[realprogrammers hosting] are you backed up?

[hosted@realprogrammers.com]

Hi everyone,

What's all this then? It's a small mailing list I've created so I can
email folks who are being served (web, mail, whatever) in some way from
the tantrix.realprogrammers.com machine. So, it's not spam :-) All y'all
are at http://paulm.com/hosting/users.html

I set this list up months & months ago but never used it as everything's
being going quite nicely without having to hassle anyone. Things are a
happenin' now so I thought I'd in passing introduce the list, send a
friendly reminder, an offer, news on what's up, and a cry for help.

So,

                  ** HAVE YOU BACKED UP YOUR DATA? **

** OFFER

If you have any websites, mail, databases, etc, etc here that you don't
have an offline copy of let me know: I'll make a highly compressed
archive of it so you can pull it down and make fourteen copies to mail
to your aunt & bury in your backyard for safe-keeping (er, the CDs, not
your aunt). This is probably less effort & bandwidth for you than FTP.
If any of the more technically minded would like an rsync feed, let me
know and it will be done. I'm happy to show anyone who doesn't know
about rsync about it too, of course!

** NEWS

Owing to the I guess tanking US economy & surplus of hosting facilities
out there diluting the market the facility (Above.net aka MFN) in San
Francisco where tantrix is at is closing up shop & moving to San Jose'.
This means I have to find another hosting provider before the end of the
month. Yup, bit sudden but them's the breaks. So, if anyone has any
suggestions or inside contacts at facilities around SF please let me
know. Don't be shy about asking your friends too :)

Right now tantrix is in a serious professional facility, in the same
class as any hosting company you will find anywhere: multiple network
feeds, backup power, climate control, locked cage, etc. I'd like to keep
it that way, rather than say a friend's DSL line. This is more costly
but I think it's worth it.

Stats: it's a 2U rackmount box and total bandwidth usage is quite low:
around 50-100MB a day.

** HELP!

Since I'm not in SF, anyone near there who could volunteer to help move
the machine later this month probably to another facility you will have
the undying gratitude of me & I'm sure the other folks here! Meal at
your favorite pizza joint is on me.

Requirements: realistically up to a few hours, possibly much quicker;
some unix experience (although it's really just a unplug,-drive,-plug-
back-in deal) and/or a car; maybe even an interest in big hosting
facilities, ha! The machine's not big but is quite heavy: maybe a couple
of people could do it just for helping each other out, lifting, and
moral support?

** NEWS AGAIN: bigger, better, faster!

Simultaneously, I will be bringing a machine online in the UK as a long-
term second server. In the short term it'll be a bridge while this move
in SF happens; hopefully it'll be as robust and at as fantastic a place
as tantrix is. I'm going to do my utmost to keep the whole show on the
road during this time with no perceptible downtime or interruption so
don't touch that dial! Hopefully my credit card won't melt from
overuse either...

More updates closer to the time, if necessary. Any questions, just ask!

** SHAMELESS PROMOTION

If you like this whole gig, please do tell your friends: any financial
contributions really, really helps.

** BEER!

Oh, anyone who sees Karen around please buy her a beer from me for
helping out at Above.net today.

Phew. Think I've used up this year's quota for saying "facility". Thanks
for listening.

Cheers, Paul


-- 
Paul Makepeace ....................................... http://paulm.com/

"If it were just another game, then the tea-leaves will reveal all, in
 good time."
   -- http://paulm.com/toys/surrealism/