Media Temple Wins Out
Apr 21st, 08 | 5 remarksThe migration to Media Temple is complete. I think. ;) I’ve been doing quite a bit of of installing, configuring and testing to be sure everything runs as it did on Dreamhost, and hopefully I didn’t miss anything. One nice feature of MT is the access site they provide immediately upon creating an account, which eases the pain of switching hosts considerably. Thanks to that, I was able to get everything mirrored with no minimal downtime.
The decision to move was two-fold. First, I love MT’s control panel. It’s very intuitive, not to mention nice looking. A significant improvement over Dreamhost’s cluttered interface in my opinion. A sleek appearance and well thought out web app can make a huge difference in daily productivity.
Second, this site has been experiencing a lot of lag lately, both when loading in a browser and when trying to get files uploaded. I was constantly getting time-out errors. Highly aggravating.
I started looking at MT several weeks ago and kept talking myself out of switching because I’m paid up with Dreamhost for another few months. That, and MT is slightly more expensive. Works out to $6.00 more p/mo if paying annually. (Not a huge deal, but it adds up and hopefully MT will deliver value equivalent to the price.)
Then I considered all the new content I’m about to launch and finally decided the frustration wasn’t worth it. I’ve already noticed an improvement in performance while working on the new Grid. Sure it’s early, but so far so good. As for Dreamhost, it’s not that I’m anti now. They offer tons of space, have always been pleasant to work with when I’ve run into trouble, and I like that they’re a green company… but I don’t have much else to say about them. It’s time to try something new.
MT’s knowledge base was another selling point for me. Not only is it thorough, but easy to scan for pertinent information. A perfect example - yesterday I ran into trouble importing my XML file because it was over the size limit. Being able to quickly locate info on how to edit the php.ini file associated with my account and resolve the issue was such a relief.
Finally, MT has clearly posted contact info, complete with PHONE numbers! You don’t have use email, or submit a support ticket through the website. You can, but you’re not confined to that process. That’s comforting.
That’s good news. I’ve always been interested in (mt), but their prices are far too high for me at the moment. Maybe in a near future.
And yep, the site loads much faster now. Didn’t even notice the downtime at all.
Apr 22, 08 | 4:23 pmLOL, MT is who I just switched from. I hope you have better luck with them than I did. I had a lot of downtime and that was unacceptable to me. Plus, I was on a reseller acct so I didn’t have access to reset the server when it needed it, even though the MT support team could verify my site–along with all the others on the server–was down. I don’t like it when people follow the letter of the law instead of using common sense!
May 4, 08 | 5:34 pm@Kevin - I struggled with the price a little bit too, before taking the leap. When you consider most hosts average about $10 p/mo, and MT is double that - it’s hard to justify. I have 30 days to evaluate the service though, so we’ll see I guess! If the uptime/load time is consistently better (so far it has been) then it’s definitely worth it. :)
@Lauren - yikes that does not inspire confidence! Who did you switch to? I guess there’s no perfect host. I’ve tried GoDaddy and of course Dreamhost as mentioned. Of the two I’d pick DH any day, but like everyone else I’ll always have my eye out for a “better” host just in case.
May 5, 08 | 12:54 pmCharity…..Is it possible: 1. you are a woman who 2. uses a mac and 3. is actually providing resources for others on web/blogging tools? (I’ve been searching the net months for this!) Can I just APPLAUD you and your blog and your design and your tone and your language and your emphasis on look/feel? I’ve spent since May, literally, hours a day looking for anything to coach a mac user who doesn’t have iblog (yet) who wants to blog on the right tools. I wanted everything mac friendly, I wanted coaching that paces with me (I’m so new it’s what it is) and 3 months into blogging on free wordpress, I realized I know nothing about code and couldn’t post any widgets. I resolved to a. find a host friendly to mac users; b. switch to self hosted wordpress; c. try to find advice/tutorials online. .
I thought I’d found a goldmine with machighway.com. They look professional and saavy–a host by mac users for mac users. I got some good help with one technician and then another reemed me for asking too many questions and taking up too much of their time. They don’t do instant installation of wordpress and this is the only blogging platform they support. My account was deleted without my confirmation, I had simply emailed to clarify cancellation policy but there was no verbal confirmation. And when I phoned, the person I spoke to lost all patience said “we have nothing to do with you anymore, except your domain is registered here. that’s it.’ When I found another host, and returned to machighway to obtain the EPP code, I was told the domain is not transferable for 60 days and at they’re recommending I not transfer it. Hello. Why stay with anyone who treats you like you’re incompetent? Reality check: for any newbie, it’s best to go with a host that has the manpower to offer help that’s necessary. And from 10 years of teaching middle school experience, no question is a dumb one. And from the perspective of a new blogger who’s a woman, the last I checked this was a hugely growing market. So I applaud you Charity for seeing this, speaking to it, and offering your perspective.
I would deeply value talking directly…if that’s possible. For now I’ve set up per a friend’s recommendation w/ Bluehost…but perhaps you would advise Media Temple as a more mac friendly template. Your templates are lovely. I will consider investing in one.
Are you bychance attending Blogher 08? Hope our paths cross if so.
Many thanks! Tre ~
Jul 9, 08 | 9:47 amLOL, I thought that was a spam comment for a moment. xD
Jul 9, 08 | 1:06 pm