Hosting options?

In my blog comment spam queue, I found a question about what my hosting provider was. It was probably just spam, as detected (which is why I’m still not letting the original comment through), but I thought I’d answer it anyway.

I’m using Linode as my hosting provider. I have three virtual Linux servers with them (two in Dallas, Texas, and one in London, UK). My blog in particular is hosted on the one in London – mainly because it’s “midway” between the US and Norway, where my intended audiences are located. I don’t have that many readers, I know, but you never know. Then again, I don’t get any comments to my posts (aside from about 30-40 spam comments a day, which are intercepted by the spam filter).

It’s a Linode 512, with 16 GB storage space, 512 MB RAM, 200 GB transfer per month (pooled against my other two Linode servers), all for $19.95 a month (plus a 10% discount for paying annually). I’m managing the server myself as if it was a full-fledged server

That spam post mentioned some provider having “unlimited” disk space and transfer, and I just have to say that any provider claiming this, is downright lying in their advertising. There’s just no such thing as unlimited disk space or transfer. You’ll always find limits to their “unlimited” buried deep in their terms and conditions. In the spam post, a provider was mentioned by name (which I’ll leave unnamed), and sure enough, deep in their terms and conditions, they reserve the right to suspend your account if they feel your disk or transfer usage is excessive. The only usage mentioned with actual defined amounts, regards downloading sites for “video, audio or other files” – where the download limit is 25 GB per month.

Point is, if a hosting provider promises unlimited space and/or transfer, pick someone else, or at the very least, be very skeptical.