Habitually Good

I have self hosted my blog since the beginning. By self-hosting, I mean I have not hosted it on wordpress.com or blogger or myspace or other such services. I use the Wordpress Blogging Software to publish it.

Finding the right Web Hosting provider has always been a big challenge. On one hand you want someone who is reliable, offers an array of features (Subdomains, databases, PHP, Email, Multiple External Domains, Asp.Net and so much more); on the other hand, you want something that fits your budget. I am a part-time blogger who likes to blog for himself. I do not make enough money off the blog; however I do try to make enough so that I can pay for the domain name and the hosting.

Why should have my own hosting and domain name if I can’t afford it? Well, here are the reasons:

• I find it cool. It’s nice to have your own domain name; it sets you apart from the millions. Think about it: blog.gadodia.net compared to gadodia.blogspot.com.
• If you have your own hosting, then there are other things that you can do with your hosting space (other than blogging). I have put up my custom applications on my hosting space separate from my blog; I have used it for FTP when needed; I can run my own email application.
• The most important thing is that I am the owner of my web pages, and no one else. If I put an advertisement on the web page, I earn from it.

Well, I am nearing my term with my current Hosting provider, WebHostASP, and I am looking for a new host. Although, these guys are fairly decent during the year, I have had some reasons to complain with them.

I am looking for a hosting provider and I have considered GoDaddy and Applied Innovations. My needs are simple:

• I have my domains bought from disparate domain registrars, so the hosting provider should allow me to configure external domains.
• I like to use sub-domains (blog.gadodia.net) and so it should allow me to configure as many as I want (or at least should have a reasonably high allowance).
• It should allow support for Asp.Net (all versions) and PHP (because I host my blog in PHP) and at least MySQL (MS SQL is a bonus).
• Of course, it should be less than $100 a year to host it.

Well, it’s about time you hosted your own blog. It’s very easy to get hosting space for less than 30-40 dollars a year. And if you are not sure of your hosting needs, then of course the best way to go is NearlyFreeSpeech.net. These guys are amazing with their pricing.

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