Web Hosting Today

Adult web hosting is not without its inherent risks. In fact, probably the most significant issue one should consider before embarking on an adult hosting enterprise is the law. It’s crucial you be aware of the possibilities before deciding to get into the adult web hosting business.

Laws on adult web hosting vary from locality to locality, which is a big problem with an internet enterprise that, by its very nature, is global. The most you, as webmaster can do, is make every good faith effort to stay within the confines of the law. This means avoiding content that can be considered obscene or harmful to minors - quite a tall undertaking when you consider the diverse and disparate reactions people have to pornography.

What is even meant by obscene? Quite a large number of people consider adult web hosting in general obscene. They find any form of pornography objectionable. And while that’s not what’s meant by “obscene” as used above, if an angry parent is determined to press charges against you because their 12 year old son snuck a peek at the girl on girl action on your website, you’ll still need the protection of a good lawyer to get you off the hook - and even then there’s no guarantee.

So, the word “obscene” in the context of adult web hosting refers to things like child pornography, bestiality, rape, and incest. Now you’ll see plenty of sites claiming that they contain scenes of “rape” and “incest”. 99 times out of 100, these are fake, play-acted scenes. If they are real, the webmaster is signing up for a whole world of trouble. Don’t you follow their lead just to get the extra flow of cash from any of those niche markets.

There is a popular test for determining, according to the law, the obscenity of a site (or a magazine, etc.). According to this test, called the “Miller Test”, if your product (your site) when taken as a whole is considered without any artistic, literary, scientific, or cultural merit according to the mores of the local community, it is considered obscene. By including non-adult content in your adult site (just like adult magazines that have articles on politics, cars, etc.), you significantly reduce your risk of having an obscenity charge stick.

For all webmasters, of adult hosting sites or otherwise, legal statute 18 U.S.C. § 2257 states that records must be kept of documents proving legal age verification for every model depicted on the site in a sexual explicit manner. You must hire no models under the age of 18, nor can you hire any models over the age of 18 if you can’t obtain copies for your records of documents proving such. This also means you should use no stock footage either without having first verified the age of any models depicted. Just because a jpeg appears on one adult website, do not assume that its webmasters did their due diligence.

The best way to start an adult website is with your own personal lawyer on board to walk you through the sticky legal steps. While a lawyer can help you avoid the legal pitfalls and reduce your risk of prosecution, there are no guarantees in the adult web hosting industry and you need to be aware of that from the beginning.

You will need to have on your site, a “Warning Page”, a start page that site visitors come to first before getting to view any of your adult content. The Warning Page can be as simple as a disclaimer against a plain background stating that your site contains adult material and should not be viewed by anyone under 21 years of age. It should also mention that if, perchance, viewing such material is illegal in the visitor’s area, then they must not enter your site.

The Warning Page does not relieve you of the responsibility of keeping minors from viewing your adult material. It merely shows a good faith effort on your part to keep them away. Nonetheless, you could still get prosecuted, and your Warning Page alone would make for an extremely weak defense.

You must also use some sort of Age Verification System (AVS) as a gateway for visitors to enter your site. Though it is far from perfect, the concept behind an AVS is that if someone has a credit card in their name, there is a good chance that cardholder is at least over 18 years old. You see how flimsy this argument really is. Therefore, an AVS, while an absolute necessity in an adult web hosting environment, is no real protection against a minor entering your site anyway.

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A virtual private server (VPS) solution uses a software platform that permits a hosting vendor to multiplex a single dedicated server into multiple “virtual” machines. In essence, a VPS solution is a private and protected Web services infrastructure that operates as an independent server.

A virtual private server allows multiple customers to share the expense of hardware and network connections without sacrificing privacy, performance or preference. For this reason, VPS is considered one of the most sophisticated modes of automation available for provisioning small to mid-sized enterprise Web hosting.

The use of such technology allows hosting providers to save money by simulating the features of a dedicated server multiple times upon a single physical hosting environment, while concurrently allowing them to deliver high-quality Web services to their end users. VPS solutions allow Web hosting resellers to provide a full range of services usually only afforded by dedicated hosting technology. Resellers can therefore offer their clientele full administrative or “root” access to their Web services.

The virtual private server was first implemented by hosting giant NTT/Verio to bridge the gap between shared hosting environments and customized dedicated servers. By using a virtual private server, Web hosting resellers and Web designers can provide small businesses the performance, security, and control of dedicated hosting services at a fraction of the cost.

A virtual private server eliminates the restrictions of virtual hosting by providing all of the administrative features of a dedicated server. Each VPS user therefore receives their own set of services that they can customize to their specific needs. Virtual hosting is limited in comparison because its users do not have root access and software configurations cannot be customized, despite the fact that physical resources are also multiplexed. A virtual private server on the other hand, contains its own unique file system and CGI-BIN, disk space, system resources, bandwidth and memory allotments, which allow for a high level of customization.

Due to the fact that a VPS solution truly simulates a dedicated server, some technical understanding of server administration is required. Any true VPS solution will provide users with: “root” or full administrative access; guarantee a specific allocation of server resources, including CPU, memory and bandwidth; and allow the user to manage multiple servers and file areas through a sophisticated control panel.

A virtual private server will ensure “performance isolation” so that heavy traffic or CPU loads will not affect other VPS solutions on the same infrastructure. Others major features that characterize VPS solutions include: “fault tolerance,” which ensures that errors, which affect one specific private server, do not affect others; and “enhanced security,” which ensures that e-business applications can be deployed with greater privacy.

The most popular feature that VPS customers use, however, is the virtual private server’s capacity for “functional isolation.” Because a VPS has its own contained services, it is possible for users to install and customize their own open-source and commercial software packages.

Many virtual private servers on the Unix platform have become so advanced that they even permit users to install Linux RPM packages. This allows users to take source code for new software and package it into source and binary form, such that binaries can be easily installed and tracked, and source can be easily rebuilt. The use of RPM packages also allows VPS users to maintain a database of all packages and their files that can be used for verifying packages and querying for information about files and/or packages.

Small businesses that run their own e-commerce Web sites also appreciate the functional isolation of their private server, because it allows them to obtain their own secure certificates and shopping cart software for their e-business operations. Many sophisticated VPS solutions will even offer third-party plug-ins or modules, allowing users to take advantage of control panel functionality in order to install everything from the simplest CGI scripts to the most advanced shopping carts.

Due to these advantages, virtual private servers are very popular and are a relatively inexpensive choice for small to mid-sized enterprises seeking to maintain their own Web presence. VPS solutions are the natural choice for SMEs and individuals wishing to upgrade a shared or virtual hosting package. The following are descriptions of popular VPS packages now available through an assortment of major Web host vendors:

Ensim
Ensim’s award-winning product line includes control panels, virtual private servers, server management, as well as Microsoft Exchange hosting software.

H-Sphere
Hsphere is scalable multi-server, centralized hosting automation software with fully brandable resellers support, comprehensive recurrent billing, trouble ticket system as well as complete account provisioning automated signup. It supports Win2000, Linux & FreeBSD. It provides fully features, easy-to-use end user web based control panel, and powerful admin user interface.

SW-soft
SW-soft develops the Virtuozzo technology and the HSPcomplete hosting automation solution. SWsoft’s products deliver powerful, comprehensive solutions that power data center management and provide excellent return on investment.

Sphera
Sphera is a leading developer of Web hosting automation and management software for Internet data centers, ISPs and hosting providers. Sphera’s HostingDirector enables cost-cutting and revenue increases by automating Web hosting management, facilitating sales of value added applications, services and more.

These above hosting software firms develop popular and dependable VPS packages. Consider using a hosting firm that elects to use one of the above virtual private server systems.

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Security has become a major concern for all who conduct business on the Internet. Viruses that can destroy hosting systems and hackers who steal confidential information are a bigger threat than ever before. As a consequence, consumers should take proactive steps to protect themselves, conducting in-depth research and asking specific questions of prospective Web hosts to ensure that the security measures that they employ are strong.

Security, especially in shared and virtual private server Web hosting environments, is of paramount importance to VodaHost because it not only protects consumers from security issues associated with the Internet, but also ensures customers who are sharing the environment cannot intrude into other customers’ services.

One feature to ask about is whether a cage structure has been implemented. Under a cage structure, each client has complete privacy from all other sites. A UNIX restriction known as change root provides security by making the hosting service behave like a restricted UNIX shell machine. This effectively creates a “cage” on the hosting machine that you cannot go beyond and no other customer can enter. Under the model, no one can interfere with the core operations of the host machines or associated services.

Consumers should also ensure before they purchase any Web hosting service that no unproven binary code is permitted in the hosting environment. Any script or application that could breach security must be prohibited. Binary code is not secure and unsolicited binary code could inadvertently open up security holes putting a customer’s site at risk. A good Web host will not permit unsolicited binary code to be used on a shared hosting service, if there is even the smallest risk that the code could compromise other customer’s services.

A good hosting provider will also ensure that its operating system and hosting automation software deployments are hardened. A hardened configuration will ensure that all known or reported exploits, or loopholes in code that can unsuspectingly accessed by intruders, are eliminated. A competent Web host will ensure that it is protected from software exploits by applying the latest service packs and fixes, and by implementing security advisories on a daily basis.

To control security threats, a hosting firm has to constantly audit its security, and make sure specific actions are taking including: that all hardware is physical secure; that all network services that the operating system provides are secure; that the file system can prevent unauthorized access; and that safeguard passwords are enabled. Hosting firms also need to ensure that their firewall systems are configured properly.

A firewall is software or hardware designed to block hackers from accessing your hosting environment. A properly configured firewall makes it tougher for hackers to locate your system. A properly configured firewall ensures that destructive traffic cannot enter or attack your system. A firewall should also ensure that attacks are not launched from your hosting environment, in case your system is hacked or inadvertently obtains a worm or virus whose objective is to attack other systems.

Consumers will also want to take their own steps to guarantee their online security by using strong passwords to protect access to their hosting environments. Hackers may try to steal your passwords to gain access. To make it tougher for them, use passwords that have at least eight characters and include numbers or symbols. Avoid common words: Some hackers use programs that can try every word in the dictionary. Don’t use your personal information, your login name or adjacent keys on the keyboard as passwords.

VodaHost makes sure that you use anti-virus software and update it regularly. Often, VodaHost UNIX hosting environments are immune from Windows-based viruses, but can transmit them to other Windows systems just the same. As a result, enhanced protection is needed at the customer end to ensure that the Web sites being built are not “diseased.”

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Finding a decent virtual or shared Web host can only be achieved by conducting in-depth consumer research and evaluation. Many tools exist online that can assist the individual and small business find an extremely reliable hosting service. With the myriad of choice available, it is necessary for the consumer to discriminate. Since shared Web hosting is conceived as only a low-end, low-margin commodity by the industry itself, it is necessary for the consumer to be very wary. There are literally thousands of hosts that offer shared and virtual Web hosting services. While many provide extremely good service, others provide service that is less than desirable. In order to find suitable Web hosts, consumers must conduct due diligence.

Prospective shared hosting clients must therefore ensure that they test the technical capacity of any host thoroughly before they procure their services. Advanced testing of a potential host will reveal whether the solutions they provide are reliable enough for your high-traffic site. Remember that your Web host must be trusted to provide solid network infrastructure. If you select a host that cannot provide robust connectivity, then your site’s availability to the world will suffer. For this reason, informed consumers will evaluate potential hosting firms before they sign-up.

Testing ensures that consumers will not waste their good money on bad services. Reliable testing results can be obtained through the use of sophisticated network tools that monitor hosting performance. Such tools will determine how often a host’s servers experience outages and will generate a list of probable reasons why hosting services are unreachable. It is advantageous for you to use such tools to ensure that the host you select will provide minimum downtime. Most hosting firms boast about their relentless commitment to excellent service and server responsiveness, and usually the crowning jewel of this commitment is 99 per cent uptime.

But while most hosting operations use this promise of incredible uptime as a hard sell, few consumers actually test whether these pledges are true. Smart consumers of hosting services, on the other hand, are the first to authenticate these service guarantees. They usually consult the services of an established server monitoring services such as NetMechanic, provided by Keynote Systems.

VodaHost provides an integrated suite of tools that detect problems with your Web site. The company’s “Server Check Pro” product is an excellent choice for ensuring that your server is up 24 hours a day. The tool will ping, traceroute and attempt to access your site via http on a regular basis to verify that your server is up. For a small fee, the service monitors your servers constantly, and contacts you by your choice of pager, cell phone or e-mail when your server goes down. The tool will also generate specialized performance statistics in real-time so that you can monitor outage patterns to ensure you’re getting quality uptime from your host.

You should also routinely attempt to check server response from your own computer. If you are using a regular 56k dial-up connection, you should attempt to pull up sites located with your prospective host during peak and non-peak hours. A battery of low-cost tests is available on the network layer level of your operating system. You can test a potential hosts’ network and server responsiveness from your MS-DOS or UNIX line prompt. In order to obtain a true representation of the host’s services, you should select Web sites on your host’s network that are typical of the services they render to their normal clients.

You should thus avoid testing the host’s main Web site or premier customers. These sites are mission-critical to a hosting firm and thus are afforded an extremely high level of maintenance, which is not always representative of typical service.

In order to locate a typical client of your prospective host, execute a “whois” search. Whois is an application that looks up critical information about any Internet domain. This information includes ownership, location of the host, and most importantly, its block of network numbers. By executing the “whois -a yourhost.com” command at a UNIX line prompt, you can search your potential host’s entire block of network numbers, and seek out a normal customer who is hosted on an individual network address. The customer that you use should have the approximate services that you seek. Use the ping and traceroute commands from either your UNIX or DOS prompt to test server responsiveness. You also can obtain many free or shareware WYSIWYG (what-you-see-is-what-you-get) network tools for the Windows platform that can test server responsiveness. An excellent suite of bundled network tools is provided free-of-charge by PCS Network Tools.

Using a line-prompt or WYSIWYG application like BlueVoda, attempt to “ping” sites from the prospective host on your computer. Ping is the networking equivalent of sonar. The network tool is used to verify that a given server is actually reachable, and measures the delay that occurs when sending a data packet to it and back again.

Executing a “traceroute” from your computer is also an interesting and informative experiment to run on a hosting company. Traceroute applications allow you to map the direction that data travels over the Internet. By conducting a traceroute, you can determine whether the data you have requested from your prospective host will take a direct or indirect path to you. The most successful incident of a traceroute is therefore when data takes the shortest route to your computer.

These tests, conducted manually on a regular 56k connection will give you a rough indication of your client’s response time if you were to choose the prospective host that your testing. In essence, these tests determine whether a host provides the lowest level of network latency, ensuring that data is passed to browsers and other Internet applications as quickly as possible. Your aim must be to ensure that the delay between request and response from a prospective hosting service is as short as possible. Making this determination is only possible if you conduct serious tests on prospective hosts before hosting your content there.

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