Rackspace Web Hosting Provider, Powers 2008 US Presidential Race Website

San Antonio, Texas - (The Hosting News) - October 8, 2008 - Clustered hosting provider, and Rackspace Hosting's cloud division, Mosso, has been chosen to power a website in the 2008 US Presidential Race, to meet traffic spikes with its hosted computing application.

Operators of high traffic political websites have discovered how scalable, on-demand hosting provided by Mosso's flagship offering, The Hosting Cloud, is well suited to support their sites and backend applications which are subject to unpredictable demand increases during the election season. Currently home to numerous election-oriented websites, including a presidential candidate and political national committee, Mosso also provides the hosted computing power for YouDecide2008.com, a bi-partisan website and blog supporting lively discussions and information about this year's election, which experiences great spikes in demand.

In January 2008, information was posted about the presidential debates on YouDecide2008.com, resulting in an increase from 25,000 visitors to more than 300,000 in one day. When a shared hosting provider was not able to scale to support the spike and the site crashed, the site was migrated to Mosso's The Hosting Cloud.

Nathan Ashworth, Founder of YouDecide2008.com noted, ''Since making the switch, Mosso has helped YouDecide2008.com stay up and running with usage numbers spiking more than 600 percent during pivotal points of this year's election. They've given us the freedom to grow and not be punished by our own success. Additionally, their customer service has been phenomenal - it really feels like our business matters to them.''

YouDecide2008.com was created by political information junkie and IT industry professional Nathan Ashworth. Since 2006, he has been populating the site with commentary, speeches, surveys, video, general information and news from both the Republican and Democratic parties. YouDecide2008.com's growth demanded a solution that would scale seamlessly without compromising speed or end-user experience in any way. Mosso's The Hosting Cloud provides cost-effective clustered processing, load-balancing, and redundant storage specifically designed to support high performance sites subject to frequent and unexpected traffic surges.

Nathan's sentiments are echoed in a recently published review by Bitsource, a blog that promotes and evangelizes various trends, opinions, and practical use cases in the technology and enterprise computing community.

Matthew Sachs, systems administrator and owner of Bitsource added, ''Mosso's cloud scales extremely well and with absolutely no user intervention, which allows it to claim the title of a true cloud computing platform.''

Jonathan Bryce, co-founder of Mosso explained, ''YouDecide2008.com shows exactly why Bitsource rated us so highly and why flexibility is needed in this sort of landscape. As this election year continues to unfold, there will be millions of people looking to the Internet for information - especially as we get closer to November 4th. Our core strength is the ability to quickly scale and adapt to changing circumstances, including huge traffic surges as visitors hit these popular sites looking for up-to-the-minute information on the elections. It also explains why customers are counting on Mosso to host important sites such as those related to the presidential race.''

In August, Mosso named technology industry and operations veteran, Bruce Runyan, as its new Chief Uptime Officer. Mr. Runyan is responsible for ensuring that Mosso continues to provide a reliable and consistent customer experience as the cloud scales, and creating an environment that allows Mosso to introduce new capabilities and capacity without impacting the experience.

A recognized leader in the global IT marketplace, Rackspace delivers a diverse suite of enterprise-class hosted IT services to businesses of all sizes. Customers choose Rackspace for its hosting specialization and expertise, backed by the company's award-winning Fanatical Support. Rackspace serves as an extension of its customers' IT departments, by handling infrastructure maintenance and management. Rackspace's portfolio of companies also includes the Mosso cloud computing platform and Mailtrust, a provider of business-class hosted email solutions. Rackspace is recognized as one of FORTUNE Magazine's 100 Best companies to work for, ranking number 32 on the 2008 list. Rackspace's portfolio of hosted IT services includes managed hosting, email hosting and cloud hosting.

Mosso, LLC is the home of The Hosting Cloud, providing enterprise-grade hosting through an easily managed interface so that developers, designers and IT managers can deploy reliable web applications quickly and easily. Founded by two former Rackspace employees, The Hosting Cloud is built upon a cross platform, clustered-computing architecture.

To learn more about Rackspace, please visit: www.rackspace.com.

For more information, please visit: www.mosso.com.

Host Color Announced TextPattern CMS Web Hosting Service

Host Color, a global quality web hosting provider announced the launch of TextPattern Hosting Plan. The new TXP service is priced at $3.99 per month and enables owners of TextPattern CMS websites to work in customized web hosting environment.

(OPENPRESS) October 7, 2008 -- Host Color said that it now offers an authoring hosting plan, based on TextPattern (TXP) CMS. TextPattern CMS is an elegant web content management platform, best for writers, journalists and other professionals who need to publish online textual presentations and easy to manage them.

"I'm happy to say that our TextPattern Hosting Plan is now open to welcome the best authors from different areas", said Host Color's Managing Director Alexander Avramov to web hosting media. He has also added that the TextPattern hosting service is made exclusively for TXP websites. It can not be used to run other software applications.

The limitation is set due to quality assurance, so the hosting company can guarantee that customers of TXP Plan will use the promotional price of $3.99/month to host TextPattern websites only.

"TXP is a great content management platform. Although it is not the most trendy one on today's CMS market, it is the best for journalists and for authors who need to create and publish text presentations. This of course includes academics and any other writers", said Mr. Avramov.

He explains that Host Color is happy to create customized web hosting environment at low cost for people who are addicted to writing. "I'm sure TXP will become favorite CMS to anyone who loves to write. We also like it and that's why we are happy to provide high-class web hosting environment to TXP users", added Host Color's executive. His company maintains more than 30 different hosting plans in order to better customize Shared Hosting services.

Host Color offers web hosting plans in price range between $2.99 and $11.99 per month. Priced at only $3.99/month TextPattern Plan is among the most inexpensive ones. Alongside with TextPattern authoring CMS Host Color allows its TXP customers to use ZenPhoto gallery.

The TextPattern hosting plan features 1,000 MB disc space and 5 GB monthly transfer. Host Color says that these quotas will be increased for anyone who needs more space and monthly transfer, but it does not want to promote any numbers that aren’t realistic or might be considered as overselling.

Besides pre-installed TextPattern CMS, customers can use a number of TXP skins without additional cost, and to meter their visitors with AWStats. Anyone who wants to register new domain name with their TXP plan has to pay only $8.95 for web address under COM, NET, ORG, INFO, BIZ, US or .WS extensions.

Last week Host Color introduced its entry-level Virtuozzo VPS Hosting Plan - "VPS Start". It is priced at $19.95 per month and features 192 MB RAM, 10 GB disc space and 50 GB data transfer per month.

The web host recently has been very active in promoting some national and regional Top-Level domains such as .DE, .ME, .US, Asia, .BZ, CN and TW. It also opened its new Affiliate Program, that transfers 25% of the company's revenue per sale to its affiliates and also pays them for each unique visitor sent to Host Color's website.

About Host Color
Host Color LLC is a quality U.S. web hosting company incorporated in Delaware. It powers thousands of business and personal websites in data centers in South Bend, Indiana, U.S. and Amsterdam, The Netherlands. The company also provides fully Managed dedicated hosting through HC Servers and European hosting services through HC Europe. It offers discounts to academics and non-governmental organizations. The Host Color's corporate message is "Web hosting about people, not about gigabytes."

Ecommerce Web Hosting Should be Cost Effective, not Cheap

Choosing an ecommerce web hosting provider that will be dependable and responsive to your needs is a lot like placing a bet in a high stakes crap shoot. While price is certainly a consideration, “cheap web hosting” can often be more of a headache than it’s worth. From a business management point of view, saving $20 or even $50 a month isn’t going to be much of a consolation if your company is losing thousands of dollars in sales due to excessive downtime, functionality problems, or horrendous customer service.

For most ecommerce web hosting users, satisfaction is based on two primary expectations: reliability and customer service. While no web hosting service can guarantee 100% uptime, it’s not unrealistic to promise 99.9% uninterrupted service. Something is inevitably going to come up, every now and then, that will cause a brief interruption in service, but it’s the responsibility of the web hosting company to make sure that those interruptions are resolved efficiently, quickly, and with as minimal of a disruption to your web business as possible. Even more important, is whether your ecommerce web hosting service provider has safeguards in place that will reduce or prevent the likelihood of technical problems taking place.

When weighing the benefits and features that are offered by different web hosting services, here are some important questions to keep in mind as you compare your options:

Does the web hosting service you’re considering monitor their servers on a 24/7 basis, and have measures in place to prevent, detect, and respond to fires, vandalism, and other emergencies?

Do they have backup systems for both data protection and power supply continuity. In other words, if your web hosting provider’s facilities experience a total power outage, what provisions do they have in place to ensure that your data isn’t lost and that your web site doesn’t go offline? One good sign that a web hosting provider is both reliable and service oriented is that they feed their servers with conditioned UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) that will continue to run even if there is a local power outage. They should also have an on-site diesel generator that will run indefinitely in the case of an extended power failure.

Other indications that the hosting service you’re considering has your best interests in mind is that they conduct nightly off-site data backups and have an off-site disaster recovery system. Since “Murphy’s Law” dictates that problems will inevitably crop up (and will do so at the worst possible time), your best bet as an ecommerce business owner is to sign on with an e commerce web hosting service that is geared up for providing the best possible service while being prepared to handle the worst catastrophes. In addition to the likelihood that they’ll be reliable, their level of preparedness is also a reflection of their professionalism, their technical savvy, and their dedication to customer service and satisfaction.

Assuming downtime, pricing, or disc space are not going to be issues, the items near the top of your checklist will undoubtedly be the quality of customer service and the level of technical support. Bandwidth, user friendliness, and email accounts are also key considerations in choosing a good service provider, but after all is said and done, if you can’t depend on your ecommerce web hosting service to be responsive, available, and helpful, then sooner or later, you’re going to be shopping for another web hosting solution.

Web Hosting Instructions

Web domains. Hosting. Content. These are the three top priorities for any webmaster, regardless of how experienced they are. Unfortunately, these three essentials often leave people in the dark, as there are dozens of companies offering the “same” packages for different prices. With an overflow of routes you could take, it can get mind boggling to figure out the appropriate steps. For this reason, instructions are essential if you are looking for a smooth path.

The first thing you should do is make a list of what your current goals are. If you are making a professional site, you'll need a secure and reliable host. For instance, if you know that your website will reach thousands of people within a few months, perhaps you should find a web hosting package that includes extra bandwidth. You need additional space, especially if visitors are constantly going to be accessing your website. On the other hand, if you are just experimenting, you should stick to the free hosting packages. Geocities or Angel Fire certainly provides a basic package, which will leave you satisfied. After all, you do not need bells and whistles if you aren't serious about the website in the long run. If you do end up changing your mind, you can always switch services and transfer your website.

Once you have made your decision, you need to find a reputable service. While searching for hosting companies on Google may seem appropriate, it often stems bad results. It is important to remember that just because it is listed on a search engine, doesn't mean it is 100% safe and legit. Therefore, if you do find a potential company, you should get a second opinion. It is usually smart to join a webmaster related forum like SitePoint to discuss such matters. This way you can hear about other people's experiences and what companies to avoid. Additional references from friends or family would also be ideal.

After picking a host, you will need to provide your credit card information. For many users, 3ix.org is a favorite, as it rarely charges you much. Surprisingly, there are discount coupon codes you can acquire through the internet, to also help you with your initial fee. Due to the fact that you have to include your private information, it is absolutely crucial to make sure you find a legit business. The last thing you want is to lose any money. Therefore, you should google their name and check out the reviews from fellow users. This will most definitely make all of the difference, especially if you find out that they are a fraud.

For website beginners, web hosting doesn't have to be difficult or even too time consuming. As long as you find reputable sources, second opinions, and a great easy to use package, you are well on your way to website success. With these instructions in mind, there should be no frustrations or year long debates on what company to use. It is quite simple, once you get in the webmaster's frame of mind.

Author: This original article is the property of Web Hosting Geeks (http://webhostinggeeks.com). Web Hosting Geeks provides independent customer and webmaster reviews of top 10 web hosting providers. Top web hosting reviews, best web hosting awards, web host rating, web hosting articles and more.

Things to Keep in Mind while Changing Web Host

What is Web Hosting? Web hosting is a type of service that lets user to put the website on the internet. The part of web hosting comes after the user has decided the domain name and has registered it too. User has three options possible for choosing a web hosting service that a web host can offer. They are virtual private server hosting, shared web hosting and dedicated server hosting. In case a user wants to switch web host then the user should keep following consideration in mind.

User should start looking for new web host at least few days before user run out of credit for present account. This will help in keeping your website on the air for the maximum time. Before switching to the new web host, first make a backup copy of the website in the same tree structure in which you want to upload it later, only the cgi-bin’s location can vary. Also look for any chmod permissions that you might have set on any folder or file. This is so as these permissions need to be reset when files are uploaded to the new web server. Copy of the database/databases has to be made too.

Another consideration that user has to make is that user should be aware of the hosting requirements like beginner are concern with the amount that they have to pay to the disk space they are provided.

If the user is a professional, entrepreneur or online business then the user can make following requirements, which are:-

1. Choosing the type of web hosting: user has mainly two options, Shared server or dedicated server. If a user expects to get huge traffic then the user must go for dedicated server as it has much greater bandwidth then the shared one. This is also required if you need to have complex app, secure information and customized option in your website.
2. Type of OS for hosting: If your website is build on technologies like JSP, ASP etc and require other Microsoft add like MSACCESS or MS SQL database the one should go for windows hosting. On the other hand if the user is using technologies like Cold Fusion then it can run on Linux as well as Windows platform.
3. Bandwidth and Space Requirements: Many web hosts are providing 1GB – 3GB of disk space but if your site require more space and/or receives lot of traffic then one should consider other web host as this will then just not be enough.
4. Requirement for number of sub domains and parked domains: Parked domain are advantageous for high traffic websites as they can handle them better whereas dub domain helps in improving reputation of your website on the search engine. Most of the web host charge extra money for them.
5. Active more than 99.99%: Many web hosts are now guaranteeing up time of up to 99.99%, but then they are costlier and should be chosen if you require so like in commercial websites.

Author: This original article is the property of Web Hosting Geeks (http://webhostinggeeks.com). Web Hosting Geeks provides independent customer and webmaster reviews of top 10 web hosting providers. Top web hosting reviews, best web hosting awards, web host rating, web hosting articles and more.

New from AdSense: video units

AdSense recently introduced a feature called video units, that lets you include relevant YouTube video on your blog, and make money from ads on it. Here’s what they have to say about it:

"We're excited about the launch of video units -- a new way to enrich your blog with quality, relevant video content in an embedded, customizable player. Simply embed a snippet of code and have relevant YouTube partner content streamed to your blog. You can choose categories of video to target to your site, select content from individual YouTube partners, or have video automatically targeted to your blog's content. Companion and text overlay ads are relevant and non-intrusive. To further blend the YouTube player into your blog, you can also customize the color scheme and layout as well as choose from three different player sizes."

AdSense Help has some more information about video units. Once you’ve created the code for a video unit, you can easily add it to your blog’s template using an HTML/JavaScript page element.

Which Web Hosting is Right for You?

With thousands of beginners trying their hand at websites, it is certain that the market is becoming quite crowded. From music blogs to gossip communities and technological havens – these online avenues can be a wonderful hobby for people who just want an audience. After all, who wouldn't want to be heard among thousands of visitors every day? For this reason alone, websites are one of the most popular forms of entertainment. While making a website is essential, the majority of beginners do not realize that web hosting is even more important. In simpler terms, web hosting provides you with the space to create your masterpiece. When you design your layout, post thousands of pictures, and even set up a chat room, you absolutely need a place to do so. For instance, if you were to do something like this outside of the virtual world, and build a theatre, wouldn't you need your own space? Luckily, web hosting is extremely affordable and can be easy for even the beginners to use. After you purchase a domain name, the next step is to find a company that will host your website. There are many different paths you can take to do this, but it depends on your main goals. Therefore, the first thing you need to do is ask yourself why you want to create a website. Is it for personal use – simply to post your pictures from college? Or perhaps your dream is to create the most popular music website on the internet. Regardless of your priorities, companies have built specific web hosting packages based around your needs. If you are looking to just post pictures or create something for fun, a free web hosting company is the way to go. There are many of these around the web, including Geocities and AngelFire. These two companies are dedicated to helping beginners. As a result, new webmasters do not need to know extensive HTML or CSS. In this day and age, it is quite easy to build a masterpiece. While these hosts give you a large amount of space and freedom, there are downsides. The majority of companies will stick pop up advertisements on your space, in order for them to market their company. Unfortunately, this is an annoyance for most, and can cause visitors to leave immediately. Luckily, Geocities lets you close the box when you enter the website. Nevertheless, if you are looking for an easy website and do not care about visitors, you simply should try it out. On the other hand, if you are looking for something a bit more professional, you should be emptying your wallet. Providentially, 3ix.org and GoDaddy are two companies that offer extremely cheap website hosting. This means that you can easily pay $12/year just for an abundance of space. Still looking for more features? These companies will let you add on everything from FrontPage Maker to extra bandwidth. If you are serious about your venture, these are places to check out. Web hosting may sound like a daunting task, but it doesn't have to be difficult. With so many beginners flooding the internet, companies have put it upon themselves to make these programs much easier to use. As long as you can type in your name, have overflowing creativity and an e-mail address, the opportunities are endless.

Author: This original article is the property of Web Hosting Geeks (http://webhostinggeeks.com). Web Hosting Geeks provides independent customer and webmaster reviews of top 10 web hosting providers. Top web hosting reviews, best web hosting awards, web host rating, web hosting articles and more.