From: Bob Stout 

On Tue, 29 Jun 2004, Roger Scudder wrote:

> Thanks for bring us up to speed on what has been happening.  I know that
> snippets.org is your baby and that you and Jon have invested a great
> deal into it, so please don't take what I am about to write as a
> negative criticism, it's really just a thought that comes to mind...
> Well, it seems to me that for what you are doing, hosting would be a
> less expensive way to go than co-location.  I am sure you have very good
> reasons for doing it the way you have been, so I'll back off and leave
> you to go about your business.

Hosting would be less expensive in terms of my time, although it might
achieve break even in dollar costs. However, there are several compelling
reasons why I maintain my own server:

1.  I'm a control freak.

2.  It's maximally portable. If something happens with a colocation host,
    I simply pick up the box and move. it. In a crisis, I could even drop
    it into my home network and run it from here - just as we're running
    it from Jon's place now.

3.  I can run whatever software I want. With hosting services, I can only
    run what their system people want to allow me to run. Due to some new
    job requirements, we're in the process of getting GPG and secure FTP
    set up. Even Mailman, which runs this list (and the others) and which
    requires Python, is something you won't find supported at many hosting
    services. Also, when I needed a web mail interface set up while I was
    working at a client with an especially paranoid IT policy, Jon
    installed Horde. Hosting services which simply lease you a dedicated
    server that you don't have to share with anyone else are available and
    those don't suffer these restrictions, but they do cost more.

4.  Since it's the target of most malicious code activity, I specifically
    *don't* want a server which runs any flavor of Windows. This
    automatically eliminates many hosting services.

5.  Related to item #3, is the fact that I can run the server from a
    secure shell login. This allows me to do things like compile and test
    software in a Linux environment.

6.  Since I own the entire server, I can host as many domains as I want
    for the same price. I currently host SNIPPETS.ORG, DIYSPEAKERS,NET,
    MICROFIRM.BIZ, and IMAGE-MAGICIANS.COM and am planning on adding at
    least one more.

The downsides are, as you note, pretty obvious. However overall, I think
the decision is justified.

> Thanks for getting the site back online,

Thanks go at least as much to Jon as to me. Without Jon, I'd have to break
down and try to become a certifiable Linux guru in my own right. Jon's
expertise provides me the luxury of being lazy.

-------------------------------------------------------------
Consulting: http://www.MicroFirm.biz/ Web graphics development:
http://Image-Magicians.com/ Software archives:
http://snippets.snippets.org/
  c.snippets.org/   cpp.snippets.org/      java.snippets.org/
  d.snippets.org/   python.snippets.org/   perl.snippets.org/
  dos.snippets.org/ embedded.snippets.org/ apps.snippets.org/
Audio and loudspeaker design:
  http://LDSG.snippets.org/   http://www.diyspeakers.net/

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