com/, and http://filezilla.sourceforge.net/. There are many others which you can http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&q=FTP+program&btnG=Search&meta=.
MySQL – MySQL is a type of database. SQL is the language used to program it. If you have a blog on your subdomain, it'll use MySQL, in addition to or instead of CGI-BIN/Perl (see below).
Bandwidth - Bandwidth is "a measure of the capacity of a communications channel. The higher a channel's bandwidth, the more information it can carry" (http://www.tamu.edu/ode/glossary.html). What impact does this have on your site? Bandwidth determines how many times your site and its files can be accessed. So look for a host that offers a high bandwidth.
CGI-BIN / Perl - CGI-BIN is the place where your CGI scripts/programs are stored. Perl is used to create CGI programs. You'll need this for your blog.
Q: What if my host doesn’t have blog software set up for me? What can I use?
A: Most blog software requires you to have cgi-bin/MySQL/Perl access. If you’re not sure of how to get to it, ask your host. Some popular ones are http://cutephp.com/cutenews/, http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/, http://wordpress.org/, http://cafelog.com/ (for which we have a couple of tutorials - http://www.createblog.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=55566, http://www.createblog.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=55565http://www.createblog.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=55565), and http://www.noahgrey.com/greysoft/. For those who don’t want to have their blog hosted on their subdomain, there are other options available. And there's http://haloscan.com/, a commenting and trackback service. If you have a paid http://livejournal.com account, you can embed its source into your page and use it.
Finally, it's posted!
I can refer to this sometime again. Thanks guys.
this has been a lot of help... thank you soo much... your the best madame c
this is really helpful
thanks
i wish this was here when i was looking for hosts! thanks for posting it!
I have got one that people have asked me many of times....
Q: Is Unlimited bandwidth/Hard Disk space possible, and can hosts really offer it to me?
A: I have herd from many of people that this is not possible, and the simple answer is YES it is. In some ways it is not possible, if your host is on a shared server, or a single dedicated server with a limited amount of bandwidth I would not recommend unsing them for your Unlimited hosting. On other hands, if the host owns the server and the datacenter this is in every way possible. How? If the host owns the datacenter they are paying for the OC3 or higher lines, which means they have unlimited bandwidth allotments. If they own the servers, they can be upgraded to as much HDD space as you need. Do a little research about your future hosts before you purchase, impulse decisions can be fatal.
Don't forget that you can use Internet Explorer as an FTP client, and there's also FireFTP for Mozilla. :)
Tips on Selecting a Web Host
A small collection of tips from Ryan.
1. Figure out what you need.
It will be much easier to narrow down your search for a web host if you decide on how much space, bandwidth, features, etc. you will need. Also find out what data centers they utilize, what their uptime guarantee is, and what their customer support options are.
2. Research
Research is very important, obviously. Who wants an unreliable host? I suggest using sites such as webhostingtalk.com and findmyhosting.com to find a good host. There is a very helpful topic that is also already pinned that has web hosting companies.
3. The Company
The About Us section. You really should read this. Find out how long they've been around, their offices, their support, etc. Also find out what data centers they utilize, what their uptime guarantee is, and what their customer support options are.
Research the company on Google or other forums. Also look for testimonal (though no company would post a bad one).
4. Price
How much are you willing to spend? Compare different companies and see what they offer for a different price. Is it paid monthly/yearly/quarterly? Do they have any hidden fees?
5. Ready to Buy
If you are ready to buy, good. Just keep a few things in mind: If you suspect they are untrustworthy, I highly suggest you don't give them your credit card number. Try to use Paypal whenever you can.
As an addition, below I will list several web hosting companies I would recommend.
Cheap: $5 and cheaper - For people just beginning a website
http://www.netrillium.com/
http://www.pixelled-solutions.com/
http://www.holdfire.net/
http://www.frozenmidnighthosting.com/
http://www.webspacedepot.net/
http://www.estarr.com/
http://www.get-hosting.net/
Intermediate: $5-10 - For people who need more advanced features
http://www.surpasshosting.com/
http://www.dreamhost.com/
http://www.bluehost.com/
http://www.lunarpages.com/
http://www.ipower.com/
http://www.mediatemple.net/
http://www.networkredux.com/
http://htttp://www.midphase.com/
http://www.hostgator.com/
http://www.eleven2.com/
Advanced: Reseller Hosting - Over $15 dollars
http://www.surpasshosting.com/
http://www.networkredux.com/
http://www.hostgator.com/
http://www.bestreseller.com/
http://www.eleven2.com/
http://www.lypha.com/
I thought this might help.
Remember not all websites tell the truth. In case you choose to google or yahoo search domain or hosting plans, look it up on the http://www.bbbonline.org organization. This BBB online organization is safe, and the websites listed under them can be trusted. Godaddy.com and resellerzoom.com you know aren't scams, and are listed on BBB.
Small clarification to a few pieces of information, partly because I'm picky about these sorts of things.
Also, now this is just my opinion, but i do not sugest using yahoo! geocities, they are unreliable, over priced, have LOTS of downtime and their customer service is less than favorable.
thanks for all the sweet tips
Thanks for the tips:)
Just thought I'd note that Kwikblog and Quickblog no longer exist.
this is a very good list of faqs, we should thank you and link this page to those that ask these types of questions. repeating yourself can get boring, but just linking a page like this, very helpful & useful! thank you very much!
Its a big help especially for me that planning an e-commerce site, a more comprehensive content web site or a large web forum community, there are many tools that could help in your ventures. But with your tips, i think i don't have to worry so much!
^ Dude. C'mon.