RE: [PHP] What would you want in a PHP web host?

I am currently working with a hosting company that is striving to attain everything you all have mentioned. Check out http://www.eaccounts.net/ref/jp52950052/referer=emaillink I do the Beta testing for them and have all of my sites hosted there. If there is something missing, let me know and I'll bring it up to them. Jeff Pearson > -----Original Message----- > From: Richard Baskett [mailto:rickbaskett@home.com] > Sent: Wednesday, August 01, 2001 6:00 PM > To: php-general@lists.php.net > Subject: Re: [PHP] What would you want in a PHP web host? > > > Please tell me what host you use!! I cant even seem to get the host I am > going through to upgrade php. They'll do it when they feel like is pretty > much the response I get. Other host responses: "We don't support php or > mysql" "Sometime in the future, but currently no support", > "You're the only > person that has requested it, so until more demand, we're not going to > support it" Frustrating, frustrating, frustrating, especially when I feel > like it's the wave of the future. A host that provides everything you've > specified... is to die for :) > > So if you have a list... please do tell! :) > > Rick > > > [this is long] > > > > on 8/1/01 1:06 AM, Derek Del Conte at derek@gambitdesign.com wrote: > > > >> I have been developing PHP for a while now, and I am wondering > how other > >> developers find their PHP hosting company. So far this has not been an > >> issue for me because I am always in full control of my servers > (well, as > >> much control as possible with any web server :), but recently > we have begun > >> to host other PHP sites. > > > > my background is networking. i've built and maintained a number of > > increasingly complex networks over the years and at times have been > > intimately involved in the customer support piece. i have had > many jobs in > > the customer support area outside of technology too. now i > write and host > > php apps. > > > >> We want to make sure that we are providing appropriate support > to our PHP > >> developers. I see too many hosting companies saying that they > support PHP, > >> but not having anyone familiar with PHP on hand. We want to > have actual > >> support, a developer to call when you have a PHP issue. > > > > do you _really_ want to pay someone 24x7x365 to maintain a php > help line? > > the best coding happens outside the 9-5 window. > > > > the way i see it, as a php hosting site, your job is to keep > the servers up > > and running, 24x7x365, bug-free and up-to-date. php support is > for software > > consultants (which isn't to say that you can't do both) folks who need > > hosting want realiable hosting. > >> > >> > >> What do you think a medium sized hosting company could do to > give you (the > >> developer) better service and support? > > > > honesty, reliability, communication, response, bandwidth. > > > >> Is access to professional PHP developers useful when an issue arises? > > > > i doubt it, but imagine you could come up with a business model for > > providing php development support. probably long term stuff. > maybe write and > > maintain an application for someone, or possibly training... > > > > i would think of hosting and consulting as separate symbiotic > businesses. > > you'll get some referral business and a little cross-over, but > don't expect > > most hosting customers to want support or for folks who've used you to > > consult on a project to host their app with you. > > > >> Are hosting companies reluctant to give you more access rights? > > > > if they say 'no', does their reason atleast seem reasonable? are they > > willing to think about it and get back to you? do they say > 'yes' when they > > should be saying 'yes'? > > > >> Are they willing to re-compile their PHP build to add other options? > > > > as someone else has said, all options. php hosting should be > php hosting. > > > > caveat--if there are some options that most folks would reasonably call > > 'optional' or 'dangerous', these shouldn't be expected. i am > pretty new at > > programming and php, so i have no idea if things like this exist. i > > personally only compile in the options i use. > > > >> How long do requested changes to the server take? > > > > unreasonable delays are unacceptable. i mean, if you can get it > done, do it. > > these are our customers. they are giving us money :) > > > > you (or your server dude(ette)) should be as excited as your > customer is for > > the new features. you should be saying "whoa, i can't believe > that's not in > > there. hold on... ... ... ok, try it now. it works? cool, have > a good one. > > <click>" :) > > > > (obviously, don't do anything to your box you don't understand, and > > security, security, security, but you get the picture) > > > >> What other suggestions do you have for improving the > relationship between > >> the server administrator and the PHP developer? > > > > do the right thing! > > > > i've been on both sides of this (positive and negative :) tell your > > customers everything you know. make it easy for them to obtain > any and all > > reasonable information 24 hours a day. anticipate customer > needs. constantly > > re-evaluate all of your policies and let your customers know them. > > > > your business should constantly evolve to your changing > customer base. when > > a customer makes a request for something you haven't considered, your > > response should be "hmmm..., that's interesting. let us talk > about that a > > little and get back to you". and then, slap yourself for not having > > anticipated the request, talk about it and get back to them. keep them > > informed. > > > > the successful enterprises i've been involved with cared about their > > customers, educated themselves about their endeavor and did the > right thing. > > too many businesses make decisions for the wrong reasons--political > > infighting, process management, knee-jerk reaction, unmotivated > employee, > > you name it. when a question arises, folks need to openly discuss it and > > come to concensus. too many folks can't admit they might not > know something > > (or even that times have changed) and they keep doing the wrong thing. > > > > do the right thing! > > > >> I spent some time going through the PHP site looking at the > list of hosts > >> supporting PHP, but I didn't find any real discussion about > what people want > >> in a host (although I did find plenty of things they don't want :). > > > > think about what you want in support from your vendors. support > is support. > > even monkeys can be trained. it takes someone who cares to provide good > > support. > > > >> I just figured that I would ask the PHP community exactly what > they wanted. > >> Thank you for any insight that you can give me. > > > > well, not much of my knowledge is php related, but what the heck :) > > > >> > >> --derek > > > > > > -- mike cullerton > > > > > > > > -- > > PHP General Mailing List (http://www.php.net/) > > To unsubscribe, e-mail: php-general-unsubscribe@lists.php.net > > For additional commands, e-mail: php-general-help@lists.php.net > > To contact the list administrators, e-mail: php-list-admin@lists.php.net > > > > > -- > PHP General Mailing List (http://www.php.net/) > To unsubscribe, e-mail: php-general-unsubscribe@lists.php.net > For additional commands, e-mail: php-general-help@lists.php.net > To contact the list administrators, e-mail: php-list-admin@lists.php.net >