�Decisions, decisions...�
2001-04-02, 10:30:00:

Almost a year and I haven't written anything. Gotta wonder.

Okay, so what's new?

• I've become a domain name collector. I have quite a few. I need to stop doing that. None of them except restlessmind.com is hosted up.
• I got a job as an actual, honest-to-gosh web/software developer. Scary, 'eh? This means soon I'll have money for some decent hosting.
• The only cost-effective way to host more than a few domains is to get a dedicated server.

This means I'm in the market for a cheap dedicated server sometime soon.

So here I am, in search of a dedicated server. Nothing mind-shattering, but I want a good, Unix-based server for as little as possible to host a few goodies here and there. You know, personal stuff, a couple friends' things, and maybe a couple money-making prospects (well, given that I just registered redheadworhsip.com, I think you know what I mean).

The obvious answer? 4webspace.com offers a dedicated Cobalt Raq 3 server for $99 a month with 100 gigs of traffic. 100 gigs is a lot. A lot. They have no content restrictions (i.e., adult is okay), so on, so forth. Sounds like a good deal.

But wait! Rackshack.net offers Cobalt Raq 4s (more disk space, 50% faster CPU, more default memory) with 150 gigs of traffic for $99 a month, too. However, they have an adult content restriction. Bummer. It doesn't help that they are a division of a local Houston ISP, Everyone's Internet. I hold things like this against people.

Another potential pitfall? I have a new girlfriend. She's sweet and sort of country and conservative. She might not think highly of me running an adult site, even if it helps make us comfortable financially.

Given the possibility that she may put the kibosh on it, then rackshack.net would be the way to go. Otherwise, 4webspace.com would be the way to go.

Are they the only options? Not hardly. Check out this site, that lists dedicated hosting plans that are under or near $100 a month. I could probably go as high as $150 a month (that's a little over 5% of my monthly take-home income at this point), if I am just going as a hobby, and probably go even higher if I'm making money.

Decisions, decisions. Grr.

Alternatively, it'd be nice if I could just move into the Waldenweb apartments and then I could just host my own server. I'd learn more, if it was broke I could fix it, I could distribute load over a couple machines (maybe load balance or run the database and image transfers on their own machines?). However, my SO and I discuss living together in the semi-near future, so I wonder what she'd think about living in Geek Hell apartments, especially considering that she has a ten year old daughter (who she refers to towards me as "your daughter" already... awww... [smile]).

Don't you wish money were no object sometimes?