Posted by Tristan G on
September 20, 2008
Wordpress.com Free Blog Hosting
Wordpress dot com is a fantastic blog host which currently has over 4 million blofs created on it by users. You can get anything on there from mods to plugins. Many popular blogs are there too. It is much better than blogspot IMO and can beat anything. Wordpress dot com uses their own software obviously called Wordpress which is the most popular blog software ever. There are many things you can do with wordpress dot com like…
- Your blog is up in seconds
- Totally free
- Many free themes
- Integrated stats system
- Great writing tool
- No spam
- Good support
- Many different servers, excellent uptime
- Sidebar widgets
- Track comments and backlinks
- Barely any ads, at rare times an adsense ad will be there. But just once in a while
There are many other great features but you will have to figure it out for yourself. This is great for people who don’t want to install wordpress manually and pay for web hosting etc. I believe you can also hook up your own domain name to a wordpress dot com blog. Enjoy 
Link: WordPress.com
Posted by Tristan G on
September 13, 2008
My 1AND1 HELL Story
Okay, many of you most likely have heard of 1 And 1 Web Hosting. People say their prices are superior and can’t be beat. Also their service is good. Wrong, fricken wrong! My story starts here…
I was looking for a good host and my buddy recommended 1 and 1 for web hosting. He wasn’t a large domain owner like me …he just got the business package with the 3 free domains. So I was like “cool.” Lots of space and banbdwidth plus 3 domains for only $10/month. Also on a 1-year contract.
I was so excited when I got this hosting plan. It seems so cheap and good. Though my hosting was down pretty often. Like once every 7-10 days for like 2 hours! I logged into my cPanel once everyday to check traffic stats, create databases, check webmail, etc. The thing with 1and1 is that I think everything is confirmed before happening. When I created a mysql database in their crappy custom control panel it would take atleast 30-40 minutes to be ready. By using cpanel on host gator it is instant. Also domains I would purchase would take over 2 hours to come in effect. Host Gator + Godaddy only takes 0-10 minutes. And same with subdommains for 1and1.
I was already wanting to get rid of this. But it hasn’t even been a month yet. WOW! Later on I sold one of my websites and it took forever to do a transfer of registrar. Gosh over 3 weeks to get on godaddy. It was terrible!
I was making enough money from websites so decided to get some Host Gator on the side. Just their small plan. And I just got new names to put on it.
1 AND 1 charged my credit card twice for the same pay. I was like WTF!? They really know how to piss a guy off. So I paid it and just lived on with my life. I contacted them and it took about 3 weeks for them to get back to me but they did it. Amazing eh? Lol. I told them to close my hosting account and to get out of my life. Didn’t need them there.
There is a little more to the story but its a little vague because it was well over a year ago. Just a hint, stay away from 1and1. They suck, a lot! Thanks for reading. Please comment with your experiences with them 
Posted by Tristan G on
September 11, 2008
$1 Per Month Bad Web Hosting?
I have heard a few things about this $1 per month web host, and it seems it is garbage. Hmm…here is a post from a different blog who had some problems. It is a very good post aswell.
Original Post: http://www.pinoytux.com/pinoytux/3ix-is-not-a-cheap-hosting-provider
Remember my post about transferring my site to 3ix? It was the biggest mistake I ever made with respect to my blog. I remember bragging to my blogger friends how they provide chat support and how cheap their services are. But now I take back all those things I have bragged about because with 3ix, you get what you paid for - cheap hosting.
This post is going to be long so please bear with me as I try to vent out my frustrations here in my blog. I hope someone will learn from my experience. If you decide you don’t want to read all the bru-haha, then you can skip and proceed here.
I have been a subscriber of 3ix for over six months before I transferred pinoytux.com to 3ix hosting, which worked pretty much well. I decided that free hosting no longer works for my blog so I ordered an upgrade of my account amounting to $28.10. It was OK at first. I mean I can’t transfer my database to their MySQL server but the support was kind enough to upload the dump file for me. Then hell started to break loose.
One time, I thought that my account was compromised because my homepage shows the WordPress installation page. So I asked them to check what is wrong with my account. The very kind technical support didn’t know what to do and asked me if I have backup of my database, which I did from 3 days before. So the support dumped again the file after two hours of debate why he can’t import a dump file in tar.gz and zip format. I lost some post and comments because of this but I thought, you know sh*t happens, so I guess its OK.
Then I put in SiteUptime checker to see how many times my blog went down every day. I see reports that my has become inaccessible quite a few times because I received alerts through email but I thought that it is not so bad. Maybe it was all just false positives.
Then again, the database went missing. I checked phpMyAdmin and my WP database shows no tables. So I opened a chat again with their support and this time, I asked them to change the permission of the database because it was I think that is wrong. So they did and they fixed the problem.
Then it happened again and again and again until I lost count. Finally, my patience with their antics run dry when they suspended my account because of reasons unfamiliar to me. I opened a chat and asked them why my account was suspended. Their answer was because my site is “causing high server load”.
Having limited access to my account, I asked the support what is the reason why my account was suspended. The answer I got was “check your logs”. Being a good girl that I am, tried to download the logs only to find out that the archived logs are in .exe file. I asked the support where can I get my logs, I was pointed at my CPANEL account which is what I did. When I asked the support that I can’t see the logs because it was in .exe format, he just said “never mind”. Continuing with the isolation process, he asked me if I have scripts and cron jobs. I said that I definitely don’t have a cron job and scripts running, aside from those that are included in my wordpress installation and asked the support to give me what cron job he is seeing so I can check it. I didn’t get an answer to that. What I got was the mysterious cron job was removed and the site should be fine. It never happened.
The following three days that my account was suspended without any technical reason except “site is causing high server load”, I was in hell. I can’t sleep and very frustrated with the way they handled my case. All I get from them are these lines:
- Your account is suspended for 24 hours because of high server load.
- Check your logs.
- Do you have cron job running?
- Do you have scripts running?
- (insert ps command here)
- Your account will be activated in (n) hours. You will have to wait.
I was given so much BS I was so furious. Every time I ask too many questions about my account or my site, the chat gets disconnected. Deciding I can no longer take their technical incapabilities, I requested for refund of the amount I purchased for the upgrade and rollback the account to its original package. I stated that my upgrade was bought less than 30 days ago so it should be covered by the 30 days money back guarantee. I reported this and got denied stating that they cannot issue refund but they will add the credits to my existing package. I did the math and the credits are equivalent to more than two years worth of hosting, two years of the same sh*t.
I am still appealing to them that their Terms of Agreement stipulates that ALL PAYMENTS are refundable if dispute is filed within 30 days. There was nowhere stated in their TOA that only newly created accounts are covered by the 30 days guarantee. I even asked the support from Billing Department where in their site can I find the statement that only newly opened accounts are covered by 30-days guarantee and I got this:
LiveChat2: Please read our money back guarantee terms and conditions
LiveChat2: also if there is some technical issue you can let me know and I will ask a tech to check
LiveChat2: but refund again its not possible
rai: I have asked you tech over and over and over again
rai: Refunds and Disputes All payments to 3iX are non refundable (unless covered by 30-day Money Back Guarantee). This includes any setup fees and monthly fees regardless of usage. All billing disputes must be reported within 30 days of the time the dispute occurred. Disputed charges to your credit card issuer, also known as charge backs, in 3iX’s discretion which is valid, under the terms and conditions of our SLA, AUP, and TOS, will result in service interruption, and reconnection fees to restore the desired service. 30 Day Money Back Guarantee All hosting plans come with a 30 day money guarantee. If for whatever reason we fail to satisfy your needs and are within 30 days we will fully refund your money all we ask is you give us a reason so this will help us improve as a company, we will not deduct ANY fee.
rai: All payments to 3iX are non refundable (unless covered by 30-day Money Back Guarantee). This includes any setup fees and monthly fees regardless of usage.
rai: ALL PAYMENTS
rai: UNLESS COVERED BY 30 DAYS
rai: REGARDLESS OF USAGE
LiveChat2: correct so when did you first signup with us
LiveChat2: calculate from that day 30 days and let me know when the 30 days ended
rai: WHERE DID IT SAY THAT UPGRADES ARE NOT COVERED BY 30DAYS GUARANTEE?
rai: I PAID FOR THE UPGRADE APRIL 6
rai: not november
LiveChat2: Do you understand when it says 30 day money back guranteed ?
rai: I am not asking to refund the initial $12
rai: I am asking you to refund what I paid for the upgrade
rai: $28.10
rai: which is why I asked for downgrade
rai: show where it says that payment for upgrades are not covered by the guarantee
rai: When you say all payments, it includes the upgrade
rai: the invoice was issued april 6
rai: that is the refund I want to get
LiveChat2: You get refunds only if the hosting account is in 30 day money back guarantee and not otherwise
LiveChat2: Please get it clear for yourself
LiveChat2: else every client would be upgrading and downgrading
rai: the upgrade is considered a different purchase
rai: because the first was just a $12 purchase
rai: I asked if i need to buy another package
rai: and your smart salesperson said i can get my account upgraded
LiveChat2: no upgrade is of an existing plan not of a different domain
LiveChat2: so its not a different purchase
rai: who also told me that 20 days is still applicable
rai: 30*
LiveChat2: no upgrade is of an existing plan not of a different domain , so its not a different purchase
rai: these problems occured when I upgraded my account
rai: I was quiet during the time prior to the upgrade
rai: you guys are unbelievable
rai: can you give me where it says that upgrades are not covered by the refund?
rai: because as I understand, when you say all payments, it means all payments made within 30 days are refundable
LiveChat2: Do you understand when it says 30 day money back gurantee ?
rai: if this is what you can give to your clients, then I am very disappointed with you
LiveChat2: neways I have made everything clear , you can come back on chat if you lead to a conclusion
LiveChat2: you will not be refunded for the upgrade
rai: can you give me what you 30 days guarantee stipulates?
LiveChat2: 30 days guarantee — any newly setup hosting account will be refunded if its in 30 days
rai: where is the link?
LiveChat2: you need to refer the money back guarantee page
rai: http://www.3ix.org/terms_of_service.php
rai: it doesnt say newly setup hosting ascounts
rai: accoutns*
rai: it says all payments
rai: please dont lie
LiveChat2: neways I have made everything clear , you can come back on chat if you lead to a conclusion , you will not be refunded for the upgrade
(Can you tell that I am really frustrated and mad?)
Oh yes, my dear readers. When you upgrade your account sometime after the 30 days, they will not give refund regardless if you are satisfied or not.
If they cannot isolate the case, then it is only a matter of time before they decide to suspend my account again for the same reason and without giving technical justification.
All in all, when I subscribed to 3ix.org, I was in no way treated as a customer. I did not received proper technical support, I was refused to get my money back and the worst, they NEVER, EVER apologized to me for the inconvenience they have caused. They never did the very basic rule of customer service, to empathize with the customer. I was treated like an ignorant customer, who knows nothing how the Internet or a computer works. Did I mentioned I lost money from ads and sponsorships in the process?
It seems that the $1 per month price is what I got from them. I got what I paid for and nothing more. They have my money so it does not matter to them whether I get the service that I should get or not.
And here is my message to 3ix.org:
You know I tried every time I talk to your support team that I want to resolve the issue “why is my site causing high server load”. Instead, you disconnected the chat and told me to check the logs, cron and scripts over and over again, which you, as my provider, cannot or will not give any further details. I do not want to resort to asking for refund because I will not be upgrading my account if I am satisfied with your service. I even spread the word to my friends and colleagues that you are one great hosting until I was refused to be given proper support. As of this writing and three days of an unattended open ticket, pinoytux.com still looks like this:
With all these obvious reasons that I am not satisfied, I was refused to be given a refund but instead, the only option presented is to use the amount I paid for to extend the credits of my original package. You have given me a choice that only works for you, not for both parties. I am very disappointed with you.
Lesson learned: If something is too good to be true, it probably is.
To those who made it this far, I thank you for reading my story. I hope there are lessons learned from my experience. You are welcome to make comments.
Update (May 07 10:54 AM):
My IP at home was blocked from accessing my site including cpanel and ftp. I asked the support why my IP was blocked and the logical explanation the support gave was that there were login attempts from my IP (duh! of course there will be login attempts from my IP!). When I asked how many times should I attempt to login before the server blocks my ip and he said 3. Just to prove what he said, I tried to continuously login in my account with series of wrong passwords in ftp and cpanel and I still got in. How do you explain that?
Update (May 07 9:45 PM):
I transferred my hosting to 1and1.com and so far, I have not encountered any problems at all. 1and1 provides tons of help pages to guide customers in building their own sites. When I transferred my database, it only took less than 2 minutes to import my WP databases (the way it should be), compared to 3ix where I can’t import my database at all (I have to ask the support to do it for me). I will write my own review of 1and1.com sometime within the month because it is too early to tell.
Update (May 08 1:34 PM):
PinoyTux finally and formally hosted by 1and1.com and I am pleased so far. Not having to ask the support for any help is a good sign, at least for now it looks like I am actually getting what I paid for. And yes, the support ticket in 3ix is still open and last update I got was the “technicians are looking into it”.
This person uses 1and1 now, I will give you my story Friday on my bad experience with them.
Posted by Tristan G on
September 7, 2008
Freewebs.com (Webs.com) Great Beginner Site Creator!
This site creator has been around for a long time but it is so amazing and has come so far. I have decided to give the new and improved Freewebs a go. To start you need to do the following….
1. Click “Start Now”
2. Fill in your details. Your username is the subdomain (yourname.webs.com), also your email password, and etc.
3. Now select your template. There are many to choose from.
4. Here is your site editor. It is how you edit your website. It is very easy to use, makes your site look amazing!
Click publish and exit the editor. Your site is now created. Here is the quick website I made for Host Stadium :D.
Thanks for reading, this is an extreme beginners website, even I got started here
Posted by Tristan G on
August 24, 2008
(REVIEW) 40 Gigs Free Web Host!
I came across a wonderful host called “40 Gigs.” They have amazing specs and I’m going to go for a test drive on it today. Here are the full specs for the free hosting…
Disc Space: 40Gb
Bandwidth: 1000GB
Add-on Domains: 10
Crons: 2
PHP: Yes (v5)
MySQL: Yes (10 Databases)
Support: Yes
Web Stats: AW Stats
Activation: Instant
Ticket Support: Yes
Preinstalled Scripts: Yes
Control Panel: Layered Panel
Alright, I have just confirmed my email there, it came in right away to my Gmail account. Great, my hosting is up, and I have made a simple index page to show everyone this site. Click this phrase to view it. Here is what I think…
PROS
- A lot of space and bandwidth
- Great Control Panel
- Excellent Customer Service
CONS
- Too many ads
Everything else is great, they could go very far if they keep up the good work. I think one large ad at the bottom is enough, the top ad kills it. Please comment on what you think. Thanks for reading!
