Comments on: PHP Certification for Hosts? http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2004/05/23/php-certification-for-hosts/ News, opinion, and fresh thinking for web developers and designers. The official podcast of sitepoint.com. Tue, 02 Dec 2008 12:45:56 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: Hero Doug http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2004/05/23/php-certification-for-hosts/#comment-358 Hero Doug Wed, 31 Dec 1969 19:00:00 +0000 1516004650#comment-358 <p>It's sad that you have had bad experience with hosts, but from my experience with hosting I've found that all the hosts I've dealt with have had extensive knowledge about their servers, including php. Which brings me to my next point, there is a LOT more to know about running hosting business then just your PHP settings and what modules are installed. If you are to suggest a certification program for hosting (Which is a Linux server admin certification actually) it should encompass the whole of hosting, and not just one aspect.</p> <p>I really do agree with you on one point though, there are a lot of new host's on the market that have no business hosting. </p> It’s sad that you have had bad experience with hosts, but from my experience with hosting I’ve found that all the hosts I’ve dealt with have had extensive knowledge about their servers, including php. Which brings me to my next point, there is a LOT more to know about running hosting business then just your PHP settings and what modules are installed. If you are to suggest a certification program for hosting (Which is a Linux server admin certification actually) it should encompass the whole of hosting, and not just one aspect.

I really do agree with you on one point though, there are a lot of new host’s on the market that have no business hosting.

]]> By: HarryF http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2004/05/23/php-certification-for-hosts/#comment-359 HarryF Wed, 31 Dec 1969 19:00:00 +0000 1516004650#comment-359 <p><blockquote><p><br /> Which brings me to my next point, there is a LOT more to know about running hosting business then just your PHP settings and what modules are installed.<br /> </p></blockquote></p> <p>Very true and general sysadmin training should cover this. Think there is value in something that focuses on PHP only though. To take a well known example, when register_globals was switched off by default with PHP 4.2.0, many hosts followed suit because it was the recommended approach - sysadmin good practice in other words. The result was mayhem for many.</p>

Which brings me to my next point, there is a LOT more to know about running hosting business then just your PHP settings and what modules are installed.

Very true and general sysadmin training should cover this. Think there is value in something that focuses on PHP only though. To take a well known example, when register_globals was switched off by default with PHP 4.2.0, many hosts followed suit because it was the recommended approach - sysadmin good practice in other words. The result was mayhem for many.

]]> By: p4schroeder http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2004/05/23/php-certification-for-hosts/#comment-360 p4schroeder Wed, 31 Dec 1969 19:00:00 +0000 1516004650#comment-360 <p>A couple month ago I installed eZpublish CMS on a shared hosting (Ace-host.net) and as so happy because it was working. Since eZpublish runs only if PHP runs as a module I was happy it worked. Two weeks late after setting up the site I suddenly starred at an a screen telling me no file specified. After bugging Ace-host for a while I realized they had changed PHP from Apache module to CGI without even telling the customers. That was a horrible experience for me.</p> A couple month ago I installed eZpublish CMS on a shared hosting (Ace-host.net) and as so happy because it was working. Since eZpublish runs only if PHP runs as a module I was happy it worked. Two weeks late after setting up the site I suddenly starred at an a screen telling me no file specified. After bugging Ace-host for a while I realized they had changed PHP from Apache module to CGI without even telling the customers. That was a horrible experience for me.

]]> By: HarryF http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2004/05/23/php-certification-for-hosts/#comment-361 HarryF Wed, 31 Dec 1969 19:00:00 +0000 1516004650#comment-361 <p><blockquote><p><br /> ...I realized they had changed PHP from Apache module to CGI without even telling the customers. That was a horrible experience for me.<br /> </p></blockquote></p> <p>That's exactly what I'm talking about (have had similar experiences and I believe it's probably a common story). The problem, for me, is not that they switched to using CGI but that there was no warning. To me that says they fail to understand the potential impact of what they're doing on PHP applications. With a warning, you would have had a chance to test / fix the problem in your development environment (or at least discuss it on <a href="http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/">SPF</a> and work out how to solve it).</p>

…I realized they had changed PHP from Apache module to CGI without even telling the customers. That was a horrible experience for me.

That’s exactly what I’m talking about (have had similar experiences and I believe it’s probably a common story). The problem, for me, is not that they switched to using CGI but that there was no warning. To me that says they fail to understand the potential impact of what they’re doing on PHP applications. With a warning, you would have had a chance to test / fix the problem in your development environment (or at least discuss it on SPF and work out how to solve it).

]]> By: Peter http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2004/05/23/php-certification-for-hosts/#comment-362 Peter Wed, 31 Dec 1969 19:00:00 +0000 1516004650#comment-362 <p>You just have to checkout your hosts before getting in bed with them. you get what you pay for and for just $25 per month you can get hosts whose whole buiness of being online is to do PHP/MySQL hosting. they have a passion, they write PHP programs and they know about the need to use PEAR etc.</p> <p>You should always talk to a potential host personally. If they don't respond to your questions, then you ought to go elsewhere anyway. Ask them 'can i install pear packages...will you run php5, do you support SQLite? Of course you shold also ask: what are your peering arrangements?, what backup do you have? and often 'who are you a reseller for? (i.e. who REALLY is the host).</p> You just have to checkout your hosts before getting in bed with them. you get what you pay for and for just $25 per month you can get hosts whose whole buiness of being online is to do PHP/MySQL hosting. they have a passion, they write PHP programs and they know about the need to use PEAR etc.

You should always talk to a potential host personally. If they don’t respond to your questions, then you ought to go elsewhere anyway. Ask them ‘can i install pear packages…will you run php5, do you support SQLite? Of course you shold also ask: what are your peering arrangements?, what backup do you have? and often ‘who are you a reseller for? (i.e. who REALLY is the host).

]]> By: Hero Doug http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2004/05/23/php-certification-for-hosts/#comment-363 Hero Doug Wed, 31 Dec 1969 19:00:00 +0000 1516004650#comment-363 <p>[QUOTE=p4schroeder]After bugging Ace-host for a while I realized they had changed PHP from Apache module to CGI without even telling the customers.[/q] I have to agree with what Harry said about this, the host should have realised the potential impact it had on their customers sites.</p> <p>[QUOTE=HarryF]Think there is value in something that focuses on PHP only though.[/QUOTE] There could be value for a certification if prepared properly. If anyone were to do it I'd like to see the PHP.net developers do it.</p> [QUOTE=p4schroeder]After bugging Ace-host for a while I realized they had changed PHP from Apache module to CGI without even telling the customers.[/q] I have to agree with what Harry said about this, the host should have realised the potential impact it had on their customers sites.

[QUOTE=HarryF]Think there is value in something that focuses on PHP only though.[/QUOTE] There could be value for a certification if prepared properly. If anyone were to do it I’d like to see the PHP.net developers do it.

]]> By: HarryF http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2004/05/23/php-certification-for-hosts/#comment-364 HarryF Wed, 31 Dec 1969 19:00:00 +0000 1516004650#comment-364 <p><blockquote><p><br /> If anyone were to do it I'd like to see the PHP.net developers do it.<br /> </p></blockquote></p> <p>Likewise. Certainly something that has to be "done right". Might also turn into enough predictable revenue to employ a full time PHP developer somewhere (which is valuable in Open Source development).</p>

If anyone were to do it I’d like to see the PHP.net developers do it.

Likewise. Certainly something that has to be “done right”. Might also turn into enough predictable revenue to employ a full time PHP developer somewhere (which is valuable in Open Source development).

]]> By: Filip de Waard http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2004/05/23/php-certification-for-hosts/#comment-365 Filip de Waard Wed, 31 Dec 1969 19:00:00 +0000 1516004650#comment-365 <p>Good idea. Where can I enlist ;)</p> Good idea. Where can I enlist ;)

]]> By: HarryF http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2004/05/23/php-certification-for-hosts/#comment-366 HarryF Wed, 31 Dec 1969 19:00:00 +0000 1516004650#comment-366 <p><blockquote><p><br /> Good idea. Where can I enlist ;)<br /> </p></blockquote></p> <p>Exactly ;) Needs someone to take the bait and set it up...</p>

Good idea. Where can I enlist ;)

Exactly ;) Needs someone to take the bait and set it up…

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