Not only did I say goodbye to BlogEngine.NET, but I’ve also decided to cut my ties with DiscountASP.NET. I don’t need .NET hosting for what I do and now nor do I need DiscountASP.NET, and here’s why:
- I write blogs about what I do in technology, sometimes about .NET stuff. When I do write about .NET stuff, I can include screenshots and videos of what I’m doing if I need you to see what I’m talking about.
- I can also include my solution files or code files if I’m showing code.
- Hosting files, screenshots, and videos are quite possible with a Linux host.
- While there may be cheaper webhosts violating their Microsoft Service Provider License Agreement (SPLA) by charging ridiculously low prices, I’m also well aware of the nightmare known as Microsoft licensing and wouldn’t fall for those .NET hosts that are super cheap.
- Linux hosting is much cheaper because there aren’t as many costs involved when it comes to licensing. Microsoft licensing in general is confusing and can be very costly. While I can justify the costs for some products, I can’t justify it for hosting.
- Yes, I know that DiscountASP.NET can be pricey and that they don’t oversell their services. I also am well aware of webhosts that will oversell their servers (much like how the airline industry oversells their flights). While it’s a shady practice, it’s not something that isn’t known. Subscribing with a webhost can be risky.
- Yes, I also know how to read the fine print in webhosting contracts, and I don’t need a marketing / sales person to tell me that I should read those about webhosts being able to terminate sites that use a lot of bandwidth. (Besides, if they pulled my logs, they’d see that my site doesn’t come close to their bigger sites.)
- It seems bold to say that a host that uses third party automation software doesn’t know how their own backend works, but that’s what this marketing / sales guy at DiscountASP.NET told me. Really, I would think that while they provide this service, they also may have people on staff who do know how the backends work. They would be foolish otherwise.
- While they’re a Microsoft Gold Partner, that really doesn’t attract me to a business. I prefer a business that would not send a guilt trip / “the grass is not greener” email, one that would recognize the issues and realize that yes, there is competition there and sometimes the grass is greener.
Yes, I get what I pay for. I run the risk that my webhost might oversell my server. But I’m no longer on a server that costs an arm and a leg due to Microsoft licenses. I’m on a server hosted by a company that I’ve been with for the past 5 years for all of my other sites. Their support services, in addition to the existing documentation, has been great. While others may have experienced issues with these guys, I’ve had nothing but good luck, which is why I keep my sites here and why I’ve moved codinggeekette.com here.
.NET hosting provided to be too much of a headache and too costly for me. DiscountASP.NET’s marketing / sales guy also proved why they can be a headache. Good riddance!