Related Podcast Link: Listen to Episode 112!

It has been a while since we covered the latest happenings from around the wild and wacky world of web hosting so I figured I’d take a break from the how to and help to let you know what exactly has been going on out there.

Hosting Headline #1

Web Host Drops Celebrity Blog - Web hosting provider Crucial Paradigm has dropped celebrity blogger Perez Hilton’s Web site, after the Web host sent numerous warnings to the site’s administrator claiming that the site was in violation of copyrighted celebrity images.

Good for Perez Hilton. I am sure there would be a great number of web hosts out there that would be willing to pick him up at any given moment. Perez is claiming that the photos he uses are all under the protection of “fair use” so I don’t see where the issue might be here.

Hosting Headline #2

Internet2 Uses Level 3 Network - Telecommunications provider Level 3 Communications’ Business Markets Group announced on Tuesday that the Internet2 nationwide, dedicated network services backbone is operational. The new 100Gbps network increases the bandwidth and scalability to deliver emerging applications for the Internet2 research and education community.

Well, at least they aren’t calling it Internet 2.0. I think the Internet2 concept it still a long ways away but it is nice to see it is still slowly progressing.

Hosting Headline #3

SherpaHost Prepares for iPhone Debut - Web hosting provider SherpaHost announced on Monday that the demand for .mobi domain name extensions has increased because of the growing anticipation over the Apple iPhone’s debut on June 29.

I don’t really understand where you can put one and one together and make two out of this. The iPhone will be able to view any web page and doesn’t “need” the .mobi extension. Reason number 2,564 why the .mobi domain name was a stupid idea from the start.

Have an interesting ‘bit of news or headline to share?

Related Podcast Link: Listen to Episode 112!

When it comes to services based around the web hosting industry, I really like the ones that don’t just add to the noise. They really answer a need the industry has and are unique in how they pull that job off. That is the perfect description for Press Advance.

If your a web host or anybody who is even remotely related to the hosting industry, you might be in need of their services. Here is a little more information about them from their web site:

Our press release service includes comprehensive writing, editing and distribution of press releases for companies in the Web development, design and hosting industries. Press Releases are tools used to communicate with the news media information regarding new products, announcements, partnerships and other newsworthy items.

Just in case you missed it I talked to the man in charge of the press release writing empire there, and widely known as “that press release guy” in the hosting industry - Dan Garon on last week’s episode of the Web Hosting Show.

If I was to sum this show up in one sentence it would have to go something like this. Hosting gossip has nothing on iPhone domain hype while I talk with Dan Garon about the art of press release writing.

I think that just about covers it. Now while I start to filter out the e-mails I’m already starting to get from English teachers from around the world you listen to this episode of the Web Hosting Show.

Download the Web Hosting Show, Episode 112!
Running Time: 13 minutes | File Size: 6.12 MB

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

• Some Hosting News and Gossip
• Interview with Dan Garon from Press Advance
• A Little ‘Bit of News on Intenet 2
• Even Hosts Are Getting into iPhone Hype
• Calling Out This Podcast’s Haters

Link of the Week: WHT Rejects Try to Review This Show

Howdy there, salutations and all that good stuff. We’ve all met back at the same spot and I know exactly why your here. You browsed in from the Web or your a dedicated fan, and the topics I tease you with - they make you want to listen. Hey, I don’t blame you - I’d be enticed too by legal threats from English teachers and press releases.

Related Podcast Link: Listen to Episode 111!

Want to know the top ten hosting RSS feeds you should be subscribing to to stay on top of the industry? Now there is a slew of information out there, and subscribing to the best of the best makes your job just that much easier in tracking what is going on.

From news, to press releases, to conversations here is the best of the best as far as hosting RSS feeds go.

1. Web Hosting Talk [RSS Feed!] - Yes, WebHostingTalk.com does RSS feed output now. You can click on the RSS Feed link on the main page to get a selection of good ways to keep track of things there. This is probably the biggest overall improvement they made in the last big update they rolled out.

2. The Web Hosting Show [RSS Feed!] - Ok, go ahead and call my an egotistical manaiac, I can take it. If your listening you know this is a great resource for all kinds of hosting news, interviews, help and random fun. If your not subscribed then what are you waiting for?

3. The Web Host Industry Review [RSS Feed!] - The WHIR is the big hosting resource for just about everything. From news, to interviews to everything else under the sun. They have a lot of feeds as well so you can pick and choose your favorite things to read.

4. Google News Search for “Web Hosting” [RSS Feed!] - Google is a great source for web hosting press releases and general information you might not see anywhere else. It combs a lot of the hosting resources out there and is one of the first places I check for the latest and greatest happenings.

5. The Hosting News [RSS Feed!] - TheHostingNews.com is another one of my favorite hosting news resources. The RSS feed is a little hard to find (hidden away on the sidebar) but it still well worth subscribing to. Yet another good place to get hosting news and interviews.

6. Netcraft [RSS Feed!] - Netcraft.com is a good place to get updates from the geekier side of the hosting indutry. From following server OS trends to getting uptime and downtime news, they are worth subscribing to for anybody because it is a good way to learn about some of the more advanced hosting trends.

7. Web Hosting Finds Blog [RSS Feed!] - The blog that the Web Hosting Finds web site puts out there is one of the more entertaining hosting feeds I have subscribed to. Covering a lot of random yet interesting news and links inside of the industry - you can not afford to pass it up.

8. The WHIR Blogs [RSS Feed!] - Wasn’t the WHIR already on this list? Well contrary to even my first thoughts the WHIR Blogs have bloomed into a really neat source for all types of industry opinions and coverage. This is one the best “brand extentions” I guess you could call it that the WHIR team has been apart of.

9. DomainTools Blog [RSS Feed!] - You can’t have hosting without domains, it is like peanut butter without the jelly. DomainTools.com is already my favorite domain.. well, tool and resource. Now they are delivering me my favorite blog about domains as well.

10. Web Host Blog [RSS Feed!]- Although I wish it was updated a little more often, WebHostBlog.com is a good source for more general hosting information and news. Put on by the team behind the Web Host Magazine and Buyer’s Guide this is a resource that might be light on quantity but high on quality.

A Few More Worth Mentioning…

Here are just a few more that are worth mentioning:

• Reseller Hosting Guide - [RSS Feed!]
• Web Hosting Unleashed - [RSS Feed!]
• Isabel Wang’s Blog - [RSS Feed!]

Have a favorite that didn’t get added to the list? Leave it in the comments or send it my way!

Related Podcast Link: Listen to Episode 111!

On this week’s edition of the Web Hosting Show podcast I got to talk with Troy Augustine the President and CEO of iNet Interactive on and about the web industry. From iNet’s reputation to advice on how to grow a bigger brand we covered a lot of topics in a short amount of time.

For some of those who might not be familiar with iNet Interactive I thought I would whip up a short list of some of the biggest Web sites they own.

What are some of the areas of the Web that iNet Interactive covers? Here are some of the more popular web sites that are under the iNet network:

• WebHostingTalk.com - The biggest set of forums on and about the web hosting industry. Claimed to be the “largest web hosting discussion forum” and I have to say, I can not find one that is any bigger.
• HotScripts.com - HotScripts.com is one of the best places out there on the Web to find scripts and and applications for your web site written in many different scripting lanuages.
• OC Forums - The Overclockers Forum is the second largest computer hardware discussion community on the Internet.

There are many more you could add to this list as well. For a full list, be sure to check out iNet Interactive’s “properties” section on iNetInteractive.com.

Related Podcast Link: Listen to Episode 111!

When you talk about online marketing, a phrase you hear a lot about is landing pages and creating effective landing pages. If your new to the online advertising or marketing game, this phrase might be a new one for you so let me break it down.

Landing Pages 101

A landing page would be a special page (or series of pages) that you create on your web site for a certain audience or set of visitors.

Lets say I started an advertising campaign with Web Hosting Talk. Now I could have them all come to my index, just type in WebHostingShow.com but that wouldn’t give me a chance to sell myself to them or to see how effective this advertising deal really was.

Instead I would create a landing page with maybe some of my most popular podcasts, some of the best interviews and sell myself a little more than I would on the other pages. I would want to make people feel like, “hey, I’ve found a good deal here and I’m coming back!”.

Reference and Transactional Landing Pages

For the most part there are two types of landing pages out there. A reference landing page would be like the one I described above. You highlight some of the best, sell yourself and hopefully you’ll hook a few new visitors or clients. The second kind is transactional landing pages. The transactional landing page is created to help you complete a step of some kind. From that page I want you to complete a transaction, such as going through a sale of a product.

For an example, for web hosts you could put your hottest plan on your transactional landing page, have the form there to put in the domain, client information and more and then to move on to step two all they have to do is hit that “order now!” button.

So hopefully that now gives you a better handle on what landing pages are and why you might want to look into setting a few up for your next advertising campaign.

Web hosting is always more fun in a group don’t you think? On today’s show we’ve got the man in charge over at iNet Interactive along with your landing pages 101, what are they and why do you need them. Toss that in with your regular dose of Web hosting goodness and the Web Hosting Show is now on the air.

Download the Web Hosting Show, Episode 111!
Running Time: 20 minutes | File Size: 9.94 MB

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

• Should I Give Web Hosting Talk Another Shot?
• Interview with Troy Augustine from iNet Interactive
• What are Landing Pages for Web Sites?
• Top 10 RSS Feeds from the Hosting Industry
• Get a Web Hosting Education, Without the Boring Stuff!

Link of the Week: 100 Oldest Currently Registered Domains

Angela Lansbury never really wrote anything about murder but I can promise you this show is called the Web Hosting Show and it is at least 99.9 percent about the web hosting world we live in today. What’s the other .1 percent?

Making Angela Lansbury or midget jokes that only make me giggle. Well, you can’t forget about the midgets too - and well, if you had a midget Mrs Lansbury then well.. that would make for one heck of a good podcast.