How can people sell domain names and hosting? Where do they get the domain names from? If I had my own server (or made my computer one), would I need to pay someone to host my website and to get a top level domain? Thanks!
How do those places (like go daddy) get the Top Level Domain Names in the first place?

District plans bake sale to benefit quake victims
HELPING HAITI RELIEF EFFORTS DENVER – An elementary school bake sale is nothing new but the students and staff of several Denver Public Schools are using the classic sale as a way to raise funds for the victims in Haiti.

Read more on 9 News Denver

More Gems I’m thankful for
Some Gems become such an integral part of your Mac’s day-to-day operation that you take them for granted. Dan Frakes revisits his Thanksgiving-day column to cover more Gems he’s thankful for.

Read more on Macworld

Alert Logic Sees Record Revenue and Customer Growth
January 25, 2010 — Cloud-based IT compliance and security solutions provider Alert Logic  announced on Monday that its revenue increased by 52 percent to $10.8 million in calendar 2009, while its customer count grew by 45 percent.

Read more on Web Host Industry Review

DOMAINZ Accredited By Int. Domain Name Body
Wellington based online solutions provider Domainz Limited confirmed today it had completed the accreditation process with international domain name body, ICANN. The accreditation allows Domainz to act as a registrar for global domain name spaces .com, .net, .org, .biz, and .info.

Read more on Scoop.co.nz

One cannot deny the fact that, choosing an ideal web host is a daunting task. One will not have an opportunity to go to host’s head office to whom he/she is going to deal with, even he/she is unable to meet with the owners of that company, to measure whether their and user’s view matches or not which makes it more miserable.

In the majority of cases, a user comes to the conclusion by surfing the details on website.

The actual search begins right from the host’s website with whom the user has decided to deal with. Does their website possess a professional look? Silly errors like typing, spelling and grammatical can easily suggest the user that what types of people are running the company.

Can a person use that website without any problem? Is purpose of designing the web is for assisting the people? Assisting resources are available on the website or not? Evaluation of these questions will easily inform the user about the importance of client for that particular company.

Which is the place where the company is situated? What is the address? Do they provide the facility of email?

One should go carefully through the conditions of Service providing. The user should ensure that the web host has clearly mentioned both their priority and anticipation from the user in their document. No doubt, every deal is different from other, but everybody should know what each deal signifies.

Subsequently, user should extract information about the company through search engine, such as, Google. Is user getting any unfair report? Offbeat searching methods can also be useful, for example, displaying company’s name pursued by words such as “scam”, “poor support” etc.

At last, one should throw electronic mails to the customer support department to check how much the duration of their response is. Is it slow or instant?

If one seriously considers the above mentioned tips, it is not impossible to locate a needle from a lump of sand!!

Today, there will be quite few webmasters only who were not common to “shared” web hosting accounts. The term shared hosting account refers to a place where one can rent a small amount of space on the server along with several other clients.

It may seem to be a cheap way to begin online but user needs to face several problems also. Chiefly, user may counter problems related to email delivery. This may be due to complaints of spam on other sites but on the same server. User will find his/her site in a crater, if any other client will possess heavy load on the same server. In addition to it one may need to face downtime due to antisocial activities such as hacking etc.

What way one can avoid all these circumstances?

Answer is quite simple, rising to a virtual dedicated server. It will act as user’s own dedicated server. Quite cheaper as user will user only a part of the server.

One can refer search engines for this purpose just by typing “virtual dedicated hosting”. Virtuozzo is the chief commercial software used to run such services.

User can find virtual dedicated server accounts beginning at the price of $30 per month in the market. User can enjoy an ample amount of bandwidth plus several exclusive IP addresses and can avoid troubles usually prevailing with shared hosting.

Thus, what is the actual benefit? Not more than spending high amount every month. Requirement of technical command is must when one deal with virtual dedicated hosting. One can consider it to be a drawback in this sector.

User should denote time to understand essential Linux skills so that his/her server can work efficiently.

One can find several hosting providers in the market delivering a “premium” support to the users so that inexperienced and unfamiliar users to Linux or virtual dedicated hosting can also carry out their work efficiently.

One can enjoy speed and bandwidth without much trouble when it comes to virtual dedicated hosting. However, user must have some money to spend. One should take any decision carefully because no one is going to be adversely affected other than the user when his/her site suffers from difficulties.

Explanations to all web hosting cpanel account features that comes with every purchase.

99% Uptime Guarantee – A promise that your website will not be disconnected to the internet. 99% means your website will be connected to internet only next to daily server maintainance such as daily reboots.

Domains and FTP

Addon Domains/Parked Domains – The number of additional domain names allowed to be hosted under the current plan.

Sub Domains – The number of new domains your allowed to create from your current domain name under the current plan.

FTP Accounts – FTP stands for file transfer protocol. A FTP account allows you to create directories under your website for others to access files. Transfering files to your website is done by a FTP program.

Anonymous FTP – Allows others to transfer or views files without a required login.

Supported features

MySQL Databases – Allows installations or creations of popular scripts and programs such as forums.

CGI – Allows installations or creations of popular scripts and programs such as forums.

PHP4 & 5 – Allows installations or creations of popular scripts and programs such as forums.

Ruby on Rails – An open source web framework optimized for writting codes or coding

SSH – Allows the integration of developing and debugging files with text editors such as vim or nano.

Perl – Allows installations or creations of popular scripts and programs such as forums.

Chilisoft ASP – Creates dynamic web based applications by combining scripts, html, customer server components and robust database publishing.

Python – Allows installations or creations of popular scripts and programs such as forums.

SSI- Perl based HTML commands that optimizes the directing of a server to a web page.

Cron – Allows scheduled timings of commands.

Frontpage – A Microsoft application that allows you to create and upload websites.

Curl – A command line tool for transferring files with url syntax.

GD – Creates images such as PNG and JPEG.

Image Magick – A collection of tools and libraries to read, write, and manipulate an image in many formats.

Streaming Audio/Video – Allows video and audio files to shown and viewed on your website.

Free Module Installation -

E-mail

POP 3 Accounts – POP accounts are used to send and receive emails through programs such as Outlook Express or Eudora.

Web Mail – Send and receive emails by online

Email Alias – Allows you to setup multiple email addresses to go to a single mail box.

Auto Responders – Create instant automatic replies for recieved incoming email messages.

Mailing Lists – Create a email group to send out messages instantaneously.

Catch Alls – Allows to relocate and catch all emails sent out to wrong email addresses.

Spam Assassin – Blocks spam getting sent to your email.

Mail Forwarding – Forward emails to desired email addresses.

IMAP Support – “IMAP permits a “client” email program to access remote message stores as if they were local.”

SMTP – Enables outgoing email messages.

Conrol panel features

Fantastico – Automatically installs scripts to your website.

Soho Lauch – A creation website application.

Hotlink Protection – Protects your website from links being stolen to be used on other websites.

IP Deny Manager – Allows you to block, control and manage all users accessing your website.

Custom Error Pages – Customize errors and non existant pages for redirection.

Instant Blogs – Automatically creates blogs

Instant Portals – Automatically installs protals.

Instant PHPNuke – Automatically creates and installs PHP Nukes

Instant Forums – Automatically creates and installs forums.

Instant Guest Books – Automatically creates and installs guest books.

Instant Counter – Allows you to track the number of visitors of your websites.

Instant FormMail – Automatically create email forms for your website.

Redirect URL – Redirect your website addresses to another.

Web Based File Manager – An application tool that allows you to upload files through the web by control panel.

PW Protected Directories – Protect your website with passwords.

phpMyAdmin – Allows easy management of your databases.

Web FTP Statistics

AWStats – Real time updates and stats

Webalizer – Displays website traffic statistics.

Raw Log Manager – Allows you to download your website raw logs.

Referrer Logs – Track your websites traffic and visitors.

Error Logs – Notifies you of any visitors recieving web errors.

E-commerce Features

Shared SSL – SSL encrypts confidential data such as credit card numbers and passwords.

Private SSL – Encrypts confidential data such as credit card numbers and passwords on a private server.

Agora Cart – A shopping cart

osCommerce – A shopping cart

ZenCart- A shopping cart

CubeCart- A shopping cart

Think! A user possesses a web site, searching for a hosting company to host it. Options are plenty but when it comes to affordability and reliability they are quite few. Hence, how a user can know which the ideal one is? What are the qualities in a good hosting company?

Given below are some of the tips which can assist the user to end the search to an ideal hosting company:

1. Is the site having a professional look?

A company website reflects the identity of that company. User should verify that the host’s site is designed to perfection and have a matured look.

2. Does their customer service available by phone during user’s peak hours and email service throughout 24 hours a day, seven days a week?

Several Hosting companies take a huge time to response back and some even don’t make their phone number available to the user. One can secretly inquire about there customer service potential like for example through a call containing a problem. This will give the user an idea about there response time. It is very essential before making a contract with a company.

3. Are they too lenient than requirement with the cost or robbing with the cost?

One should keep the mind open, while reading next lines. If the host of a particular user is charging under $5 then the probability of inferior quality service and technology will be quite high. Also if the service costs are more than the usual then it can be a sweetly robbing case. One cannot conclude a fix amount when it comes to web hosting pricing, it can vary from host to host according to their standard and quality of service and reliability.

Hence, a host no.1 can only be that company which provides excellent and firm support, always be ready to serve the customers with a smile, and above all, should value his/her customers. User should not get magnetized towards absurd declarations of hosting companies. There is no means that companies demanding high payments will provide more facilities.

Its all about the name…and that pretty much sums it up.

Ladies and gentlemen take a ride on my roller coaster as I explore the importance of having a solid domain strategy. From domain parking to domain development, follow me through the ups and downs, lefts and rights of the domain name industry.

Has it ever made you wonder why some domains names command such huge figures at auction or why generic domain names are better, or not, for search engine placement? You may be torn between registering a keyword-rich domain name or just something cool and snazzy that you can brand as your own. If you have these types of questions buzzing around your mind when thinking about the domain name you should choose for your website or online project don’t feel that you are alone.

When I started getting involved in domain names, I was puzzled by these issues and some still baffle me today. However the domain name industry is no different to any other and the simple concepts of supply and demand still apply. I like to think of domains in relation to the property market. A domain name is like a piece of land that has yet to be developed. Now you may have a great idea for that piece of land, like building a shopping centre on it or just making it look pretty by cleaning it up and planting some trees. You could rent the land out to someone who wants to use it or just sit on it and hope that it goes up in value to sell it at a later date. This analogy really does sum up whats happening in the domain name industry at the moment. Your particular domain strategy is what ever works for you; it relies solely on your individual goals for that particular domain.

I personally feel that the intrinsic value of a domain name lies in the development potential behind it and that realising the value by turning the domain into a tangible asset is the only way to unlock the true core of what is an extremely exciting and rewarding industry to be a part of.

You can register a good domain name through many of the domain name registrars and begin developing it almost immediately. However creating a solid domain strategy and following it to fruition should be the goal of any would-be “domainer.”

Many people have made a lot of money by acquiring high traffic domain names and “parking” them, peppering them with sponsored links and monetising them that way, but where’s the fun in that? Well, lots of money for a start which is always nice! But seriously, even the most hardened domainers are now turning their backs on simply parking their domains and 2009 appears to be the turning point in the industry where many seasoned pros are turning their heads to domain development.

I’ve been involved with domain names for some years now, I have bought and sold domains, developed them, parked them and explored many ways of marketing them online to maximise their potential value. I am now dedicating a blog to the domain name industry and sharing my experiences, trials and tribulations, good times and bad. I will also be sharing my views on domain industry news and host a diary of the current domain development projects I am working on.

If you would like to share your comments, views, experiences or anything else you may or may not know about domains it would be great to hear from you. So please feel free to post a comment below. Oh, and if there is a subject within the domain name industry which you would like me to research and write an article about please let me know. Thanks for reading and watch this space for more articles about domains.