Web Hosting and Domain Names

If you are a regular reader of this site, you may recall that I have mentioned from time to time, that I would like to leave Blogger and get my own hosting. Although it is a good platform, I really want to have more control over my own site. As a prime example of this, earlier this year I was going through some old articles on my site and updating some of the affiliate links. Well, while I was updating the third article, I noticed that I had to use word verification to save the changes. I thought that was kind of odd, but I went ahead and completed my work. Later, when I went to check my Email, I saw a message from Blogger stating that I have been locked out of my site, because they considered it a spam site. Yup, I was locked out of my OWN site for at least twelve hours. Obviously they let me back in, but I never received any apology or explanation as to why I was locked out.

This little adventure taught me a few things and one of them was to back-up my site. Just about once a month I export my entire site and back it up on my computer…just in case. It was also after this that I began my first foray into the wonderful and confusing world of website hosting. Although it may seem like the easiest thing in the world to do, to those like me who have never ventured into these waters, it can be somewhat intimidating. With Blogger, all I have to worry about is updating my site with fascinating and intellectually stimulating articles (something I have yet to achieve) and they take care of the rest. However, from my experience earlier this year, I discovered that along with this freedom I lost something very important…control.

So, as I began my search for a host I discovered something that I would need to address before signing on the dotted line: I needed a domain name. For those who may be very new to this game, a domain name is the name you give your website; in other words, it is what you add the “.com” to. Once again, it may seem like the easiest thing to do, but when you choose a domain name, you need to be sure that it is easy to remember and easy to type. After all, the main goal is to get people to come to your site and having a memorable domain name makes that easier. Another thing you will need to keep in mind is the fact that the name you want may already be taken. Unfortunately, this is the case with me, because everyday living.com is already being used. With this in mind I need to come up with another name; one that is somewhat descriptive of my site, yet be easy to remember like drivel.com. Well, I just checked and that name is taken as well. Anyway, I hope you get the general idea.

Once you have your name and you have made sure that it is available, you need to find which company you want to use. The best way to do this is to ask your friends and blogging buddies, because they can give you first-hand knowledge on the companies. Depending on the company you choose, you may be able to register your domain name with them for free. Free is good, right? I think so, but when it comes to domain registration you will need to check the fine print on the contract and be sure that, if for some reason you decide to go with another hosting company, you can take your domain name with you. After all, the domain name is your identity on the Internet and you don’t want to risk any chance of losing it.

Although there are many other factors to consider when choosing your host, picking your domain name will be one of the first things you will need to do. If you can, try and make the name descriptive of your site. You may also want to make the name easy to remember and easy to type. I know there may be some out there saying that most people do not type in URL’s, but rather they stumble upon sites through the search engines. In my case, that is correct, but why make it more difficult? Finally, don’t rush into it, but give it some thought, because more than likely you will be staying with that name for years to come. For a comprehensive guide through this process, please click on any of the above links and be prepared to have your questions answered.


disclosure...Oh, in case you didn't know, this is a paid post

My New Year's Resolution

I am still desperately trying to find my muse. I have a suspicion that she (hey, I'm a guy) is on vacation somewhere; most likely a beach in the Bahamas. So, since I am still currently muse-less, I have come up with some holiday-style drivel for your amusement...


It is now the time of year for everyone to make their New Year's resolutions. So, in keeping with that spirit, I feel that it would be appropriate to share mine with all of you. So, without further adieu: in 2010 I resolve to not make any resolutions this year.

There, now I don't have anything to remember and absolutely nothing to feel guilty about. I know that if I make a resolution, I will just end up breaking it in a few weeks, so why bother making it in the first place? I mean, I have enough things to think about without having to worry about some silly resolution. So, by resolving not to make a resolution, I can actually rid myself of that unwanted guilt.

But wait a minute, if I resolve not to make a resolution, didn't I just make a resolution? This seems to be a no-win situation: if I make a resolution, I have to spend my valuable time trying to keep it. If I don't make one, I actually just did. This sounds suspiciously like a government program to me.

Wanted: Motivation

I don't know what's wrong, but for the past several days, I have not had any ambition to do anything productive. Yes, I still exercise and do the cooking and cleaning, but wanting to do anything extra...forget it.

A few years ago, I installed laminate flooring in our living room, dining room and hall way. Now, in order to install the flooring, I needed to remove the base trim from the walls. I was very careful to number each piece and I transferred that number to a corresponding drawing. That way, I would be able to find which piece went where and just install it. Well, those trim pieces are sitting out in the garage and just beckoning me to re-install them. I know it needs to be done, but I just don't have the motivation to do it. Anyway, it looks as if I managed to lose that all-important drawing, so whenever I do get around to re-installing the trim, it's going to be like putting a jigsaw puzzle together.

As you can probably tell from the tempo of this little article, I am even having trouble motivating myself to write this. It just seems that lately, I cannot think of anything to write about. Is it the weather or just a lingering feeling of listlessness that has decided to move into my happy household? I have no idea, but hopefully it will not be staying very long.

Well, I think I've done enough damage for one day, so I'm off to watch the news and maybe put in a really stupid movie.

photo courtesy of... lolpix.com