R.I.P. VenomPages
Agent Bedhead has a reminder for all of us bloggers: Beware the Ides of March. In other words: back up your data.
It’s reminder that’s ironic in its timeliness. Today I announced the regrettable news that I’m closing down my company, VenomPages Blog Hosting. It’s a sad decision, and one that I made after quite a lot of thought.
When I started my company over 2 years ago, I leased rack space from a company with an excellent reputation for stability and rapid response. Since my goal was to provide both affordable and unparalleled customer support to fellow bloggers, I felt confident that I’d chosen the right place for VenomPages to call home.
Last month, that company was purchased by another. The new rack owners assured me that the transfer would be seamless. It was anything but, and I spent most of February (when my computer was working) straightening out problems for my clients.
Last week, the new owners were purchased by yet another company. Again, I was promised a seamless transfer. Again, it was anything but. All VenomPages sites went offline last Thursday. Two client accounts completely disappeared. The missing accounts were restored, and all accounts were back online as of Saturday… but every single site is missing over a month’s worth of entries.
Now, as a hosting company owner, it’d be easy for me to respond to client complaints with the standard “Well, if you’ve been performing routine backups, this shouldn’t be a problem.” But, even so, I know what it’s like to lose data, and I know what it’s like to pay for a hosting service one doesn’t feel confident in.
I don’t feel confident in the new rack owners, so I can’t see myself (or my clients) staying with them. I could always look for another place to rent rack space, but after this experience I can’t help wondering how long it’d be before that company, too, sold the space to someone else who screwed over my clients.
So I’m closing VenomPages down. I’ve given my clients 30 days to find a new host and have offered to refund their fees for the past 2 months due to the numerous problems we’ve all experienced. I’m not sure there’s much more I can do.
(Note: EV will not be affected by this decision. I’ve always run it on mirror sites to ensure that VenomPages clients could reach me during server problems. So this blog will remain active; it will simply run off off one server rather than two.)
Irony indeed, and such a bummer that VenomPages shall be vanishing into the ether. You’ve gone beyond the call of duty by providing notice and refunds of 2 months.
Of course, it’s always good news to know the Venomous Blog shall remain!
TO: Kate
RE: Are We Learning, Yet?
Hopefully you were not involved with one each Jace Herring. I was burned by his blog hosting efforts. Your experience sounds vaguely reminiscent of what I went through about a year ago. And, just maybe, he was having the same experience you were, but he didn’t handle the transition very well.
Good Luck,
Chuck(le)
[Good judgement is based on experience. Experience is based on poor judgement. -- some General addressing the assembled classes at Benning School for Boys c. 1980]
Why does the name “Jace Herring” sound so damn familiar?
TO: sadie
RE: I Donno…
“Why does the name “Jace Herring” sound so damn familiar?” — sadie
A former paramour, perhaps?
Or did you have to change your [domain] name too; because of his refusal to release it to your control?
Regards,
Chuck(le)
P.S. He’s probably changed his legal name by now, one would think.
Nope. That name doesn’t ring a bell. But I am an uber-perfectionist, and particularly so when it comes to delivering what I’ve promised to others.
It rips my guts out to kill VenomPages. But I will not compromise customer service.
Unfortunately, I’ve already paid for this year’s rental from the crappy company. That’s a cost I’m willing to bite if it keeps others from being bit, but it’s not fun.
So. Martinis are in order for the night.
Hm… Lemme change that. Martinis are on order for tonight.
Oh, Miguel…..?
TO: Kate
RE: A Different Poison
“So. Martinis are in order for the night.” — Kate
May I suggest a blenton?
Regular gin martini and vermouth with a dash of bitters and a thin bit of peel from a fresh lemon.
Enjoy,
Chuck(le)
P.S. Another variation is the classic gin and vermouth with a jalopeno stuffed olive.
Thanks for letting us know about this.
I don’t know what I’d do if I lost… it would be like three and a half years now – worth of entries.
Resovled…
I’d like to begin this post with a big fat “THANK YOU” to all who hung around waiting for the server issues to be resolved, leaving comments whenever you could, all wrought with patience and support. Thank you. As you may have guessed…
[...] I was a VenomPages girl for over a year (Kate, I’ll always be one, because you rock), but a series of unfortunate events (which were through no fault of the Venomous One; rather, they were due to what we at NASV call “rack fuckwittage“) dictated that those who “got byte” would be biting the dust, hosting-service-wise. Kate always delivered top-notch service and support, so I was sad to hear she was calling it quits. [...]