[Web4lib] blue sky thinking

[Mark Gilman]

Rick,

Thanks for the good info.  

At the risk of prolixity, while we are sharing useful tips, I will mention
here this "free" domain name registrar that is used by some nonprofits that
I assist: http://xname.org/.  

Regards,
Mark 


-----Original Message-----
From: Rick Mason [mailto:rcmason at rsproductions.net] 
Sent: Tuesday, July 25, 2006 11:22 AM
To: Mark Gilman; 'Web4Lib (web4lib at webjunction.org)'
Subject: Re: [Web4lib] blue sky thinking

Hi Mark,

For those without access to someone with the technical know-how, the tools
at http://engagedpatrons.org/ are an excellent way to gain some of the
advantages you speak of, at no cost to most libraries.

An additional hosting service that could be useful is
http://www.icdsoft.com/ .  I have used it for several sites, and currently
run a blog, a discussion list, and a couple of wikis with minimal fuss.

I suspect that an effort at training more library people in setting up
hosting and installing server software would be very beneficial.  Teach a
person to fish, and all that...

Good blue sky thinking!

Rick Mason

>  -------Original Message-------
>  From: Mark Gilman <mgilman at dallaslibrary.org>
>  Subject: [Web4lib] blue sky thinking
>  Sent: 25 Jul '06 10:08
>  
>  Hi,
>  
>  This is just blue sky thinking and not pertaining to any institution 
> in  particular.  What if an institution wanted to gain the benefits 
> that accrue  to libraries that have excellent server access and 
> support in, say, a LAMP  (Linux / MySQL / Apache / Php & PERL) 
> environment but had limited means and  possibilities.  Is there any 
> reason why something like this scenario  wouldn't work?
>  
>  1)  buy cheap space on a Linux shared hosting server that provides 
> root  access such as
>        http://www.spry.com/plesk-vps/ <http://www.spry.com/plesk-vps/>  
> /
>  http://support.jodohost.com/showthread.php?t=1726
>  <http://support.jodohost.com/showthread.php?t=1726>  /  
> http://www.linode.com/products/linodes.cfm
>  <http://www.linode.com/products/linodes.cfm>
>  
>  2) identify open source tools that significantly expand capabilities
(i.e.
>  Content Management Systems or other database server driven tools)
>  
>  3)  either install and configure these tools oneself or simply 
> outsource it  to someone via a site like http://www.elance.com/ 
> <http://www.elance.com/>
>  
>  4) point a DNS at this server only for those pages that rely upon the 
> LAMP  environment, but leave everything else "in situ".  What would be 
> the best  way to do that? Could www2.yoursite.com be made to point to 
> a different  server from www.yoursite.com <http://www.yoursite.com>  
> (the difference  being the insertion of the Arabic numberal two just 
> after the www, or is  that not workable?)
>  
>  Apart from the obvious potential downwides (i.e. the guy who bids the 
> job  proves not be sufficiently capable) is there a fly in this 
> ointment?  Seems  like the upside would be to enable public libraries 
> to participate in some  of the innovation that academic libraries are 
> able to access by virtue of  being embedded in technically forward 
> looking environments with lots of  computer science folks running around
pushing the envelope, etc.
>  
>  Regards,
>  Mark