We’ve moved
Richard Treadgold | June 15, 2011
WordShine moving tomorrow today
Saturday 14:50: Done. Whew!
After spending two days studying the database material I last looked at about six years ago, altering files, moving files and creating and deleting databases, I’ve finally managed to migrate the WordPress installation without breaking it.
Hurrah! This calls for a celebration!
I’m sorry for the interruption to normal service, and I’ve missed you all! But the advantages of moving to the new hosting company include accommodating all the conversations you could ever want to have, even inviting the rest of the world! And if more disk space is needed, it’s fantastically cheap to add it.
Please tell me of glitches
I should ask you (please) to let me know if you come across errors or anomalies on the blog, because I can’t be everywhere.
Thursday 21:56: Still waiting.
I love it that computer equipment is getting cheaper by the month and competition makes the leading entrepreneurs more creative in attracting customers. Because after being hit with an extraordinary invoice for over $2000 for next year’s hosting, I knew I must change web hosts.
That’s when I discovered how inexpensive web hosting has become!
Annual hosting of the Climate Conversation Group (plus WordShine itself) will cost less than half what it did last year. At the same time, we get unlimited bandwidth! Instead of biting my fingernails as the bandwidth rose inexorably and the end of the month approached, I can forget paying for extra bandwidth and concentrate on research and writing.
Internet getting cheaper, as it should
A web hosting service on Auckland’s North Shore offers endless bandwidth for no extra cost, with 500 MB disk space (which is about twice what I need at the moment), all for $4.00 a month, including GST. It’s amazing. I only hope the up-time matches their promise: 99.5%. That’s 3.73 hours in 31 days downtime. We should live with that, I think.
With the previous hosting, the base package was $105 per year.
- For extra disk space (from 100 MB to 500 MB) they are charging $480.
- For extra bandwidth (from 4 GB to 14 GB) they’re charging $1200.
Daylight robbery!
Now I get the extra services for free and they lose a good customer of over 7 years’ standing, who won’t be recommending them to anyone. Ah well.
Sorry for delays in service
During the changeover, I hope there’s no interruption in service, but there might be, so I beg your indulgence and say sorry ahead of time just in case.
I’m planning the cut-over some time tomorrow — Thursday, NZ time — but tonight the database behind this blog should be running on the new server. That will probably slow the response time, but, if it goes as planned, it means no interruption and no posts or comments lost to the aether.
I’ll let you know if I think stuff went missing and invite you to repost it, so you might want to keep copies for the next 24 hours.
UPDATE 16 June 11:05 NZT
It’s zero hour! All files (I hope!) are altered if need be and copied to the new server and the nameservers have been changed. Between 2 and 12 hours from now we’ll see if anything’s broken. Just in case, for local readers, if the email system is busted and you want to advise me or discuss it, you can reach me on 0275-340-641.
But of course all will go well!
UPDATE 16 June 12:40 NZT
I must warn readers that there will be a break in service when the nameservers change over shortly. It will take me about 10 or 15 minutes to copy the database and import it at the new server. Please be patient.
Who was the company you were with, and who’s the new one Richard?
The site was with The Kiwi Web Hosting Company and is going to NZWebHosting4U. They even have an unlimited free option as long as your site fits within 10 MB!
My site is with Kiwi Web Hosting (a subsidiary of iServe in Wellington). I know what you mean about biting fingernails towards the end of each month. If I go over my 50Mb disk space allocation the site goes down and I get no email. If I go over my 10Gb bandwidth allocation my visitors get a gruff message on the screen that the site has exceeded its bandwidth (as if somehow that’s my fault).
So, thanks for the tip RT – I’ll follow you across as soon as you have blazed the trail!
I am thinking of moving too, since my US-based provider Brinkster proudly announced that they are powered by 100% wind.
They also have the gall to add a “wind levy” to the bill.
One wonders how they manage their 99.999% uptime promise.
And on a similar note, I am getting sick of that Meridian ad on Stuff that has windmills all over the page. Celebrating World Wind Day or some such guff. Maybe it’s time to take Jeremy “newsboy” Wells aside and explain why we think his windmills are a waste of space.
I was staggered to see what you pay – I realize you have the .co.nz address.
Email me if you want to know my hosting costs – server is in NE of Nth America somewhere – but mostly works fine. I only pay a v small fraction of the cost you quote – and warwickhughes.com has GB’s of space unused.
Well, it was staggering what I was going to pay for the next 12 months – over $2000 – when I had been paying only $105. But the new hosting provider charges just $48 (actually $41.74, since my business doesn’t pay GST) for more disk space and unlimited traffic. But I’m still interested in your arrangements, so I’ll email you as well. Domain registration is on top of that, but I’ve got that down to $NZ23 with a local registrar. It’s usually $39. From a US registrar you can find $US10 or less.
That sounds better Richard – thanks for your email.
I am happy enough at Netfirms;
http://www.netfirms.com/
similar price to yours – oodles of space.
Testing 1-2-3.
I guess all is well in WordPress land now.
Bet that was no fun at all, Richard!
No, it wasn’t fun, Andy. But it wasn’t torture either; I prefer worming through the bowels of a database to plenty of other things.
Though as the hours dragged on I had to call on all my reserves of patient persistence. The mail system broke, so I was reduced to using gmail to communicate with my hosting provider.
But all seems well now.
Welcome back Richard!
from the brainwashed Aussie in the land of soon to be Nirvana
Who before knew to fix the world all you need is a new tax
and my neighbour’s cat is going overboard wth the ‘compensate me now’ placards
And to really educate us now the government is announcing a $12 million taxpayer-funded advertising campaign to support the carbon tax.
How stupid are we to need this campaign?
The polling shows how dopey is the average Aussie not believing the Government’s promised Nirvana
The overall outcome is the latest political poll is a 59-41 two party preferred vote to the coalition (the party not presently in power).
Thanks Val.
Yes, there seems an ocean of difference between the electorate over there and your leaders.
In case you missed the excitement, Mark Lynas as made this rather bold statement.
[I]f the ‘deniers’ are the only ones standing up for the integrity of the scientific process, and the independence of the IPCC, then I too am a ‘denier’
http://www.bishop-hill.net/blog/2011/6/17/quote-of-the-day.html
The blogosphere has been having a field day over this one.
Really? Wow!
I’ve just read Lynas’ article.
Wow!!
Richard, some useful links then:
Steve McIntyre:
“IPCC WG3 and the Greenpeace Karaoke”
http://climateaudit.org/2011/06/14/ipcc-wg3-and-the-greenpeace-karaoke/
an opening mind: (Judith Curry)
http://judithcurry.com/2011/06/15/an-opening-mind/
and a must read from Ben Pile
“Ideological money laundering”
http://www.bishop-hill.net/blog/2011/6/16/ideological-money-laundering.html
The Economist are also on the case
http://www.economist.com/blogs/babbage/2011/06/ipcc-and-greenpeace
Below the article there’s a link to:-
Solar physics
Sun down
Several lines of evidence suggest that the sun is about to go quiet
http://www.economist.com/node/18833483
“……….it is interesting news for those who worry about global warming. If the Maunder and Dalton minima actually did affect the climate, then a new one might counteract the effects of the extra greenhouse gases people are now pumping into the atmosphere—at least, until the solar cycle returns. Whether the breathing space thus granted would be used wisely or squandered is another matter. Do not expect that debate to be as placid as the spotless sun.”
Good move, I appreciate the effort you’ve put into it.
Also impressed that it all still works, I haven’t come across any broken links and the link to CCG at JoNova works fine.
A very successful transition.
Agreed with Richard C, a thankless task well executed.
Don’t be afraid to put up a “tip jar” link to help with hosting costs. I am, at least, grateful for the space to share ideas
Hmm, thanks for the thought, Andy. I might sign up with Paypal.
Thanks Richard. Let’s hope it stays unbroken.