VinceChan.net now running Movable Type 3.2!

September 13 2005, 7:39am

I’m one of the unfortunate people that is stuck with the inept hosting service of GoDaddy.com. Upon signing up with a hosting plan from GoDaddy, I immediately regret my decision within the first few days of trying to set up the site. It was obvious now how GoDaddy is able to charge such low prices for registering domain names, and also what it seems to be very cheap hosting rates. GoDaddy relies on volumes, and most uninformed customers will also use the same company for their hosting service. The phrase “you get what you paid for” certainly applies with GoDaddy. I still admit that they have a great rate for registering domains, but the cheap hosting also comes with cheap service and support. I had always run this site with Movable Type 3.15. I wanted to upgrade to 3.17 but retreated when it seemed incompatible with GoDaddy.com. I began to learn about SBOX implementation issues that prevented many unknowledgabale people from using 3.17 without much hacking and troublesome customization. When Movable Type 3.2 was released, I decided that enough is enough. The upgrade attempt beared no progress and took up my entire weekend. GoDaddy was simply not going to get my hosting business anymore! I’m not an unsavy techie, and attempted to hack away at possible issues in source files such as App.pm, and since Movable Type 3.2 was still relatively new, better progammer than I am have not posted their solutions. Most recommended that GoDaddy customers should simply switch to a hosting service that allowed more customization and less problems than GoDaddy. I searched for a hosting site that had much better reputation and found many good stories related to DreamHost. The price was reaonable, and the features and customization levels were extensive. After using the web administration panel for a full day now, I am also confirming that it is easy to use for both novices and expert users. Finally, I get to use a shell account that I was expecting from GoDaddy in the first place! The issue that sealed the deal for me was the giant discount that you can get (anywhere from $50 to $90 for most hosting plan rates) by applying the promo code TAKEOFF90 when you sign up for you DreamHost hosting account. I may also update this article with a few more tips for readers if they want to find out how to make the transition for your movable type blogs to transition smoothly. I’m very happy to have upgraded to Movable Type 3.2 and will keep blogging on the many features I will start using!