I am really enjoying the new layout and design for the Web Host Magazine and Buyer’s Guide. If you have not checked it out yet, you need to point your browser towards WebHostMagazine.com and do so now. I promise you will not be sorry you did.

Here are the top five reasons why you need to check out the new Web site layout and design.

1. The entire Web site is better organized, much easier to find things.

2. WebHostMagazine.com is an industry standard - nuff said.

3. The new menu navigation is fantastic - makes it easier to find everything they cover.

4. They have a blog that I don’t ever remember seeing before at WebHostBlog.com.

5. Everything you could ever think of is covered here. If it is even remotely related to the Web hosting industry, it is here.

Now I realize that is only scratching the surface, but I want to leave a few surprises for you to find on your own. Have a hosting resource that you would like to see featured on the Web Hosting Show podcast? Drop me a line at mitch@mitchkeeler.com and let me know what it is so I can share it with the rest of the world.

+ Check Out the Podcast This Was From! Listen to the Web Hosting Show, Episode 92!

Would you like to know how fast your Web host or Web hosting company is? Would you like a tool with would help you get the information you need? Well it just happens I am going to feature one on today’s show. Along with quick news, help, my thoughts and getting your questions answered - I think we have a little bit for everybody on this week’s edition of the Web Hosting Show.

Download the Web Hosting Show, Episode 92!
Running Time: 15 minutes | File Size: 7.75 MB

Here are just a few topics that we discussed on this week’s episode of the Web Hosting Show.

• Flaming Sticks of Web Hosting Fury!
• A New Hosting Speed Tool by the Folks at HostGator.com
• Web Hosting Account Types - Covering the Basics
• “All Nude” Edition of the Web Hosting Show - Coming Soon?
• WebHostMagazine.com’s New Layout and Design
• Earthquakes, Leprechauns and Web Hosting News
• The Horrible Ice Storm of 2007

Usually when people start talking about disk space, bandwidth and Web hosting ninety percent of the world falls fast asleep. Well, I see it as my job to wake these people up and give you something worth listening to. Web hosting doesn’t have to be boring.

Personally I think it is all in the delivery. If you read boring sources, the sources are going to bore you. Here on the Web Hosting Show - I have a do not bore the listener policy.

Link of the Week: WebHostingTalk.com Forum Premium Membership - Deal or Steal?

Now there is no doubt there are a lot of Web hosting related forums out there for you to choose from, but here is one that I have never featured on this Web hosting radio show ever before. Yes, it is true. I had to go search the archives and look for myself. I have never ever mentioned HostingForum.ca.

I am going to correct this horrible wrong right now.

Now when it comes to Hosting forums - HostingForum.ca does everything right. It has all the sections that you would need or want from your message boards and there is a lot of good conversation and help as well. Here is a sum up of what they want to deliver to you from their mission statement:

Hostingforum.ca is an online Community of webhosts, hosting clients and web developers dedicated to the exchange of ideas and information relating to all aspects of web hosting, from management procurement etc.. Our goal is to become the leading resource for every web host, hosting client etc seeking the information and advice needed to plan, acquire, and manage their hosting needs.

There is also a promise of hosting deals for joining as well. Here is a little more detail found from the front page.

We also reward our posters and referrals with free hosting, domains, prizes etc. Even earn points for reading posts. We offer contests, and events that are sure to please anyone in the hosting industry, web developer or SEO at heart.

So no matter if you are a Web host, a Web developer or just somebody looking for a good conversation HostingForum.ca is one of the best places out there to do so.

Now a lot of folks might argue that WebHostingTalk.com is the king of the mountain when it comes to Web hosting message boards. That might be true, but I see a lot of forums out there that could give them a run for their money. All they need is the popularity.

+ Check Out the Podcast This Was From! Listen to the Web Hosting Show, Episode 91!

Now those of you who have been following this podcast or me for very long knows that I had launched Hosting Hoopla a few months ago as a news reader. Well that idea has come and gone and is no longer. So what was I do to with a great hosting related domain name?

Well I decided to simplify things a ‘bit and give the hosting industry a new resource to have.

I guess you could call this Hosting Hoopla 2. The domain name is staying the same though. Just point your browser at HostingHoopla.com and you will have a better idea of what I am talking about.

This time around I wanted to create what you could call a “mega” list of Web hosting related resources. I have hosting news, forums, blogs and more all listed there. Also, as you can see from the layout I am accepting any and all links from anybody just by clicking on the huge icon you see at the top.

So this is my call out to all of you. Give me your links, give me your resources. This Web site will not work on just my own bookmarks alone. I need for you to give me the links you need to have handy so everybody can get something out of using the Web site.

You see my idea here is that you can have one Web site bookmarked (or saved to your favorites) and get the entire Web hosting industry at your finger tips. I have become tired of having too many links and not having an easy way of going through them. Now both myself and all of you have a quick and easy way to access what you want, what you need and what you love.

I am open to feedback though, as always - so if you have any to share about HostingHoopla.com please send it my way to mitch@mitchkeeler.com. Let me know what you want here and I will do my best to deliver.

+ Check Out the Podcast This Was From! Listen to the Web Hosting Show, Episode 91!

Looking around the different Web hosting forums, blogs and news Web sites I have a feeling that a lot of the Web hosting world is ignoring a lot of the newer trends that are making a difference in this whole Web 2.0 era we are in.

Too many of the Web hosting standards and staples want to stay with the old way of doing things. Some hosting resources though are seeing the payoff when you use the new social Web to your advantage.

I am seeing several Web hosting Web sites using del.icio.us and other social bookmarking Web sites to gain a little more popularity for them self. You see the icons on the bottom of the posts and this builds in a lot of interactivity with the visitor. It gives them a way to save it for later or let others know about this great thing they found.

You can see a good example of this if you visit the Lunarpages blog, Lunartics. Scroll down to the bottom of any post and you will see what I mean.

A lot of Web hosts out there have big fan followings as well. Via their message boards or blog they could “rally the troops” and get loads of folks to digg them, bookmark them and share them via all these different methods. Here are a list of resources that you should check out and make sure you are listed on - one way or another.

• StumbleUpon
• Del.icio.us
• Digg
• MyBlogLog

Have more resources? Leave a comment and share them with the rest of us.

The important thing to remember is don’t feel bad if you are not making headroom just yet. No mater if you have two or two hundred people socially interacting with your links, it is good to have them there. When people search or do some random browsing, you will be there.

In a business that is driven by getting people’s attention - you can think of this as free advertising.

+ Check Out the Podcast This Was From! Listen to the Web Hosting Show, Episode 91!

I want to help you with handling the folks you thought were uncontrollable via your user forums. Now some might say that this doesn’t have much to do with the Web hosting world or the Web hosting industry in general. I beg to differ though! Just about every popular Web host I know has a set of user forums, so knowing how to handle the jerks and trolls is a necessity.

Now I know you know these guys because they are on just about every forum out there. They are not just a decoration on regular message boards, oh no. Web hosting forums have to deal with the folks as well. They cause trouble. They want fights. They create spam. They are a pain the rear. Most people would say, “Why not block them and kick them off?”. Well you could do that - but here are my full list of suggestions on how to handle these folks.

Ditch the Forum Trouble Makers

Yes, it is true you could just block these guys once they start making trouble. This is probably the easiest way of dealing with these people. Unless they just really want to bug you, they will go away after that. Some of them though will try to find ways around your blocks and keep on coming. Also, you have to worry about getting bad feedback on external sources via this guy on other places on the Internet.

Web hosts reputations are very important to them so this might be something to take into consideration.

Give the Trouble Makers Something To Do

Feel like these folks have way too much time on their hands? Well, it could be they are just looking for attention. What is one of the things you could do about or for them? Give them the attention they want. If they continue on and on about a topic - ask them to write you up a few articles on the topic.

Give them something to do and make them feel like they are helping the community. Sometimes this can cure the trouble makers because now they feel like they belong.

Kill Them With Kindness

The worst thing you can do with trouble makers is giving them a reason to come back and argue with you more. A lot of these jerks just post something crazy to get a reaction out of people. After he gets that negative attention, he feeds off it and needs more. One more way of handling your forum trouble makers would be to be extremely nice to them.

Tell them thanks for sharing their opinions. Tell them that you appreciate their point of view. Some folks will have no idea how to handle this. They will either turn around and become a positive member of the forums or they will leave. Both results would be welcomed over the previous results you were getting.

So as you can see there is more than one way to skin a cat and there is more than one way to deal with these jerks that make their homes on all forums you find out there. If one has made his or her way to your Web hosting forums, you now have at least a little help on how to deal with them.

The key thing to remember is that most of these people are just craving attention - so it is up to you on how you deal with feeding their needs.

+ Check Out the Podcast This Was From! Listen to the Web Hosting Show, Episode 91!

We all hate those annoying guys that sit in the back of the class and make visiting your Web host’s forums no fun at all. Well I have some tips and advice for anybody out there to get rid of these pesky posters once and for all.

Also, have you invested any time in using social bookmarking Web sites for free press? You should - and I’ll get you started right here on episode 91 of the Web Hosting Show.

Download the Web Hosting Show, Episode 91!
Running Time: 17 minutes | File Size: 7.58 MB

Here are just a few topics that we discussed on this week’s episode of the Web Hosting Show.

• Hosting Hoopla is Back as a Link Directory
• How to Deal with Annoying Forum Members
• HostingForum.ca Gets My Pick of the Week
• Social Bookmarking Can Lead to Lots of Free Press
• GoDaddy Wants to Sponsor This Podcast? My Controversial Answer!

You my friend have selected to listen to the number one Web hosting podcast in all of the land, the Web Hosting Show. Each and every week I try to cover some help and “how to” for both the Web hosts and the Web hosting clients that care to tune in.

If you want to know how to make the Web hosting industry work for you instead of against you - be sure to tune in right here each and every week.

Link of the Week: Mitch’s Picks for 2006’s Hosting Industry Impact Players!