“What I’ve got, how I choose it, how I got it, why I think I need it and what I know about how to use it” 

Why I think I need it – Hosting, yes this where I cocked-up a tiny bit.  I’ve been mulling over the ideas for this site for few months, I know I wanted to include blogging and integrate it with a web site. Blogs look, with my novice eyes as the easiest, pre-packaged way to include elements of interactivity.  It didn’t take long to realise WordPress would be the way to go – More in the next article. I mention it here, as the specification for WordPress requires Host with a least one Database.  

Why did I need my own Host? Why not some freespace?. Apart from being a megalomaniac and wanting total control, I discovered – 1. It’s easier to be found if you are at the top level of a domain, so major SEO advantages and 2. Google Analytics didn’t work unless the tracking code was at a root level. (might have changed now ) 3. When iDoStuff gathers momentum It’ll need space and bandwidth.

How I choose it-I’m already a customer of “123-reg”, having bought the domain name from them and with another site hosted there, they where my first port of call.  At the time I looked, the Database was going to be a expensive optional extra. (Just had a quick look, it still is dear but things might change, let me know). So some searching later and much time spent on review sites, I ended up at eUKhost. 

What I’ve got –The choice was a bit of a stab in the dark as I don’t know anything about half of the specifications and the widgets that come with it. I choose a Hosting Package called ” cPannel Linux Bronze” for £39.99 a year. It has unlimited Databases, 500MB  disc space and 5GB Monthly Bandwidth.  I don’t know if I’ll need that much but what the hell!

How I got it – Easy just get the credit card out again and fill in some details.

What I know about how to use this hosting package – 99% next to nothing. My previous experience, with the 123-reg host was just to FTP the site through from inside Adobe GOLive and Bobs mi Uncle, nothing else to it. (Maybe there is more there but I’ve never seen it). The hosting from eUKhost  has this CPanel interface that gives a bewildering array of options, facilities and add-ons, nothings ever simple is it!  Diving it in to it I can see there’s loads of things in there I might need at some point but first things first. Break it down in to simple steps, and plod on, that’s the way to climb mountains.

I’ll feel like I’m getting somewhere if I can get a home page for iDoStuffup there. (creating the page is for another post). After following the instructions to FTP the page using a temporary host name I hit a brick wall. Climbing over it by trying everything I could think of with logins, user-names, addresses etc., I eventually made it. The first page of iDoStuff was born unto this world.

A few more hours spent on cPanneland I had set up an email address and had configured my Outlook express to pull them in.

That probably makes me about 95% ignorant now.

Anyone spotted the little cock-up? …. The domain name was with 123-reg.  I think I could have forwarded the name to point at my host but it started looking like a level of complexity I could do without.  Some more head scratching and searching and I ended up transferring the name from 123-reg to eUKhost and got billed £12 for it. I felt diddled ” A fool and his money are easy to part ” hey ho, I might as well stand on my head and tell a few jokes while I’m at it.