| "Losing it all" - Overnight
In the past 5 years, we have had three clients come to us who were really desperate. They had lost their website: files, photos, graphics, domain name - the whole schmeer.
- In one case the "bargain basement" webhosting service went out of business; not bought out, they just folded without warning.
- In another, there was a mis-posted payment that resulted in a site being taken down by the host (who claimed it wasn‘t their fault) and -
- The original developer forgot to pay the web hosting subscription fee. By the time the owner found out, all the files were way past history.
The only common element to all three cases was that the original website designer had "disappeared," and couldn‘t be contacted. Bottom line: except in one case, HirMon & Associates had to do some really high-end magic to recover those websites. (The exception turned out to be irrelevant; he wanted to redo his site anyway; whew!).
Here‘s the problem:
The website owner never got a copy of the files making up their website. (Like: on a CD)
This ought to scare the pants off you:
It is not a common practice for website developers to supply backup copies of a website to their clients.
What most website people will tell you is something like: Well, you don‘t really need a backup. You can always get the files off the website.
True, unless - as noted above - there is no site to get those files from!
Now - Listen very carefully:
If you do not have a current backup copy of all the files on your website on a CD in your hot little hands right now, then before the Earth turns one day from this second - get one!
Do whatever it takes and don‘t even think about putting it off!
HirMon & Associates typically provides a CD to our clients on completion of website development and periodically when numerous changes warrent an updated version.
It‘s for our protection as well. In the past 15 years, we have only had to request a client‘s CD once, and both of us were darned glad they had it available.
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More
things lurking in damp corners to avoid...
2008
□ Welcome to the Dark Side of the Internet...□ Getting a site that "sucks" □ Hey! The oil light‘s on... □ Domain Name Hell □ Vanishing Web Designers □ How to kill your site before its created □ "Losing it all" - Overnight □ Shark infested waters
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