End of a Lifetime
Back in September 2005, I bought lifetime web hosting from TextDrive for a few hundred dollars. I wasn't 100% sure about that at the time. It sounded like TextDrive needed some quick cash to grow, so the risk was that they would go out of business. However, I figured if it lasted at least a few years, it would've been worth getting.
In a way, it surpassed my expectations. Just a few months after that, TextDrive was acquired by Joyent, a bigger name in hosting services. That move ensured survival and came with upgrades later on to more space and bandwidth as TextDrive hosting accounts were moved to Joyent's servers. I used them for my websites and email. I hosted some of my own projects there and learnt a lot about the ins and outs of coding for the web. That probably even got me my current job because as I recall, more than half the interview was spent talking about web application development and personal projects. (more than we talked about my previous job!)
Today, I got an email from Joyent saying that they are ending the lifetime hosting service and extending an invitation to join their new Joyent Cloud offering. I guess all good things have to come to an end eventually. I'm not really angry that "lifetime" turned out to not be lifetime. It was a good 7-year run and I derived a lot of value from the service. Looking forward though, I need to decide if I'm sticking with Joyent or switching to a cheaper host. (The lowest pricing tier for a Joyent Smartmachine is about $22/month.) However, I have until mid-2013 to decide since the Joyent Cloud offer came with another free year of hosting.
Addendum: TechCrunch article - Cloud Computing Company Joyent Leaves Early Supporters Out In The Cold
In a way, it surpassed my expectations. Just a few months after that, TextDrive was acquired by Joyent, a bigger name in hosting services. That move ensured survival and came with upgrades later on to more space and bandwidth as TextDrive hosting accounts were moved to Joyent's servers. I used them for my websites and email. I hosted some of my own projects there and learnt a lot about the ins and outs of coding for the web. That probably even got me my current job because as I recall, more than half the interview was spent talking about web application development and personal projects. (more than we talked about my previous job!)
Today, I got an email from Joyent saying that they are ending the lifetime hosting service and extending an invitation to join their new Joyent Cloud offering. I guess all good things have to come to an end eventually. I'm not really angry that "lifetime" turned out to not be lifetime. It was a good 7-year run and I derived a lot of value from the service. Looking forward though, I need to decide if I'm sticking with Joyent or switching to a cheaper host. (The lowest pricing tier for a Joyent Smartmachine is about $22/month.) However, I have until mid-2013 to decide since the Joyent Cloud offer came with another free year of hosting.
Addendum: TechCrunch article - Cloud Computing Company Joyent Leaves Early Supporters Out In The Cold