newbie need advice from those hosting with hostmonster

sarah · Joined: 18 Mar 2008 Posts: 11 Location: asia

my local webhost package Linux is not really userfriendly. they use cpanel for control panel. i dunno if hostmonster uses the same too? setting up sql database, GnuPG keys, hotlink, IP Deny, SSH,web disk etc.. all these mandatory to every newbie who's learning to build own site even in hostmonster? help Sad

Jim Hutchinson · Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2008 11:35 pm Post subject:

Host Monster also uses cPanel. The newest version has help buttons in every section and tutorials on practically any area you want to know more about.

The training videos are annotated with text rather than audio, but they do a pretty good job showing you how to use the sections. The areas that leave questions unanswered can be researched in the knowledge base at the cPanel website.

Many web hosts use cPanel now since it is so complete with the included functions. Plugins such as the site builder can be added in, as they have at Host Monster, to make your site easier to build and manage.

That is what I can see on the front end. I have not dealt with their sales or support staff to comment on them.

Hope that helps.
Jim Hutchinson

BradleyD.Haslam · Posted: Wed Mar 19, 2008 10:55 am Post subject:

Hi Sarah,

Hostmonster is one of my 3 hosts.
And I haven't been disappointed once.

The phone support is incredible,
(per your other post),
and they haven't missed a single feature.

BUT, if I understand your question correctly.
You don't need to know all of that stuff.

Learn what you need as you go.
Don't worry about the technical stuff,
it will only add to the learning overload.

Anything specific about hostmonster I can address?
I've written a lot about them here:
www.hosting.realproductreview.com/reviews/hostmonster.htm

Griff Grumbein · Posted: Wed Mar 19, 2008 8:14 pm Post subject:

I, too, moved over to Hostmonster a little over a year ago and have not looked back!

Their "Live Chat" personnel are top-notch and have NEVER failed to provide a solution to my (usually self-inflicted) problems in short order!

That said, on one or two occasions I've had to wait up to 1/2 hour for someone, but when I got one on line, they (again) were top-notch.

I've never been sorry I made the move to Hostmonster!

Hope this helps!

Griff

sarah · Joined: 18 Mar 2008 Posts: 11 Location: asia

Thanks Jim for prompting me that Hostmonster uses cpanel. I printed out their cpanel features and compare it with my webhost cpanel. Gosh, there's no site buiding software included in mine. I hv to get my own html editing tool software. tht's so awful.

Haslam, the one you host with hostmonster, is the pagewizard sitebuilder sufficient? Do i still need to get dreamweaver? It's so expensive. I can't afford it. Any other alternative to dreamweaver? XSitePro, Frontpage ?? Are they the alternative?

Griff, I soooo.. agree with you. Well, on peak hours i really dont mind waiting a little more coz the end result, it's so worth it. there's once i've forgotten to print out the chat for me to refer. and when i get back to them, they just paste it all there for me ready and fast.

thks ros, newbies really must come here often.

Jim Hutchinson · Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2008 12:45 pm Post subject:

An alternative to DreamWeaver is NVU. It works much the same way and is free. Get it at http://www.nvu.com

Keep in mind though, that if you use PHP code in the <head> section, NVU might convert the < and > to their HTML equivalents, < and > which will break the code.

NVU was last updated in 2005, so I am sure there are newer, better HTML editors available. If anyone knows where they are, let us know.

I use NoteTab Pro, a plain text editor with one-button preview [F8] in the browser of your choice, or [Shift+F8] preview in an alternate browser. It has clips though, to help with inserting many different codes.

Jim Hutchinson

BradleyD.Haslam · Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2008 11:59 pm Post subject:

I'd suggest nvu as well.
It's really a great program.
And no Jim, it doesn't break the code.

I use nothing but dreamweaver.
I've used it for so long,
that I still have v4.0!
(I got a copy of x-site pro recently, so I'm gonna try it out too)
Compared to a "site builder",
I'd chose dreamweaver (or nvu) any day.

The problem with site builders
is how they "stack" the code when you make changes.
And then the fact that they don't consider web compliance.

Now, I'm not speaking of ALL site builders.
Only the ones I've had experience with.
And I haven't checked up on hostmonster's.
(might have to do that actually)

Also, the dual view in dreamweaver and nvu
really helps you learn the code without actually "learning".
It helped me TONS as I was learning.

And you can do tricks.
Like...
If you see a page that has a cool trick,
view source, copy/paste it into the editor,
then view it. Highlight it. and go back to code view.
The code that is causing the "cool trick"
is now highlighted for your learning or swiping needs!

Cool, hu?
Try that with a site builder! Cool

Hope it helps!
Brad.

Jim Hutchinson · Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2008 1:06 am Post subject:

profitclinic · Joined: 03 May 2008 Posts: 16 Location: Melbourne AU

G'day gang Very Happy

I use Dreamweaver on my Macs and NVU on my laptop (Windows), even though I have DW on my laptop. (I don't use the laptop for designing, only for testing.)

NVU is useful, too, for creating master code for inserting into online/inline WYSIWIG editors like aweber, etc, because they're basically the same interface. By creating the code first in NVU offline, I never run into frustrating time-outs, code-wipes, etc.

Just copy and paste. Too easy. Very Happy

John Counsel
CEO, The Profit Clinic
FREE home-business strategy for YOU!