Web Hosting Books

A great tech/business crossover book. Provides specifics on how the technology described can help your business save time and money by automating responses to customers. James has really developed an important technology that can have a positive impact on many businesses if they chose to apply it.

In this time of heightened security concerns, this technology provides key capabilities. By allowing secure access to existing information without the need to create elaborate Web interfaces, desktop hosting makes better security attainable for every business. The full working version of the software helped me get up and running, and this book guided me through the process with ease.

This book was a good read for me. The author makes some good points on how the nature of desktop hosting can shape how the web can and should be utilized for unattended communication. I'd recommend this to anyone who wants good techinical information on desktop hosting as well as business owners who want to leverage more of the web for e-business.

Now a days, creating a web site is more about design than development; resources exist on the internet where millions of web developers will share their ideas and creativity for free - but how does one access it and where are these resources located?? The Missing Manual Series, Creating Web Sites addresses these questions and more. This book is an excellent starter book for those who are just getting their feet wet in the world of web design, development and programming, but that's not to say that an expert wouldn't find this book a handy resource. Creating Web Sites also answers a lot of questions that I had about different aspects of web development. The section on e-commerce and the other web resources referenced within the book, points you to the right places in which to grab code, and get ideas to build great web sites. The Missing Manual series is one that I recommend to everyone (this is the 2nd book from the series I own) - all the books are very thorough, but easy to follow; if you're a novice this book should be required, if you're a pro this should be a handy resource to add to your library.

A great book for any novice trying to build a web site. The book is divided into clear sections each giving excellent advise and information. I recommend this to anyone starting a web site. If you are fortunate enough to have Dreamweaver software for web creating I also strongly recommend "Dreamweaver 8 - The Missing Manual.

Some of the introductions are a little dated (i.e. jokes that reference beanie babies, etc.), but the other content of the book is still pretty current. This is a really helpful book for the beginning web designer. It is definitely a good reference to have, espically for design students. This book covers things that appear in the software Dreamweaver. It discusses codes for things such as CSS, HTML, etc.

I have been searching for a good, fairly insightful, starter book on what to do to set up a website, that wasn't too advanced or way to boring.

This is it! The author knows his stuff, brings it into the learning forum in such a way that you are excited to read the next section and re-read for additional insights previously completed sections.

I am going to use this book, and will probably buy more by the same author/publisher.

The book is clear, concise and comprehensive. It covers from how to get a domain name to how to accept credit card payments.I like the emphasis in formating using CSS instead html. This was a new concept for me. The author introduces java scripts and dynamic html. I missed a chapter about how to organize, and keep update the whole web site (sometimes with hundreds of web pages, pictures, icons, etc...). It was one of my first book about the topic and I really think that it's a powefull introductory book.

not a hands on book. this is rather a guide to what to look for in web hosting architectures and things to consider whether you are looking at colocation or full outsourcing this will give you the education you need to make the right decisions. again, this will not tell you how to configure a load balancer or a redundant infrastructure, but it will explain common approaches to hosting problems and how to resolve them and general best practices in architecture, planning, selection. I've seen many of these books and this is the best.

Don't listen to the guy who rated this book 2 out of 5 stars. He bought the book for the wrong reasons. If you are looking to learn what it takes to get a company to host your web site(s), this is the book for you. If you don't truly understand what it takes to set up a large web site, this book is a MUST read!

Doug covers everything. The first half of the book is about the different types of web hosts (shared, dedicated, co-location), and managed service providers (the people who can help you with whatever you might need to get done.) He tells you everything about the relationships between the managed service providers and the web hosts that you would have never known otherwise. He practically holds your hand and gives advice as to how you should select your hosting solution.

The second half of the book is where I truly believe the book really shines. Doug gets into Service Level Agreements which is absolutely critical when selecting a web host. He then talks about traffic models and how you should evaluate your site based on its projected traffic, bandwidth and so on. This is critical if you are planning a site, as it gives you a true sense for what's realistic, how many visitors translates into what types of servers and so forth.

Next Doug covers Web-Site Architectures and shows you the various models you will probably want to consider when initially setting up your site. He even goes into content caching, connectivity practices, storage, Backup and Recovery, Security and so forth.

I would have been lost and made so many mistakes without having read this book front to back. It is written well and is easy to understand!

I give this book an A+ as it is one of the top two technical books I've read. And don't take technical the wrong way. It is written in layman's terms, so anyone who feels comfortable with the Internet could pick this book up and understand exactly what Doug is talking about!

As someone whom is very actively involved in the Internet and hosting industry, I have experienced first hand the difficulty in the Hosting Provider selection process, either as a consultant to clients or as an observer to an organization's dilemma. This book should prove to be a valuable resource for enterprises hoping to understand and navigate this complex industry and as well as prepare them for the some of the changes it is currently undergoing.

Any IT decision-maker whom is responsible for mapping out a web-hosting strategy would be well served to spend the time to read this well written book.

Although the focus of the book seems to be from that of a prospective client of a Hosting Provider, this book should also prove to valuable to those Hosting Providers, providing an external but otherwise legitimate insight into the industry and some of the areas where service providers could improve their service offerings.

A definite read, or at least a quick perusal, for those who are sourcing a Hosting Provider or hoping to better manage a current Hosting Provider relationship.

Although the book's description states that it is intended for web hosting customers I found it to be invaluable for both customers and providers.

The first two chapters are clearly intended for hosting and services customers. They form an executive summary of what is to follow. Chapters 3 though 6 discuss various hosting and service options, While these, too, are written for prospective services customers I hope service providers will also take the time to read Mr. Kaye's assessment of service offerings. Where customers will get an understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of each alternative, service providers will see themselves in a mirror. The providers that want to rise to the top will spot opportunities to differentiate their services.

In a similar manner, the chapters on outsourcing, risk management and SLAs are intended for customers. However, service providers will gain much from reading these chapters because Mr. Kaye points out the many shortcomings in ISP/MSP services and business practices. Aggressive service providers will address those issues to attain competitive advantage. Customers who read these chapters, on the other hand, will have powerful negotiating advantages.

While I am not sure that the ten chapters on technologies and tools fit within the book's theme I learned a lot from them. I'm an IT consultant, but my primary skills and knowledge are IT operations, service level management and process improvement. The information in the final ten chapters got me quickly up to speed in the web technical infrastructure and related tools, but I doubt that the business decision makers, to whom the first part of this book caters, will find them interesting.

Overall this book is a valuable resource to both customers and providers. The strongest part in my opinion addresses service level agreements and vendor management. It stands out for sorting out the complex array of outsourcing and service alternatives, thus supporting sound business decisions. The web site and discussion forum that supports this book (the URL is provided in the book) increase the value because the material will never be out of date and you can pose questions directly to the author.

This book's stated goal is to explain how to select a web-hosting service or MSP and how to manage that relationship once your site is up and running. It meets that goal in every respect by providing the customer side of the equation with a wealth of factors to consider, and a clear explanation of the significance of those factors.

Although the book has five parts, it can be divided into two sections that will serve two different audiences. The first section, comprised of Parts I through III, is focused on vendor selection, the hosting strategy itself (shared or dedicated servers, colocation or managed service providers), contracts, risk management, service level agreements and traffic forecasting. This is the heart of the book, and the depth of Mr. Kaye's knowledge and experience is nothing short of amazing. If you pay close attention to his advice and the pitfalls he points out, particularly in The Dark Side of Outsourcing and Service Level Agreements, you will be well armed to make informed decisions that will almost certainly avert the plethora of potential disasters inherent in web hosting and managed services outsourcing.

The chapter on service level agreements is essential reading. This is one of my areas of specialty and I came away with insights I hadn't thought of. I especially liked his treatment of traffic models, which underscores why any web hosting initiative (in-house or outsourced) needs to be a joint effort by business and IT. The spreadsheets used in the case study are available for download from the author's site that supports the book.

Technical issues are covered in the second section of the book. Topics include architectures, caching and content delivery (an area in which the author is a world-class expert), and details about connectivity, storage, back-up and recovery and security. This part of the book is more slanted towards IT than the business reader. However, I recommend that the chapter on security be read by all because it touches upon issues of which both the business and technical reader needs to be aware. The last part of the book covers tools. Again, this material is for technical readers, although I thought the chapter on monitoring would also be of interest to the business members of the book's audience.

What sets this book apart is that it's the only one I've found that focuses on the topic from a customer's perspective. Moreover, there is no other book that covers the rocky landscape of outsourcing, vendor selection and management, and contract service level management. If you're considering web hosting or managed services then you need this book.

Great book for starters, but kind of lengthy for others.

Everything about the product was as advertised, except the instructions. There seem to be some holes in the information provided, and certain assumptions made about the operating systems and applications. I have tried to set up the e-mail server and have run into some problems. The website authoring software needs to have some better user interface. Still trying to resolve those, but for the price, this is a good product.

I've been looking for a a way to host my own web site, and didn't know where to start. Everything I looked at was too complicated, and there was no support, but this kit has everything I needed, AND they provide 100% free support! The web server software installed in less than 2 minutes and ran right out of the box. Once I registered my domain name (there's even a break on price ordering it through kit), my site was up and running. I highly recommend this to newbies and veterans alike who need everything in one kit--web & e-mail server and shopping cart.

I can't believe I bought this book. It was a horrible waste of time. I got so angry at the author reading his extremely poor English, his vagueness and true inexperience with running a web hosting business it makes me want to sit down and write my own!

I still can't believe I ordered this and read through most of it. I want my money back.

I liked this book because it is written from a real life perspective from someone who started from the ground up and made his dream work. While it's not really a technical "how-to" manual (for that you should get The Complete Web Hosting Kit Professional that has all the "how to" as well as all the software you need to set up a web server, an e-mail server, and go into business for yourself hosting other people's web sites) it does what few books do: inspires! I like to come away from a book feeling like "I can do that!", and that's the feeling I had after finishing the Web Hosting Manual.

This book will provide you with some good pointers for establishing a new web hosting business, or to extend an existing small web development business. Although the technical information is a little lacking, Christoph's real-life experience and sensible business acumen adds a level of depth to this book

i like it! inspiring and quite impressive to read hints and ideas from someone who made his american dream come true building up his own business. there might be other books about the web and how to make money with it, but this is a true story.

Do not spend your money on this book. It is vague and provides no real information. There is absolutely no technical information that is worthwhile in this book. Very poorly written. This is an example of why I hesitate in buying anything online. This book got 1 star because Amazon required something.

Cliff writes an excellent book for those who are truly looking to build and Host (yes, Host is the correct term as in being the Host of a party!) an online community. This book takes you through all of the scenarios of building, growing and managing an online community. This is not a technical book about building the backend of community systems - it is a book on the human/social side of online communities. Congrats to Mr. Figallo on writing a book dedicated to the subject.

This is a good history book for those who feel a need to read up on the roots of Internet communities as we know them. The author was head of The WELL.

For those who need practical advice on how to create an online community today, the book by Amy Jo Kim is more useful.

It uses the word Hosting in the title, so I'm thinking it means Hosting, like "Webmaster" material. It speaks in general, non-technical terms for a day trader or something, in fact, the whole time I'm thinking "what is the guy talking about." Where are the details? Why aren't they talking about technologies i.e. Languages, Scripts, e-commerce engines, application servers, web servers, job price assessment.

The book is very out-dated, and is written for very non-technical people, therefore does not offer anything to technical users trying to get a general (big picture) look at being an in depth webmaster/hosting engineer. I was suckered by the title and the reviews, both were very misleading.

Do not waste you money. I recommend an e-business or e-commerce book.

Jason

Figallo appears to be providing his own model for web community success, which is built on building meaningful relationships... between "you" (the site owner/designer/manager/maintainer) and the people who visit your site, as well as between the site visitors themselves. "Meaningful relationships, far more than size, determine the success of online communities." He provides a lot of practical advice, and it's an easy read. My only complaint is that his WELL experience seems to have biased him toward WELL-like communities...he focuses mostly on the social, relationship-building aspects of web forums, chat and the like, as if everyone looking to build a web community should be striving to create a Salon/Cafe type place.

A must read book for planning, developing, and maintaining a Web community. Cliff Figallo has a vast experience on this area and it shows his expertise in a easy to read book with rich and useful content.

I highly recommend this book. It was especially helful for me (I don't know a lot about computers or the internet). I have recommended this book to people that I know are paying to have this done for them.

I have this book. It is very well written and easy to understand. I highly recommend this book. Makes it easy for us not-so-technical users.

I have always wanted to host my own web-page, but I did not want to go to the expense of paying a 3rd party. This book was simple to follow, and allowed me to host my own web server using the current DSL service that I had. A friend recommended this book to me, and I have highly recommended it to my friends who are interested in an easy step-by-step guide to web hosting.

Poorly written, horrible grammar, extra-large font & huge black and white pictures. It's mostly filler. A quick google search or a visit to the Microsoft web site will provide you with more detailed and relevant information than that given here. In fact, this is an expensive 80+ page version of your "help" documentation that shipped with windows. Sorry for having to write such a bad review, but given the price of this book (btw: it's a magazine) and the author's credentials, I can not recommend it.

The book was a little disappointing to me. The book is $42.99 and only 85 pages long. The font and the images are so large that it took me less than an hour to read the whole entire book. There were many typos in the book which could have been easily caught by the publisher, if he had one. There was no mention of a published on my copy.

On the bright side, I did learn some helpful tips on hosting web sites. I just wish I had more content for the money.
Amanda Zumwalt

I found this book to be the most helpful of all of the Internet Marketing Books. It is always great to read experts who are in the business everyday and who can talk about real company experiences.

This book has convinced me to try my own on-line venture.

I came into this book thinking I new a lot about building a Web Page for my company. What I learned from this book showed me that didn't know anything. This book is written in a way that gives you real life direction with real life examples, yet was fun to read. I highly recommend it.

this book helps me understand everything about internet marketing

This title is a bit misleading, I think. I was looking for a book on Internet advertising strategies -- how to decide where to advertise, develop effective ads, calculate the success of campaigns, etc. Instead, this book is an introductory primer to the Internet itself with definitions of email and surfing and very basic information on creating a site. If you've never been online, this book may help you but if you're looking for some meaty information about the techniques and strategies behind advertising on the Web, this is not the book for you.

     Today there are millions of people from around the world who have jumped aboard the information superhighway. The numbers are growing every day. They represent a potential marketing goldmine for anyone willing and ready to capitalize on the opportunity to reach them. Dowling, Kuegler, Taylor, and Testerman (not a law firm), have written Web Advertising and Marketing to offer readers the information they need to get online and to increase their bottom line!

     This World Wide Web business guide offers a broad range of essential Web marketing strategies, business principles, Website design concepts, and loads of other helpful information. For instance, readers will have to consider what is actually involved in operating an online business. There is much more involved than simply setting up an account and having someone design a Website. A lot of detailed planning and work goes into establishing a productive online presence. The authors provide plenty of online examples and resources to help their readers get the ball rolling. Their sound advice will help readers avoid the mistakes others have made!

     The authors include information concerning a variety of topics, including Internet censorship, privacy, jurisdictional matters, copyright infringement, online security, netiquette, and more. Readers may interested to read up on the plight of Philip Zimmerman who landed himself in hot water with the US government by releasing his PGP (Pretty Good Privacy) encryption software program online. An excellent treatment is provided to demonstrate the degree to which the government is willing to get involved in the lives of people.

     This is an extremely detailed Web business resource. It is ideally suited for those Website designers and online business persons who are comfortably prepared to go online and who will commit themselves to reading through this 540-page, information-packed book. This is one of the most thorough Web business books available today. From cover to cover readers will be kept busy digesting a wealth of information. If you're looking for a lot of reading material on operating an online business, this is the right book for you! Highly recommended!

A nice description of how to install various server side Java applications on a linux box. The narrative is straightforward to follow, and does not involve much previous acquaintance with linux. It does help, however, to know some Java, going into this book, which does not attempt to teach it, per se.

You can see that it is easy to install a web server container, and to hook this up to a backend database. All of which can be free, open source code! Given that this rests on a free linux operating system, the combination is ideal for startups or those of you on limited budgets.

An alternative reason for using this book is pedagogic. You can learn about running web servers and databases, even if you have no current need, but want to understand and be able to say that you know this material. For example, if you want to upgrade your job skills.

This is a book you'll want to keep near your PC for reference everyday. If you're serious about host a web site, you should also get "The Complete Web Hosting Kit Professional," which has TONS of practial how-to's as well as all the software you need to set up a web and e-mail server.

This book is one you'll want to keep on hand as a reference that you'll go back to again and again after your first read. I think it's an excellent companion to The Complete Web Hosting Kit Professional, which I also own. With the Web Hosting Manager you have a great "how to" and with the Complete Web Hosting Kit you have the software to do it.

This is by far the best book about starting a web hosting business that I have read. There is just not something comparable on the market. Easy to read "instructions" and the author leaves enough room for everyone to follow without over-loading the reader with information he might not need.

Essentially the point of this book is to assert that hosting web pages for yourself and your friends creates its own secondary income streams. This book, for example, which the writer self-published and marketed through Amazon. It's encouraging to learn that self-publishing is actually a relatively worthwhile pursuit here in the twenty-first century, but it's not terribly useful to someone looking for a nuts-and-bolts account of web-hosting -- which is ostensibly what the book is about. Rah, rah, Chris; thrilled to hear it's working out so well for you, but I've got a life too. See you around.

I agree with reviewer Maggin and am astonished at the number of great reviews for this book. The author's friends? Any adult could write most of this book off the top of her head. Where to get funding: personal funds (DUH!), the bank (DUH!). How to fire an employee? Sigh. This is generic stuff, most is not about web hosting in particular. Same with suggestions for advertising. Maybe if you are a person with zero business experience you will benefit from some of the generic advice, but you'd do just as well with a book from your local library about starting a business in general. I returned this book in the next mail.