It's hard out here for a n00b....

[thablewprnt]

I need some help guys. I've been looking through this forum for over a week, and I have yet to find a basic rule of thumb for choosing a forum host. I keep hearing (or reading) about ASO.

So i checked out the site, and I must say, it seems rather shallow. Meaning that it doesnt give me enough information to feel secure about purchasing their service.
That makes me believe that they are more geared towards people who know what they are doing. I would consider myself computer-savvy, but this is a whole-nother world, and it is quite intimidating.

What (hosting) would be recommended for someone who is bound to make some mistakes? I need a host that is gonna help me setup my board, and pretty much baby-step me through all the technical issues that I will inevitably have to deal with.
I expect my board to have around 200-450 members on at one time, within a six month period. There will be a lot of streaming video, and pics. Should that play a factor in the hosting I choose?

And most importantly, what are some must haves for any hosting I choose?
all replies are greatly appreciated.

p.s. If I had not took the time to browse this forum. I would have chose this service without a second thought. http://startlogic.com/

[marksman]

Instead of looking for a host to do that, I would look for someone who could work with you and manage the process. Web hosts are not ususally the best people to consult with when setting up and running an actual website. That may sound odd, but their focus is simply elsewhere and they are not going to be the best person to help you set up and manage your site.

If you find someone knowledgable and credible they will be able to help you choose the right host.

You seem to have extremely ambitious plans for your board without much experience or knowledge or even backup. So my question is what makes you think you are going to hit those kinds of numbers? That would require either an enormous marketing budget or a little bit of magic mojo dust to hit on something that is unique and takes off virally. I am not trying to dash your hopes, but you admit you are not sure what you are doing, so I want to temper your entusiasm a bit.

If you are as new as you proclaim it is likely going to take you much longer than 6 months to get to 200-450 concurrent users, help or no help.

Like I said, though, there are people out there that do consult on these sorts of things, so you might look for someone who does that sort of thing.

Out of curiousity which of those startlogic packages would you have signed up for, for your website if you had no outside advice?

[thablewprnt]

First of all, I really wanna thank you for your reply. I must admit I expected more help, because it seems to be some quite knowledgeable people on this forum. I suggest that vB start a n00b forum so people like me can come in a get a grasp of what this is about before rubbing elbows with simi-professional.

I am a Jr. Admin of a forum that currently has 24,233 members, and counting. I have been on this forum for over a year and a half. I have a lot of friendships, and influence over members who know that I am creating my own forum. A lot of those members will be signing up for my forum, and each new member will invite at least one person they know to join. Word of mouth is the most powerful advertising tool you can have. That's probably why ASO is sold out on their best plans. ;)
(just for the record I thought my numbers were pretty modest :o )


I do have that potential mentor that you speak of. Who owns their own hosting service. I am reluctant to go into business with this person because my board will be in direct competition with theirs. (sooner or later)
I don't want to put myself in a position where I can get "owned" by this person because my forum is better than theirs. I have read to many stories about rouge hosts that steal peoples data bases....Lock people out of their accounts for no reason.....Leaving a person with nothing, and having to start over....

My mother always told me..."Do it right the first time and you wont have to do it again" I'm trying to prepare for the bumps in the road before I get in the car. And to answer your question about the hosting. "The Virtual Server: VPSLOGIC Plan" (29 bucks) sounded good to me. After all I am just starting out. I could always remain "lo-key" until I find the best hosting for the money.

[marksman]

Okay sounds like you are in good shape. I just think you need to find a technically savvy ally to help walk you through things. Even if it is just as a basic advisor role. The reality is a service like ASmallOrange is not going to be any more daunting for you in 6 months than anything else. So that should not be a hidderance to getting started.

I suspect you would pick up on it very quickly if you jumped in. Really not much to it. If you are only going to use one domain for now, there is nothing about ASmallOrange that makes it unfriendly for new users. If you were going to host multiple domains in the addon section, it can be a little more awkward than a reseller account, but that is not really a problem for you right now.

If you are going to run a vbulletin forum, I would recommend ASmallOrange. They have a ton of vbulletin customers there, and they are very friendly to vbulletin installations. You can start with a small package and expand as the demand calls for it, all fairly painlessly.

As for the rest it is easy. I have set up vbulletin accounts for other people and helped them get going. (Note this is not a plug or a solicitation), and there are lots of people out there like that. So if you do not have someone close who is technically savvy, you might look around to some webmastering resources and look for someone who can be of assistance.

I think you are wise not to put yourself in a vulnerable position from the start, and wanting to do things right. You sound like a bright guy, and I think you might be overblowing your trepidation.

Get a hosting account, reccommend ASO, install VBulletin (it really is not that involved to create a new installation). And get going. Don't feel the need to trick it up or go crazy. Have the site grow as your knowledge and understanding grows.

One thing people forget is the community and the people are what makes a forum go. Some of the most succesful forums on the web run just default installations of forum software. Sounds like you have a leg up on that part of it already. If you really get stuck there are some really good resources out there to provide assistance. Including here and VB.Org.

Basically what I am trying to say is "Just Do It!".

By the way, not a bad choice for starting out, but really depends on your budget and such. If you really suspect those level of traffic not a bad place to start. However, I don't know anything about them, nor how friendly they are towards vbulletin installations.

If you get stuck, feel free to PM. I would have no problem providing advice or assistance if you run into a particular problem.

Sounds like you got a good situation going, so move forward. You can choose another host if you like, at the end of the day it will not likely impact you much for a while. From there install vbulletin and get started. Once it is installed the management and manintenance can all be handled through the web and above board. You can always farm out those tasks you are least comfortable with or feel least equipped to handle.

One caveat I would make on ASO, though, is it seems like they are still out of VPS, which may hinder the upgrade progression a bit. You may end up going from a shared-hosting to a dedicated server. Again, if the traffic is as you suggest it will be, that won't be a problem.

[thablewprnt]

Thanks for your help marksman. I will be sure to take you up on your offer for some guidance if needed. :)

The information about ASO was very helpful because, tomorrow was the day I was planning to buy their service. As far as I could see nobody in this forum had pointed out why It would be best to go with their VSP service as apposed to their shared service.

During my research, a lot of forum owners seemed to be terrified with having to switch or even upgrade their hosting. So I figured, I would start out with their biggest shared plan, and that would give me all the cushion I need, while I learn the technical side of things, and to prepare for the day I move to a dedicated server.

I was gonna go with the $20 shared, but you get a lot more for 10$ extra.
So I'm pretty much set on going with the Super plan. Also I was gonna pay for a full year and get the extra two months, but considering what you said about upgrading, should I just get on the waiting list for VSP and do the month to month until it becomes available again?

[Rob B]

Don't be fooled by ASO's simplistic site. They are very fine host indeed. Their support is excellent, reliable uptime, they believe in success through customer satisfaction and referrals rather than success through overselling, loads of advertising, flashy website etc.

I have been with them for 6 months now on a shared package and have been very impressed with them indeed. A pleasure to do business with. You won't regret going for them.

They also have a very smart donations system for your members to use to donate to the hosting costs which is excellent.