Archive for the ‘Reviews’ Category

Real Reasons to Boycott GoDaddy

Posted on April 2nd, 2011 by emdash in Opinion, Reviews

You shouldn’t switch from GoDaddy because of this!!

Here’s why you should switch from GoDaddy as a hosting/domain provider:

1) They hijack domains. If you type an internet address into GoDaddy to make sure it’s available, their agents will snap it up and charge you extra to “unlock” it.

2) Their control panel sucks. It’s not the worst I’ve seen, but they lack the standard Apache file permissions system. I know your eyes are glazing over right now, so I’ll make it simple: WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal -based websites on GoDaddy ARE HELL to set up. If you ever want to consider a content-managed website, where you can update it yourself, you should also consider a new domain registrar and host.

3) They charge extra for services that are considered standard. Every web host offers X amount of email addresses, right?? Wrong. It’s another charge with GoDaddy, for something you can get for free with other shared hosting companies.

4) They fail to actually set up basic hosting packages for their clients. If you buy a domain/hosting package through GoDaddy, they won’t repoint your domain DNS automatically the way every other hosting company since 2005 does. In human speak: your site don’t do nuttin until you phone them or consult their buried Knowledge Base ™ to find out how to do this yourself. How obscure to the average web user is DNS? I’m still figuring out what the frak it is. I only just figured out how to make subdomains point to another host completely. This is geek territory, folks, which is why most webhosts pay geeks $20/hr to do this crap for you.

Okay, if you’re still not sold, I guess you can still be upset at the fact their CEO shot an endangered species and made a publicity video out of it.

If you have horror stories to tell about GoDaddy hosting or domain services, please share them in the comments.

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My experiences with shared hosting.

Posted on October 11th, 2010 by emdash in Opinion, Reviews

It’s hardly a secret that most of my work these days is in web development rather than print/website design (I’d like this to change, but I’m not about to turn down work either!) The majority of my clients use shared hosting services; with small brochure-style websites or simple CMS-driven corporate sites, there’s no need for dedicated hosting.

I’m often asked to recommend a hosting company. The truth is, I simply can’t these days. I’ve had fairly awful experiences with pretty much every shared hosting company I’ve tried. In this post, I’m going to list my honest experiences with the big names (as well as some small companies out there.)

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Workable – not a word, but a web app.

Posted on July 4th, 2010 by emdash in Reviews, Work

Like (I suspect) a lot of freelancers relatively new to the working world, I often struggle with setting and recording tasks for myself. This problem was exacerbated when the Pixel Foundry was formed… suddenly tasks and goals had to be shared between 2(+) people.

Now, I don’t really like using little cutesy apps for my task lists. I find I have an initial liking for the software, then gradually use it less and less until I’m back to writing To Do lists in my ubiquitous sketchbook.  Let me go over some simple things I’ve tried for project/task management:

1. Writing To Do lists in my sketchbook. I keep reverting to this like an old, old friend. Recently, I mistakenly left my sketchbook at a clients’ in North Van, and was unable to pick it up for a week. Obviously this system has flaws.

project management the old fashioned way

2. To Do lists in iCal. This works very very well ‘cos I can set reminders in iCal as well as deadlines, colour code categories, etc. iCal’s printed lists of weekly tasks and events are, easily, the best I’ve seen for free or OS software… they’re formatted, attractive, and readable. However, iCal will sync events to your iPhone, but not the To Do list. This needs to be remedied before the iCal app becomes useful to me.

3. EasyTask. This is an iPhone app I installed once I realized my poor iCal To Dos were AWOL on the iPhone. It gives you a great sense of satisfaction to be able to press a huge red (COMPLETE TASK) button. Like iCal’s To Dos, it lets you set deadlines and categories. This is probably the best of the iPhone (free) apps I tried for tasks. However, it’s on the iPhone only (for free), and my phone likes to run out of batteries. Clearly, I need a solution that works on more than my mobile device.

4. Various trials for paid software. I have a real aversion to paying for things, I have to admit. Hence my love of open-source code, bars without cover charges, and tasting samples at Costco. Of the paid software/systems out there for project management, the Action Method looked the most promising (for those of us who love paper and hate trees, they offer printed notebooks and pads that use the method.) Since my track record for actually using these things is pretty sad, there’s little to no chance I’m actually going to pay for task management software.

5. A whiteboard checklist. This is actually in use at one place I’ve worked at… similarly, this office didn’t accept that emails are better/more efficient than faxes, that computers have to be newer than 5 years old to run new software, and that floppy disks really weren’t the best way to backup data. I think I might’ve convinced them to switch to iCal, however.

Lately, I’ve been trying something that seems to work for me. Most importantly, it also works for Kelly and the Pixel Foundry. It’s Workable. That’s the name of this web-based project management software, currently in beta.

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dot tel: organized and up-to-date contact info

Posted on June 9th, 2010 by emdash in Reviews

Participants at the Freelance Camp 2010 received a voucher for a .tel domain through webnames.ca – naturally, I wanted to set it up asap because I apparently don’t have enough websites.

Dot tel is an interesting idea: rather than a domain for any hosted website, it uses DNS records to display the information you input. The concept: you’ll use it to keep up-to-date contact info, rather like a digital business card. Rather than reprint contact information on your stationery or email your entire address book when you change your phone number, you’ll point everyone to your .tel address for the latest methods to reach you.

I chose meganseely.tel for my domain, and treated the account like a directory of what I do and ways you can pester me on the internet. I’m not sure how useful I’ll find this (or annoying,) but at the very least it gives me one place to look to see which social media I haven’t logged into or updated in months.

In a sudden fit of fancy, I added all my Second Life details. (How I’ve managed to run a virtual business in Second Life is probably a useful topic for another blog post, or twenty.) Both of my design companies are listed with all their contact details. My personal link includes my birthday, in case strangers feel compelled to buy me a drink or present on August 25th.

I found the interface for the .tel setup more than a little confusing. For example, there’s a section for keywords. This is for search engines, it claims. But the keywords section includes space to write your address, hobbies, nicknames, etc… and shows up on the page itself. (Note there’s no way to add an address under your general contact info.) I always thought keywords were… well… keywords.

I’d also have liked to see a bit more thought put into the themes for .tel. Now, I realize with an annual price tag of $20 and no hosting fees, it’s not going to be a full-fledged website, nor should I expect it to be. I’d like to have been able to change my font colours as well as my background colours, though, since the text defaults to white on several of the page design options and I use a pale silvery grey for everything Em Dashy.

I was a lot happier once I figured out I could have subdomains on .tel for all my information types. I’ve split it up by company, but you could easily do: Work, Personal, Social Media or Day Job, Freelance Company, Personal, etc. The subdomains worked quite well for me, since I’ve got more than one thing on the go.

Overall, for the price tag, I’d recommend getting a .tel for anyone who uses online networking for their business. More than just an online business card, it can serve as a one-stop spot for potential clients/customers to learn everything about you. Think LinkedIn without the boring resume reading.

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Postscript: The generational gap is showing here: I’m young enough to see the “V-Card” link on the dot tel page, and think that if I click it, it means I’m no longer a virgin.

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