So I bought this game on Saturday for 97p from Tesco and I haven’t been able to stop playing it, which is why I haven’t blogged. I tend to only buy old games, (1) because they’re cheap, (2) because they’re guaranteed to be compatible with my newer system and (3) I like retro.
So I’ve begun testing wordpress for this blog, for compatibility with the existing content I have on the server. I’ve just had to purchase another database for the testing itself which is a bit annoying, but my plan is to have this temporary setup before I start surfing for a new web-host.
So far I found a real good sounding web-host which is compatible with the values of this site (and paranoia that one time something I publish will cause me to be shut down): nearlyfreespeech.net
You pay only for your server and bandwidth usage, they give you a private mailbox (so your own address is not revealed), a special phone and fax and a custom email address.
Here’s a statement on their FAQ (my bold emphasis):
“If you wish to host a controversial site in the US, it behooves you to know the law, particularly this one, and how to use it to your advantage in the event of a dispute. You should also be prepared for a downtime of some or all “allegedly infringing” material for a couple of weeks if the copyright owner wants to fight.
We adhere to the entire law very closely. We do not generally pull the plug on an entire site if, for example, someone claims that a single graphic is infringing. We do our best to remove only the content that the copyright owner specifically identifies as allegedly infringing. We allow and encourage the use of the “putback notification” process when material is incorrectly identified as infringing. But we do not automatically terminate a member’s service merely for receiving a complaint alleging infringement. (However, actually infringing someone’s copyright does violate our TACOS and will generally result in immediate termination.)
Keep in mind that while we aren’t lawyers, neither are we idiots. We can tell the difference between people harassing our members via the DMCA and cases where our service is genuinely being misused, and we can adjust our attitude accordingly. Fortunately, both of these cases are very rare.
Of course, not all complaints are DMCA complaints. We very much enjoy “I hate that site. I demand you take it down!” messages, of which we receive a very large number (from, ironically, a relatively small number of people). Other than pointing and laughing, however, we tend not to respond to such demands.”
Pretty awesome huh? Unfortunately they take payment in US$ so I need to contact them to discuss that, not sure what the risks are in terms of the exchange rate or how I’d go about paying.
If anyone knows of a UK equivalent, I would love to know. Lyc0s offer a pretty good service in terms of support and installation but something I read in .NET magazine recently by a Lyc0s executive caused me concern in how they would handle a copyright or libel complaint. As you can see I mention no names and have taken precaution to hide keywords!
See you on the new blog…
Abandon All Fear 