Download the Web Hosting Show, Episode 192!
Running Time: 12 minutes | File Size: 5.29 MB

Here are just a few topics from this week’s episode:

• Was I Snubbed by HostingCon?
• How Should Web Hosts Adapt to the Social Web?
• How to Create a .htaccess File
• How to Install a WordPress Plugin
• Dead Body Pose Bring Stress Relief to Web Hosting Workers
• Why I Don’t Do Web Hosting Reviews!

Here is this week’s web hosting news headline:
HostingCon Kicks Off – Media company iNET Interactive will host HostingCon 2009, the premier conference and trade show, at Washington, D.C.’s Gaylord National Resort on August 10 to 12.

Trivia Question – True or false, Tucows started in 1993? (to find out the answer, be sure to download and listen to this week’s podcast!)

Hope you enjoy this week’s podcast, and check out the archives where you are sure to find many more.  Also, if you have any feedback, comments or complaints – you can contact me at here.  Enjoy the show, and share it with your friends!

As your palms get sweaty, you think to yourself, “Should I read it?”.  Well, I am here to tell you that you should, but take it with a grain of salt.  A healthy dose of skepticism never did any harm.

After reading a bad review, the first thing I want you to remember is that every coin has two sides.  Your only hearing from the ticked off customer in many of these cases, and you don’t know what they did to to the web host in question.  Something else I have learned over the years of working in the hosting world is that happy people usually don’t post reviews.  If you are happy, and you know it you usually don’t do squat.  Is it beyond belief?  Well, when was the last time you wrote Oscar Mayer to tell them you love their baloney?  I promise you though that the guy who found a human finger in his baloney wrote them a nasty letter.

Not to say there is anything wrong or bad with leaving good reviews.  Heck some of those are the ones that really make people excited, due to their lack of actually happening.  It is kind of like finding a duck dressed up like Abraham Lincoln.  You don’t know how he got there, he probably won’t come back again, but he did put a smile on your face.

So remember, not all bad reviews are as bad as they seem.  Sure, they may be rooted in some truth, however you should get a wide variety of opinions to see if this was just one guy out of the blue having problem, or if you can spot a trend.

Any and all feedback is appreciated and you know I am all about making you all happy so if there is something you like, hate or would love to hear about let me know.  Take the Web Hosting Show Podcast Survey!

If you have ever wanted to share your opinion to me about what I do this would be the time to do it.  Also happy post 4th of July to all of you and thanks in advance!

Not every web host out there has a multi-million dollar budget to spend on software, so I have come up with a few free alternatives for you to pass around your office next time your searching for the right tool for the job.

Foxit Reader (for PDF viewing) – Out of all the PDF reader programs out there, Foxit gets the job done and is not half as annoying as Adobe is.  If you want a PDF viewer that will not ask that you download updates for 20 other programs you do not have, Foxit is the best.

OpenOffice.org (for word processing, spreadsheets and more) – Microsoft Office is a program I have never really used.  Why?  I have always been a fan of the free alternative, OpenOffice.org.  This bundle of a word processor, spreadsheet, drawing and more might even be better than the expensive Microsoft bundle.

AutoHotkey (for helping with those quick responses) – In my bag of tricks, AutoHotkey is most likely to be the most used one of them all.  Thanks to a little simple script writing I can now type in a few characters instead of a two paragraphed e-mail each time I answer a customer’s question.

Thunderbird (for e-mail management) – I have tried a number of different e-mail clients and Mozilla’s Thunderbird wins out head over heels each and every time.  Manage multiple e-mail accounts and with the add-ons, you can build onto the functionality of the product.

Google Calendar (for dates and appointments) – Can’t tell you what I did for a calendar before Google’s came around because Google was the one who turned me onto using it.  Before Google Calendar I was stuck with ripped off sheets of paper with notes scribbled down.  After Google Calendar, I can quickly click a date, add a note and I’m done.

Now sure, those big web hosts might have the thousands of dollars to spend on programs but the budget web hosts out there have to count their pennies.  If you have any other suggestions feel free to leave a comment or drop me an e-mail.

On today’s special edition of the Web Hosting Show we have in the studio Emory Rowland of Clickfire.com. Emory has been an insider in both the web hosting and web development worlds for a long time – so there are many topics I would like to pick his brain about. Today though we will be cover from head to toe the world of web hosting reviews.

Download the Web Hosting Show, Episode 152!
Running Time: 11 minutes | File Size: 5.00 MB

Here are just a few topics from this week’s episode of the Web Hosting Show.

• The Background Story Behind Clickfire.com!
• What Gives a Web Host “Staying Power” These Days?
• How to Stay Honest with Your Hosting Reviews!
• What Happens When the Web Host Bites Back?
• The Most Important Factors of Web Host Reviewing?

Some web host reviewers are shady or down right scammy, but Emory is a guy I know and trust so when he says a web host is good or bad – I know I can believe him. What should and should not come into play though when seeking out and shopping for your next web host?

Well it looks like the web hosting industry made its way through yet another HostingCon. From what I hear it was a very big and exciting event. I’ve been talking with about a dozen people who went to the event – and I have to say I might just have to make the trip next year.

The major positives from an event like this is it allows one to socialize with their peers. Web hosting can be a very cut throat business, so taking some time to meet fellow industry workers and socialize a ‘bit is a good thing. From the perspective of an outsider looking in for the most part HostingCon looked like a big ol’ party which can be a positive and a negative.

The one thing I didn’t see from the coverage I have read thus far on it is an idea. You would think with this many web hosting people grouped together you could see something emerge as a whole to make the business better. Maybe we start a conversation about not hosting splogs. Maybe somebody suggests that we all hosting companies try to hire more American workers. Those are only a few examples of what one hopes would come from an event like this. If it happened it either has not been covered or it wasn’t “buzz-worthy” enough for anybody else to pick up on.

From reading people’s thoughts on forums and blog posts it seems that the experience was an overwhelming success. Everybody from the presenters to the participants seemed to give it two thumbs up.

Now that I have given both my positives and negatives on the event, I hope to hear options and thoughts from other folks that attended the show. Was it worth the trip and will you be doing it again next year? I think overall HostingCon is something good for the industry because it gives us all something to get excited about and a real meeting place just in case the web hosting gurus out there ever plan on world domination.

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.

This is a new one I just found out about – and I am more than happy to share it with all of you.

DavidAirey.com is the blog of – you guessed it – David Airey, an Edinburgh graphic designer. He caught my eye after linking back to my story about taboo topics in hosting from last week’s episode.

Here are a few of his past articles that I think you’ll find more than interesting:

• How I Improved my Alexa Rank
• 6 Tips to Improve Your Blog Articles
• What’s Your Logo Worth?
• 5 Important Design Aspects of Any Web Site or Blog

Have another Web site, blog or resource that I should be keeping my eye on? Let me know about it.

Related Podcast Link: Listen to Episode 110!

That is a pretty strong claim to make against any company, but if you have the information and proof to back it up, well that is a different story all together. Ben over at Web Hosting Unleashed sent me an E-mail a little earlier this week wanting me to check this list he put together out.

While it isn’t shocking for me – if you are a customer of any of these hosting companies it might be shocking for you. Ben is a brave man to put this list together – and I have to say I trust it as much as I trust his top Web hosts list as well. Here you have the top five worst hosting companies, by the reviews given on WebHostingUnleashed.com.

Top 5 Worst Web Hosts

1. RegisterFly – 4% Recommend – 107 Negative Reviews – 5 Positive Reviews
2. 1T3 Online – 9% Recommend – 50 Negative Reviews – 5 Positive Reviews
3. Globat – 6% Recommend – 46 Negative Reviews – 3 Positive Reviews
4. DataPacket – 9% Recommend – 41 Negative Reviews – 4 Positive Reviews
5. Dot5 – 6% Recommend – 31 Negative Reviews – 2 Positive Reviews

You can check out the full list of thirteen worst Web hosting companies on Web Hosting Unleashed. If you are one of the 13 on the list and you want to say something in defense of yourself or to point out something good – I will given you an open mic and open invitation to come on the Web Hosting Show podcast and give us your thoughts.

Related Podcast Link: Listen to Episode 107!

Most Web hosts (and other Online businesses and Web sites as well) would do well to have a customer testimonial Web page added to their Web site.

How do you do it?

Go ask your customers after signing up if they will give a little review of your services and send it your way. You don’t need to make this process more complicated than it has to be. Now once you start getting a few of them rolling in – create a special Web page on your Web site for them.

For a short example of one go check out my testimonial Web page on MitchKeeler.com. Your more than free to add to it as well, just shoot me over your thoughts about me and your name/business (don’t forget your link too).

Now you have a place for people to see real reviews of your real services, no matter what you do. This would be helpful for Web hosts, for bloggers, for any type of service around the Web. You can even try to get creative with it as well.

I know FastServers.net has started putting up video testimonials of their services.

Related Podcast Link: Listen to Episode 104!

You have to learn how to roll with the punches and figure out which areas of your Web site are the best and the worst. If your a little confused, keep your pants on – because on this very podcast I am going to teach you how to put your ear to the ground and figure out what your visitors want. Episode 104 of the Web Hosting Show is now on the air.

Download the Web Hosting Show, Episode 104!
Running Time: 15 minutes | File Size: 6.99 MB

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

• How to Get Visitor Feedback and Reviews
• Get the Ping! Zine Magazine for Free!
• Our Last in the Series of Hosting FAQs!
• Learn to Change Content Due to Popularity!
• Best Solution for Hosting a Video Server!

The mic is on, the headset is ready and I’ve had about ten cups of coffee. What does that mean? I am in full “ready to podcast” mode! From Tom Green to more of your hosting questions we have a lot of topics to cover on today’s hosting broadcast so why wait? Lets go ahead and get this geeky hosting party started.

Link of the Week: Sliqua Enterprise Hosting

The folks over at WebHostingUnleashed.com are giving away an Xbox 360. What do you have to do to win? All you need to do is submit a review of your Web hosting company during the month of March!

Here are a few more contest details from the Web Hosting Unleashed directly:

To enter just submit your review during the month of March and make sure you use a valid email we can reach you at. April 1st we will randomly choose one person from those that submitted reviews, the more reviews you submit the better chance you have to win! This contest is open to everyone in the entire world as it should be.

Blog Post On Contest: Win a Xbox 360!
Contest Page: Web Hosting Unleashed Contests!

Now Web Hosting Unleashed is already one of my favorite Web hosting related Web site, so seeing them put on a contest like this just makes it even better. Even if your not interested in the contest at all, I would at least browse through WebHostingUnleashed.com. I bet you will enjoy what you see.

Give the contest a shot – and if you win, make sure you let them know that the Web Hosting Show sent you that way.

Related Podcast Link: Listen to Episode 99!

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!

When you look at as many hosting links and articles as I do – you think you have run into just about every Web site out there on the subject. I have found a new one to add to the list though, and it is called Web Hosting Unleashed.

Just from the first glance of the layout and copy I can already tell this is a Web site I would like to have a reason to come back to every single day. It is very pleasing to the eye and it looks like they try their best to cover just about everything that they can.

They have all the top hosts listed, they have news, they have guides and they have a lot of good quality content.

To check them out for yourself so you can see what all the fuss it about, you can point your favorite browser towards WebHostingUnleashed.com. When you do, make sure that you let them know that the Web Hosting Show sent you there.

+ Check Out the Podcast This Was From! Listen to the Web Hosting Show, Episode 90!

Just drop me an E-mail to mitch@mitchkeeler.com and give me your feedback. How can I make things better for you?

“Hello, I am Mitch Keeler, the unofficial voice of this Web hosting broadcast,” proclaims the Southern-twanged Keeler on his online radio webcast. “I am here to talk about one thing, and one thing only: the wild and wacky world of Web hosting.”

The sometimes eccentric, always exuberant Keeler has spent the past few months developing an online radio show devoted to Web hosting issues on his popular Mitchelaneous blog. Serving mainly as an audio component to the blog, Keeler’s show provides the latest Web hosting news and editorials, as well as the events of his own professional life.

But Keeler wasn’t always an insider commenting on the Web hosting industry. For several years he worked doing customer support for a variety of Web hosting companies. Last May, after being let go from his customer support manager position at TotalChoice Hosting, Keeler decided to find another outlet to help people with the intricacies of Web hosting.

“I don’t think that anybody can disagree with me when I say that Web hosting can be very confusing for a new person,” he says.

[Read the Rest of "High Hopes for Hosting Radio Show"]

The second article I’d like to share with you was written by The Hosting Chronicle. Johnder Perez is somebody I’d really like to have on a future episode of The Web Hosting Show. He’s a brilliant mind in the Web hosting world.

Anybody in the Web hosting industry will realize how big the Web hosting business is, especially when a weekly show is dedicated to it. Delivered as a podcast, the Web Hosting Show is quickly gaining momentum as the next source for Web hosting news and information. What exactly is a podcast? Think of a radio show. But instead of listening to it on your radio, you hear it while you’re on the internet.

What exactly makes this show unique to the world of Web hosting? Amidst all of the hosting communities, magazines, Web sites and directories feeding hoards of information to the Web hosting community, the Web Hosting Show is a unique blend of Web hosting news and information delivered in a fun and entertaining manner. Try listening in on one of the shows and you’ll hear a jovial voice with a southern Texas accent. Then perhaps you might be wondering: who is the voice behind the Web Hosting Show?

Mitch Keeler, the executive producer and host of the Web Hosting Show, has a passion for Web hosting that stems from his need and want to help people out. As a contributor to Lockergnome, a resource for people curious about the world of technology, he extends his technology savvy and his natural ambition to provide meaningful and rich information that helps people with their daily interactions of anything related to technology.

The idea behind the Web Hosting Show came to life while Mitch was working on a Web hosting e-book entitled Lockergnome’s Guide to Web Hosting. He realized that he would be able to reach people more effectively with fun content. This brought to life a new way of sharing information about the Web hosting world, and thus, the show was born.

But the Web Hosting Show didn’t come to fruition without its fair share of challenges.

[Read the Rest of "The Voice of Web Hosting"]

So as you can see more than a few things have been said about this show and myself. If you have written something about The Web Hosting Show or would like to contact me for an interview, just drop me an E-mail at mitch@mitchkeeler.com and I’ll be more than happy to work something out with you.