Cohousing-L Mailing List: re: hosting service for website

[Michael Donovan (editor]

> We currently have our website on a member's AOL account.  Now we're looking
> for another service to host the site.   I'd like to find one that is (1)
> stable and will be around for awhile and (2) has a user interface that will
> allow me to upload files all at once rather than one at a time which is how
> AOL does it.   I'd prefer a service that does not have banner or other
> advertising which, of course, means that there will be a charge and that's ok.
> 
> Any suggestions?  You can reply to me privately or to the list.  Thanks.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Susan Hedgpeth
> Pleasant Hill Cohousing

Susan,

We also went through the process of moving our web site from a community
based organization (that was closing) to a commercial web host. After
considerable research I ended up choosing Cedent. We pay $12.95 for services
that MORE than accomodates our needs. I looked at many hosts that were
cheaper and decided it was worth a few more dollars a month. When I
researched the deeply discounted hosts at deja.com I found allegations of
poor service or that they hosted spammers. There were a (perhaps not so)
surprising number of sites that purport to rate web hosts. I never found one
that was completely independent of the sites they claimed to rate.

You should be able to ftp (upload) your site all at once to any web host
(well, other than AOL and free web host sites). Of course your web
administrator will need software that will ftp the files.

I notice also that you are using aol's name in your url. This would be a
good time to purchase your own domain name, perhaps
pleasanthillcohousing.org. We do this at directnic.com for $15 a year. Other
places charge up to $35 a year. I have used them for many years on other
domain names and have had no problems. Make certain that if you get a web
host that offers to register your name for free you can reregister it later
under your own administration. Because undoubtedly you will be registered at
a pricy registrar and find it difficult to reregister at a discount
registrar later. In a year you won't be notified of the renewal cost since
their name will be the administrator. And it will be too late to renew the
name at a discounted rate. That "free" registration could cost you more in
the long run. (Does this sound like I've been burned before? ;-)

Good luck with your web site. We have found it to be an increasingly
valuable marketing tool.

Michael Donovan
Village in the City Cohousing
St. Lousi MO

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