[CSL board] dreamhost vs. our own hosting

[Fred G. Martin]

I checked out dreamhost.com and they do seem like a highly competent  
company that also has a sense of humor about themselves.

Their page on free hosting for 501c3's actually includes the word  
"forever":
> Once the {501(c)(3) determination letter} has been received we'll  
> configure your account appropriately and you'll be happily hosting  
> your non-profit selves, forever!

(from http://wiki.dreamhost.com/index.php/Non-profit_Discount )

I think the CSL should seriously consider a virtual hosting model,  
where a company like Dreamhost does the dirty work of running tape  
backups, keeping uninterruptible power supplies happy, keeping up  
with the latest despamming techniques, etc.

While we would not have the warm and fuzzy feeling of knowing that we  
can physically handle the hard drive that holds our clients' data, we  
would be freed from putting out fires when things go wrong on an on- 
going basis.

More importantly, we could focus on higher level projects, like  
MVHub.  Note:  there are two aspects to "higher level":  (1)  
technological, and (2) interpersonal -- making contacts with local  
organizations.  (I didn't get a chance to say this at tonight's  
meeting, but I believe a key reason how MVHub can continue to stay  
relevant is that the data on it is regularly kept up to date by  
people who care.  Databases must be maintained to be useful.)

The hand-holding work of helping non-technical non-profits have their  
web sites and email configured would still be a core mission of the  
CSL.  The CSL could assert "we provide web hosting and email services  
to local non-profits," even if we don't physically own the machines  
that provide those services.

We would be providing the service of making a commercial-quality ISP  
accessible to non-profits.

I think it would be worthwhile to have a conversation with the  
principals at Dreamhost to see if they would be amenable to this.

The CEO and staff mostly have childhood pictures of themselves on  
their "About Us" page, so they seem pretty accessible.

Fred