I got an e-mail recently from my dear host in Denmark that they are changing the backend for their hosting business, which boils down to migrating migraines. Not that I’m complaining, the existing system is pretty limited, but I don’t pay for the Control Panel bits; all I want is sFTP, SSH services and the remaining LAMP suit (MySQL and PHP +/- Python).
The migration is scheduled for November 5th 2010.
This got me thinking that maybe I should migrate too, away from my current host, to one that is cheaper but focus on the low-end services for intermediate to advanced users. I’ve FTP’d and SSH’d since I was 14 years old, I don’t need the bells and whistles. I need security and backups, a responsive support team, which both are things my current host has provided for me. They’ve helped me out and shown sympathy when I have been cracked and DDoS’ed, trusting my instincts and left me alone to solve the problem and implement the right hacks even when they were NOT contractually obliged to do so. I am very happy with them!
This extra service has made me a loyal customer for almost a decade. So why change? Well, it all comes down to the dough, don’it? When I hear what other people are paying for their services, peanuts in comparison, then I feel like a fool. Having worked with Linux and Apache I don’t really feel that having PHP or FTP are separate services that each require extra pay. I mean come on, they are not. Not really.
But having dedicated servers at home is really expensive here in Norway, given that you’re not running "under the radar" to escape the bandwidth premium, so that’s not really an option. Besides, I can use the extra space for other hobby projects. AND it’s good to know that I could still blog if my home should go down in a blaze of glory..
Anyway, if anything should go wrong on November 5th, don’t count me as dead.
I’m not going to migrate until the next pay period at the earliest if at all. I gotta check out what this means to me first. If the site is down, it’s because my host messed up something. Leave it to the professionals, and log on back a day later. It’s not like sigg3.net has been on fire these last couple of months.. Sorry about that:)
So how much bandwidth traffic are we talking about here? And storage place, of course.
A couple of people checking the site weekly? Just me and my girlfriend really.
I bet we could get away with one of those metallic whiteboards and individual felt pen in different colours… It’s all optical, short-term memory stuff.