Well the server that samisite.com is on went down yesterday.
The host that I use,
TotalChoiceHosting.com, had to do a full restoration of the server. Major downtime.
ALL HOSTS HAVE SERVER ISSUES.
If it has not happened to you yet, you are lucky. Because it happens.
And some hosts (Tripod, Lycos, and ....) are well known for their finicky servers.
For me, it was frustrating to have the website down, especially since this forum is the one place that offers so many form alternatives just at a time when the form server is about to go offline. But being kept informed by the tech support made all the difference.
I posted this on the TCH forum:
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It's been a difficult day for the server my website is on.
It can happen on any server, and all hosts experience it! Computers are not infallible, even if new and well built.
Some hosts have multitudes of problems with the servers and their clients are used to downtime.
But those of us that host at TCH know that it doesn't happen very often here.
So when it does, we are surprised, maybe even shocked by it.
What sets TCH apart from other hosts I have dealt with: 1) Communication. Having dealt with hosts that will never admit that there is a problem, let alone that they are working on something, TCH is exceptional in this regard. TCH kept the site owners informed all the way with the forum updates. We had an idea of the progress so there was less stress for all the owners. Kudos TCH.
2) Backups. Site owners should backup their web sites on a regular basis. And some of us do, but how often? Most of us don't do it every day! So it is a relief knowing that TCH has an excellent backup schedule too. Many thanks for this Bill!
3) Service. When my site came up, the data in the forum was quite old. Sent in a ticket and Alex Spaford responded very polite and professional. Was hoping the site, when restored, would be about 24 hours old. When everything was said or done, very little content on my site was disturbed! The backup was far newer than I could ever have hoped for.
So I tip my hat to TCH. This is why I still recommend this host after 5 years!
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Before going to bed last night, I posted a Flash file on my home page with a countdown to the end of the CSB form server. And tonight, after the restoration, it is back up. Thanks TCH!
