BLOGGING FOR FREEDOM |
OPENING AN ACCOUNT FOR YOUR BLOG |
If you’re considering opening an account at one of these Web hosts, you should definitely look through those chapters first to get a feel for which program, if either, you prefer. This suggestion is more than the usual “Read my words!” plea, though I am not above such pathetic bleating. At issue here is time and money. Assigning a domain name to a Web host is a bit of a hassle, and you can wait up to 48 hours for the assignment to take effect. Most of the companies in these pages make smooth sailing of the domain registration and first assignment. But yanking your domain out of one host and assigning it to another is not a task you want to perform capriciously. So my point is this:
Don’t open one of these hosting accounts to get a first look at Movable Type or WordPress. Make an educated choice the first time, and enjoy a stable relationship with your Web host.
The price of hybrid hosting Now for an economic reality: Web hosting with preinstalled blog software costs more than most other options described in this book. The cost is not unreasonable, when you think about it — especially for Movable Type affiliates, which tend to cost more than hosts working with WordPress. First, the preinstalled blog software is an added feature, and added features tend to have charges associated with them. Second, in the case of Movable Type,some hosts provide the Personal Basic or Personal Unlimited version of the program, each of which charges a license fee to users — and to Web hosts that supply the program to users. The result of this economic reality is that hybrid hosting accounts can be a bit pricey compared to standard Web hosting accounts without built-in blog software. In some cases, the hosting plans break down the monthly charge into two parts: regular hosting plus the blog software as an added feature.
However it is broken down, Movable Type hosting plans cost in the neighborhood of $10 to $16 a month. WordPress plans tend to be cheaper WordPress itself is free software to all users and providers. How does that price range compare to nonblog Web hosting? It is not difficult to find traditional hosting plans in the range of $5 to $10 a month. So, with blog hosting, you are paying each month for the convenience of not installing the program at the start, plus customer service whenever you need it. Some companies reduce the monthly rate for customers who pay in advance three months, six months, a year, or two years. Part of the deal with blog-oriented Web hosting is the nonblog part of your plan, which is substantial and adds to the cost. You get all the perks of traditional hosting, such as multiple e-mail addresses, FTP access to the accountfor uploading nonblog material, scripts for adding functions to Web pages, e-commerce features such as an online shopping cart, and sophisticated traffic measurement statistics. If your eyes are glazing over, that might be an indication that you would be paying for a lot of stuff you don’t want and would never use.Evaluating hybrid hosts The short profiles in this chapter provide a sketch of basic features and
values, as of the writing of this book. Naturally, you should check the sites listed for current details. My evaluations of the services are based on published specifications such as cost, storage, and added features — not necessarily on personal experience or any appraisal of customer service. Web hosts of all sorts also differ on reliability, which is reflected in your site’s continuous uptime, or availability to visitors. That factor does not play hard to determine in advance. All Web hosts proclaim superb reliability.