Web hosting (ConceptTopic, 8)

'''Web hosting''' refers to storing content on a [[server]] somewhere that can be accessed publicly (or otherwise) through the [[Internet]]. There are four levels of web hosting, ordered below from best (and most expensive) to worst (and cheapest).

== Dedicated server ==
A '''dedicated server''' is a contract where the customer is provided with the entire power of one (or more!) machine(s). The annual [[cost]] for a dedicated server usually runs into the [[thousand]]s (of [[US dollar]]s), so it is unaffordable unless you are either a [[business]] or an organization with a large number of fans willing to [[donate]] server costs. Examples include [[Microsoft]], [[Google]], [[Wikipedia]] and [[Sonic Retro]].

== Virtual private server ==
A '''virtual private server''', also known as a '''very pwnsome server''' and abbreviated as '''VPS''', is the second level directly below the dedicated server arrangement. With a VPS contract, the customer gets a portion of the power of a machine for a fraction of the price. [[Team Ikaria]] and its sister sites, including [[Kawachan]], are hosted on the [[Gollum]] VPS, which [[Keiji]] pays $160/year for.

== Shared server ==
A '''shared server''' is the third level of hosting. They are known as such because they share IP and operating system, which makes them unsuitable for running any kind of [[game server]] or similar non-interactive process on. However, they can still run dynamic server-side scripts such as [[PHP]].

== Static space ==
'''Static space''', for lack of a better term, is the fourth and final level of hosting, which is usually free. This level can only serve static files such as [[HTML]] pages and [[image]]s, and is often used by [[n00b]]s. They also commonly insert adverts into hosted HTML pages. Many examples of this level of web hosting have become defunct, such as [[AOL Hometown]] and [[Geocities]], but there are still a few left, such as [[Freewebs]] (now just "Webs").

[[Category:Web hosting]]