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Being a Free WebSpace provider

CommunityOne

CommunityOne

New Member
Well... There are things I hate about being an FWS Provider, and things that I like about being a host.

Things may sound weird, I'm just really speaking my mind.

Here we go:

I'm afraid to check my e-mail.
>I have recieved about 10 emails over the past 2 days saying "type: free" or "I want hosting",etc. The list drones on and on. I have stopped replying to e-mails coming from that korean site that I have asked they remove my link.

I'm afraid to sign into MSN messenger and AIM.
>The support IM's pour in. People ask me, "what's my FTP login?", I give them the info, and then they ask "what is mysql info", and then they ask, "Is the db host localhost?", well I am almost to the point I use a "private" account that only my staff and some other people know of, not my clients.

I hate being asked obivious questions all the time.
>I get asked "where do I login to my control panel?", I say "Go to http://comm1biz.net and look for the web hosting box.", well I have been asked that a million times.

Inactive Users.
>I have had enough inactive users. I think about going into the CP and deleting them, and then I think they may not have time to get their site up until the weekend. Then it's the weekend, I IM them on MSN or AIM, I tell them they had better get their site up, or else, they do nothing. I don't delete them. I am upset.

"Plz install phpnuke for me!"
I get install php-nuke or other forum requests -- I attempted to install phpNuke for a free user but I cannot do it. I only install free WoltLab Burning Boards.


I think of quitting the hosting business, but I then think of the qualities of being a host. I know I have an active community because of hosting people. I have a base of loyal users. I have gained more knowledge from my clients.

Well... my opinion of being a free web space provider is here. I guess you're bored now.
 
This isn't meant nastily or anything but perhaps if you don't want IM conversations with users asking the same questions over and over perhaps you shouldn't give your IM address out? Also, perhaps if you added all of the important information such as databse name, host, login info, ftp address, etc into an FAQ it will stop so many messages. If you do already have an FAQ make it so it is easily visible from the very first page or else people will give up looking for it!
 
This is not a review thread for my company. I have the FAQ there, easy to see, in the web hosting block! :mad: :angry2:
 
I know it's not a review thread of your company. I was simply pointing out a few things which will easily cease the things you were complaining about. Also, by FAQ I assume you mean the FTP log in info link? If so, what about the MYSQL info? Also, why not simply call it FAQ, as with it's current name people may not think to check it?
 
that's why you should create a community. i barely do any work for my free hosting community except server admining once in a while and set-up sites. the users themselves help each other in the support forums and the voting system is done by them.

less work on my part for small things = more focus on getting more money to get more server for the community
 
Lovellz, the entire FDC Networks (server host) are down... it should be back in a few minutes. :)

And I have a community. It is just my users use me as their resource for help. I don't have a user that knows all about my hosting except the other admin... :)
 
If you created a comprhensive FAQ covering everything which you have or ever will be asked then perhaps they will be able to know this information, no?
 
Well... the FAQ is understandable and I just put it up today. Quit going on and on and on about my FAQ! :angry2:
 
I am not going "on and on about your FAQ" I am merely stating that if you had of planned ahead and included the information which your users want beforehand then you wouldn't have as much cause to complain now, would you?
 
Maybe getting more staff could be a better idea. Just a few people to work for a little bit upgraded free hosting from what you give to the users to help answer support questions. I am sure you could find a few people to do that.

Although it may seem like a lot of hard work, people do appreciate it!!!
 
Originally posted by Matt8
Maybe getting more staff could be a better idea. Just a few people to work for a little bit upgraded free hosting from what you give to the users to help answer support questions. I am sure you could find a few people to do that.

Although it may seem like a lot of hard work, people do appreciate it!!!
Click to expand...

I would love to do that. Look in my profile for my contact info. :)
 
Forgot to mention in my first post that I would also do it.

AIM: Hockeyhead182
Email: Hockeyhead182ATnetscape.net Replace the at with @
 
My visions on this, also providing free hosting:

I'm afraid to check my e-mail.
>I'm never afraid to check my email. I try to answer everything as clearly as possible. If I feel a can't (or in some very rare cases don't want to) help somebody, I just say so and explain to the best of my ability why I feel that way. I feel people deserve more than beeing ignored or just getting a blunt answer like 'NO'. I do try to keep my users away from my personal email accounts.

I'm afraid to sign into MSN messenger and AIM.
>I wouldn't say I'm affraid of it, I just don't use it as I feel it's rather ineffective. Everytime I turned it on I got somebody asking me some questions (with which I had no problems), but at the same time about 2 or 3 people would be trying to have a conversation with me about the weather or something. I just felt this was going nowhere and stopped using MSN and AIM. I did try using live chat software, but I didn't really like it

I hate being asked obivious questions all the time.
>Unfortunatly, these questions are half of the fun. A good FAQ section on your site might seriously reduce the number of people asking this question. I currently don't have a FAQ, but will surely be setting one op soon. I also get far less of these questions since I set a user forum up, where users tend to help each other with things like this.

Inactive Users.
>If I think a user is inactive, I'll send them an email with about a week warning. If this email isn't answered by the end of the week, I suspend the account for 2 days, in the hope they'll notice that and if they don't everything is deleted without remorse. IT's not my fault if they don't check their email.

"Plz install phpnuke for me!"
>I've never actually tried installing PHPnuke, but I've installed phpBB, invisionboard and other similar scripts for a number of users and will always gladly do it for anybody who asks nicely, or I'll at least try. Just because people don't pay you doesn't mean you should try your best to please them.

"Extra staff"
>Good idea. A few of the people I host asked whether they could help out. I gladly went in on their offer. They patrol my forums for support requests and answer what they can. If they can't answer the question or something has to be done serverside, they can then at least reassure the user that I'll deal with it at the earliest opportunity. They also quite often point out matters to me that need urgent attention, which does help get issues resolved faster.
 
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Well, I have a base of greedy users as well as loyal users. I have seen how greedy people are, I get emails every day saying "plz give me host". I don't like it.

I still have not checked my email. :D
 
Originally posted by CommunityOne
...And I have a community. It is just my users use me as their resource for help. I don't have a user that knows all about my hosting except the other admin... :) [/B]
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I think this is where you're wrong. There is no better resource than an experienced user on your service who knows the ins and out of the server as well as the quirks. and also you said earlier:

Originally posted by CommunityOne
..."Is the db host localhost?", well I am almost to the point I use a "private" account that only my staff and some other people know of, not my clients.

I hate being asked obivious questions all the time.
>I get asked "where do I login to my control panel?", I say "Go to http://comm1biz.net and look for the web hosting box.", well I have been asked that a million times[/B]
Click to expand...

i doubt these are questions which would have to be answered by an administrator ;). all i'm saying is that if you try to gear your community more towards self-sufficiency it helps a lot. just trying to help you out! :)
 
I say this as a FH admin, not as a Mod here, but:::
First off I think Tazz is kissing up to look good in public. If that wasnt a brown-nosed post to potential members, I dont know what is..LOL. Fess up Tazz, you know it was :D

Next, CommunityOne is correct. I once gave out my ICQ #. Ever since then, I have been on "hide". Several times I got so manu "uh-oh's" that it crashed my computer. The scroll bar on my icq was tiny to give you an idea how many I had on it. My ICQ starts with 161 and has and has 7 numbers in it. A fairly early #. My original # was 5 digits and started ith 11. I had to kill the account because I couldnt turn it on without it crashing my computer. Where is perl? Where is sendmail? Hi!. Is it raining there? Where can I get a Chevy book sent to me here in Mexico? Sheesh....

Seriously! We have an extensive Knowledge-base for our paid hosting....and we get weird questions there too!!! Most we delete, some are just so out of the ordinary that our sense of humor requires us to answer them (the question and answer are automatically put into the database)...go here http://worldzonepro.com/knowledge-base/search.cgi and search for "methane" without quotes. Really, the more ways you give them to contact you, the more stupidity you will run into.

But in the end....yes a community is the best way to go. A lot of members are more than willing to help each other if you simply give them the means to do so. But IM?? Nah, I learned my lesson about that a long loooong time ago. You young ones were nothing but a byte in your daddy's hard drive when I learned THAT lesson.
 
Originally posted by Webdude
go here http://worldzonepro.com/knowledge-base/search.cgi and search for "methane" without quotes. Really, the more ways you give them to contact you, the more stupidity you will run into.
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And who gives the stupid replies? :p

What are the risks of using methane while pregnant?
Absolutely none at all, I've done it with all of my 12 pregnancies - and one day, I'm sure I'll give birth to a baby without 2 heads.

ROTFLMAO
 
Julie did :p

People even try to put ads in there...which is kinda stupid. Yes it's a dynamic knowledge-base, but it's moderated too. Most people are decent...but I swear that there is something about free hosting that attracts all the stupids. Why do I get this? Why? Does typing "I'm stupid" in a search engine send you to my free hosting or something?? Where in the world do these people come from?? LOL


For the record, this isnt a knock on those who use free hosting....but rather those who ask questions that have nohing in relation to the servce they are asking questions to. Wanna know what methane does to you then goto Doctors.com NOT Worldzone.net!
 
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