Web Hosting Web, Part 2
Web Hosting may be (almost) free, but it isn't easy.
Hello. I'm back to learn even more about web hosting.
Welcome. We've been waiting for you.
Errr...anyway, do I need a web hosting service in the Linux Cloud?
There's not really a "Linux Cloud" per se. There's a "cloud", but it's not all Linux.
Please explain
"The Cloud" is a euphemism for data and programs stored somewhere on the Internet as opposed to on a specific server or desktop computer.
I like clouds. I saw one that looked like a dog chasing a Ferrari.
You certainly have a fertile imagination. No data was stored in that cloud, but the analogy still works. Your data and programs live on a web server somewhere in cyberspace. You let someone else worry about backups, virus protection, firewalls, etc.
Very cool! I want to be in the Internet Cloud!
Your web hosting provider, in a manner of speaking, is in The Cloud. You pay a monthly hosting fee and they provide you with space on a server: you don't know where it is and you don't care.
I like to not care. Not caring is good. I have enough to care about already.
Certainly you are a caring person. Have you settled on a web hosting service?
I am still shopping. Please provide more direction for this effort.
You need to decide what services you will need. An entry-level hosting package will cost you about $5 per month, typically with a 1 or 2 year commitment. Payment is usually expected in advance. For that price you will be able to publish a small to medium size web site and you will also be able to receive email through your domain.
I also want to sell stuff. I need a shopping car. Perhaps a red Ferrari.
Do you mean "Shopping Cart?"
Yes. I need a shopping cart in the Internet Cloud with my web hosting service.
Well said!
I have grasped the lingo. I am now an Internet web hosting expert.
OK, smarty pants, how many mySQL databases will you need?
Excuse me? We don't know each other that well.
mySQL is a program provided by your web hosting service. It's used to store purchase records, customer records, transactions, and stuff like that. You probably need a mySQL database for your basic web site, especially if you plan to implement a shopping cart or a blog.
So... I need to sell mySQL databases in my shopping carts from the Internet Cloud?
Close enough. The good news is that most web hosting providers now offer a few mySQL databases at no additional charge when you purchase a hosting package.
That's a relief. I need something that I didn't know I needed, but I already get it when I buy the stuff that I knew I already needed.
By the way, what are you selling on the web site that you think you need?
We design and manufacture equipment and supplies for cat dentists.
The good news is that your competition is nil. You probably have many good choices for a domain name.
A domain name? I need a domain name? What's a domain name? Do I get it from The Cloud? Is it written in the clouds?
Patience, please. Our next conversation will focus on how domain names and web hosting fit together.
