dotCanada.com buys AffordableHost [merged thread]

Portal Home > Knowledgebase > Articles Database > dotCanada.com buys AffordableHost [merged thread]

Posted by LP-Trel, 04-20-2005, 01:47 AM
I just received an email about this and I was curious if this was verified by any real Affordablehost customers. (Somehow I'm on the mailing list for these types of emails.) Thank you.
Posted by Festus2005, 04-20-2005, 02:04 AM
I am a customer and yes it is true. http://www.affordablehost.com/news/news_dotcanada.html
Posted by CD Burnt, 04-20-2005, 02:09 AM
good luck on whatever is next, Tina!
Posted by Gary Brahmi, 04-20-2005, 02:12 AM
It really a news for me. AH been taken over by dotCanada.!! Let's hope to get some more updates in this regards. And there is jus a small mistake in the URL above. You can use the following url:- http://www.affordablehost.com/news/news_questions.html Anyways it is a bit harsh to point it out as a mistake. But sorry for that
Posted by Festus2005, 04-20-2005, 02:16 AM
I didn't think it appropriate for me to post that link... much better you post it than me.
Posted by AceWeb, 04-20-2005, 02:19 AM
Tina, Congratulations on the sale and good luck. Was axishost.com sold as well or that is still run by you?
Posted by Tina J, 04-20-2005, 02:22 AM
We have been migrating to the AxisHOST.com brand for several months. We are keeping it. Thank you everyone for your well wishes. The guys at dotCanada are awesome...I'm very pleased they are taking over AffordableHOST. --Tina
Posted by Aussie Bob, 04-20-2005, 02:28 AM
Well that's a surprise. Good luck and congrats to all parties involved. It's not easy letting go of something you've put your heart and soul into.
Posted by Gary Brahmi, 04-20-2005, 02:28 AM
Wishing you all the luck Tina and the entire AH team
Posted by Tina J, 04-20-2005, 02:31 AM
Thanks, Bob. I've had several months to get used to the idea...but, like I told the new guys this morning, I feel like I'm leaving my kid with a babysitter for the first time. I have every confidence they'll do just fine. --Tina
Posted by JenniH, 04-20-2005, 03:30 AM
I hope their promise of not-relocating holds good for the long term. It appears that most of their other stuff is in the NAC, which simply isn't want we want for our sites at AH. Apart from that, I can find very little on dotCanada. Here's hoping that they don't let standards slip, or start to cut corners, which we see all to often following acquisitions. For Tina... congratulations.... I suspect you deserve the rest! Best of luck in whatever you do next.
Posted by majortom, 04-20-2005, 04:31 AM
I must say i'm kind of disappointed. I've been a 3+ years AH client and was satisfied for the most part of it. I recently made a new step forward by buying a server of my own at AH. If I understand well, A(ffordable)HOST becomes dotCanada, who brings its own team, when A(xis)HOST becomes Tina's new startup. Well, the last bill I paid was to AxisHOST, so I want to stay with Tina AND her support team. I'm sorry, but I don't want to jump to a totally unknown wagon. If it appears I can't stay with Tina('s team), I'll probably move elsewhere, but really don't have the time right now to relocate the 20+ sites I had on my server. One think I liked with AH is that they only provided Linux solutions. Now we have a company that uses Linux as well as Win 2003. I know my server won't be affected by Windows, but it makes me feel incomfortable, for personal and political reason, to be hosted by people who are not 100% commited to Linux. Are other AH customer in the same boat than me? Do you also fear for you hosting future?
Posted by LegendHost, 04-20-2005, 04:47 AM
i agree with you majortom..i actually have a ded server as well but i have kept the main sites with affordablehost..now i am thinking my strategy again..i have no idea what dotcanada is all about..tina was definately the most hard working person i have seen in the web hosting industry no doubt about that..not to mention the whole staff with her is actually knowledgeable as opposed to some other companies trying to make money only..
Posted by matcollins, 04-20-2005, 05:49 AM
First hometownhosting gets passed to affordable host and now 4 months later I'm passed around again. This time to a canadian company called dotcanada. This can only mean grey clouds ahead. I give up!! Matt
Posted by reanncw, 04-20-2005, 06:03 AM
Hello matcollins, this is one of the facets of business and cannot be avoided. You can only hope the new owners will be good as the previous ones.
Posted by matcollins, 04-20-2005, 06:06 AM
I'm really hoping they're better. They've had me on a duff server since I signed up and have been unable to fix it.
Posted by Aussie Bob, 04-20-2005, 06:09 AM
I wouldn't be too hasty to press the panic button. By the looks of things, the new AH owners will be keeping things pretty much as they are, but I'm sure there will be changes/improvements along the way, naturally.
Posted by Tina J, 04-20-2005, 06:50 AM
You should have rec'd an email last month telling you that all dedicated/colo customers were moved to our AxisHOST.com brand. You are still with "Tina and team" and nothing will change for you. This purchase doesn't affect you at all. --Tina
Posted by mr_wuss, 04-20-2005, 07:03 AM
Not happy about this in the least.
Posted by Aussie Bob, 04-20-2005, 07:08 AM
Ok, me being curious and all. So the sale is only AH's shared client base, while you moved the colo/ded clients over to AxisHost.com, that will continue to be operated from your existing AH facility? Will dotcanada continue to use your facility where those AH shared servers are currently located?
Posted by Tina J, 04-20-2005, 07:36 AM
Yes, exactly. The AxisHOST focus will be on dedicated/colo/high-end hosting and also on our local market a bit more. This change is going to allow me some much needed rest. dotCanada will keep the existing AffordableHOST servers right where they are (most are at our datacenter, some are at Equinix in Virginia). They are not moving the servers or the customers. --Tina
Posted by Aussie Bob, 04-20-2005, 07:40 AM
Sook. /me runs like buggery . . .
Posted by Tina J, 04-20-2005, 07:41 AM
Had to look that one up! --Tina
Posted by Aussie Bob, 04-20-2005, 07:43 AM
Oops, aussie slang alert. It jesting for wimp. Heavens knows why you would be wanting a rest after 7 years of constant pressure in this business.
Posted by UH-Matt, 04-20-2005, 08:33 AM
Congrats Tina, now go sleep! 7 years is enough for anyone! O' to the day we sell up shop! Wait im only 23!
Posted by hendricknet, 04-20-2005, 08:55 AM
I'm not impressed so far, and have been working on migrating my sites to a new dedicated for the past week or so. I submitted a ticket last night (through affordablehost) and still have gotten no response. 24X7 suport? One thing about Tina and her group, they are quick about helpdesk responses.
Posted by Lubby, 04-20-2005, 09:10 AM
First congrats to Tina and her team, for not only building such a reputable and strong company but for finding a new owner that will take great care of the clients. I know this has been a long process for Tina and crew with few stones unturned as far as making sure that the affordablehost/hometownhosting clients will be well taken care of. Again congrats Tina and for the clients just give the new owners some time, no new owner wants to rock the boat so much that they lose clients.
Posted by bigjoeb, 04-20-2005, 09:14 AM
disappointed. I have been through 4 company purchases. They all said pretty much the same thing, with sweet goodbyes. None went without major pains in the fanny for the customer. I hope this is different and wish them the best. Short chat hours, etc. And now, already slow response time reported. I hope they were properly prepared for this.
Posted by TekPrime, 04-20-2005, 09:34 AM
I would give them at least a month before passing any judgement. It is only fair as different people have different working styles. Sometimes, things that are second-nature to one team will need to be learned by other team first. Not to mention the new team is probably busy right now with the sudden increase work load.
Posted by hendricknet, 04-20-2005, 09:40 AM
I don't have a month to give them. I have customers relying on me RIGHT NOW.
Posted by angstrom, 04-20-2005, 10:23 AM
Well, I came to AH when they bought my previous hosts, the transition was actually not that smooth. I am expecting even more bumps with dotCanada, if the AH (Axis) team couldn't smooth my transition last time I expect I'll be spending lots of hours on helpdesks and purchasing essential crossgrading plans again! Though, having said that ... this move has actually made me feel more secure, because when the AH chat and forum closed down I saw the signs of either a company sale or a collapse . I prefer the sale option myself! I know a lot of people here value Tina and her team, but for me I just feel like I am on a scenic trip through the reseller sector and AH were the previous town. If you own a large hosting company no doubt I (and my clients) will be turning up on your books some month soon when you purchase the company who purchased dotCanada!
Posted by TekPrime, 04-20-2005, 10:31 AM
That is so true. But it is not all that bad depending on which side of the fence you are on. For example, given the rate that the company I am with is expanding, may be they will be in position to "purchase the company who purchased dotCanada" in a couple of years or even sooner. That would be sweet in my view, since I do have a stake in that company. LOL.
Posted by UH-Matt, 04-20-2005, 10:33 AM
Thats one of the best things Ive ever heard someone say when trying to express an experience.
Posted by Torith, 04-20-2005, 10:46 AM
Tina I am very happy for you! Now maybe you can get some sleep after 7 years . Though I do have to say one thing that is dotcanada have some errors on their website . Like when you try and order, ect....
Posted by ldcdc, 04-20-2005, 11:33 AM
Congratulations Tina for the sale! For us, the watchers and the AH customers, it remains to be seen how dotcanada will handle things. We've seen wonderfully handled hosts sales, but we've seen quite a few disasters as well. "Life is like a box of chocolates...."
Posted by UH-Matt, 04-20-2005, 11:36 AM
Well AH were having a bad spell already (just search) so dotcanada may have the motivation to restore faith to some disgruntled customers. All the best to Tina and to Dotcanada.
Posted by Festus2005, 04-20-2005, 11:39 AM
Believe me, I will be watching. We are using our site constantly to check pricing, update invoices, check who is online, etc. and I will expect excellent quality service or I will be in here letting everyone know about!
Posted by YY Hosting, 04-20-2005, 11:59 AM
Personally i would move to a more secure company that is well established.
Posted by matcollins, 04-20-2005, 12:01 PM
I'm seriously thinking about it, there's just so many domains to move, some with ssl. eek The increase in costs would outweigh the amount of time and money I've spent in downtime.....
Posted by YY Hosting, 04-20-2005, 12:48 PM
Yeah, theres always a risk of that but you have to think is customer satisfaction and due to the changes of hosts and etc And you want to offer the best service to the customers, I say move would be hassle at first to move all your domains but would be well worth it afterwards.
Posted by JenniH, 04-20-2005, 01:03 PM
I feel that dotCanada could make me feel a whole lot better if they gave assurances such as: a) No-relocation of servers for at least a year or two b) Restoration of the support website and/or live chat (manned by pro's, as Tina had it). I suspect a few early steps like these would pacify an awful lot of people.
Posted by BF-Gary, 04-20-2005, 01:04 PM
Dave, dotCanada is older then your company? Does that mean your company is not established? Anways congradulations Tina.
Posted by adam, 04-20-2005, 01:12 PM
If people would read, it has been established that servers _are not_ being moved.
Posted by Tina J, 04-20-2005, 01:49 PM
The servers are not being moved for quite awhile, if ever. We are working with them to get an IRC online and all of the new techs familiar with it. It should be back online within a day or two, according to what I've been told. Of course, I'm not an official AffordableHOST representative...heh. --Tina
Posted by Lightspeed, 04-20-2005, 02:03 PM
Dave, As per established, Light Speed Technologies, the parent company of dotCanada.com has been developing custom software for 16 years (established 1989.) And as another WHTer posted, we have been hosting websites since 2002; I believe your website says that you have been hosting since 2003. As per secure, I'm interested in knowing the reasons you feel that the company is not secure. Not looking to pick a fight - just looking for clarification. Thanks for listening, Richard
Posted by UH-Matt, 04-20-2005, 02:08 PM
Richard, Dont take his comments at all to heart. You could buy the best webhost ever which has been hosting for 100 years with 100% uptime and people at WHT will still find fault.
Posted by matcollins, 04-20-2005, 02:14 PM
The only assurances I'm looking for is that callisto is repaired or my account moved to a stable server. I found tech support with AH fine apart from the big problem with the server. Not knowing much about dotcanada I can't comment on the stability of the company.
Posted by Festus2005, 04-20-2005, 02:18 PM
I would like to express my concerns with the letter that states "it has purchased the customers". dotCanada did not purchased me and I take offense in that statement! I can leave as fast as that letter was written.
Posted by Lightspeed, 04-20-2005, 02:28 PM
Hmm, Tina said that every customer would be ours and they would all move up to sunny Canada and become our slaves... TINA!!! Seriously, I apologize as that should have read "... the customer accounts". As always, thanks for listening,
Posted by matcollins, 04-20-2005, 02:33 PM
Just had a reply from support at dotcanada. They've offered to move my account to another server but seem unaware of the faults with callisto
Posted by Festus2005, 04-20-2005, 02:35 PM
If I am not happy after 30 days, will you give AxisHost permission to sign me up there?
Posted by rmMark1, 04-20-2005, 02:45 PM
Your right...they should have stated "Aquired Clients"
Posted by VanHost, 04-20-2005, 02:59 PM
Personally, I think that Tina deserves the break. While I haven't had too many dealing directly with her, I have participated in a number of threads with her and wish her nothing but the best. As for dotCanada.com, while I only first heard of them last week when a customer decided to switch to them (damn competition ), I for one have confidence that they won't let the AH family down and I wish them all the best. These are the ways of the industry. Whether you run a hosting company, or pay for service from one, this is an ever changing market. Sometimes you have to roll with the punches, other times, it's best to move shop. Whatever is done, make sure that is isn't done in haste or with lack of education (speaking to both providers and customers here).
Posted by Tina J, 04-20-2005, 03:31 PM
Generally, first level tech support (the guys that help you setup your email and instruct you on how to use Cpanel) do not have root access or "the big picture" that goes on with each and every server. That responsibility is generally left to the systems administrator and, especially on the first day of a takeover, a first level tech may not have the complete history of a given server. If the tech told you "I will find out and let you know" or something to that effect, I think that is a perfectly reasonable response. Just my 2 cents. --Tina
Posted by matcollins, 04-20-2005, 03:47 PM
The response I got was from the server manager after being escallated from first level support. Surely a server manager would know what's going on with the servers he's supporting? Just my 2 pennies worth However, they have only just bought you out - so I can't expect them to know everything.
Posted by Martie, 04-20-2005, 03:53 PM
Ahh, that sounds like a refreshing change then. Best of luck with the new venture.
Posted by ReasonSinger, 04-20-2005, 03:57 PM
I'm afraid I'll have to be the dissenting voice on this "needs a break" theme. One of the responsibilities an owner of any business has is to bust their hump to make it work. If they build it big enough, as some are prone to claim, they should have available staffing levels that they aren't killing themselves five or six or seven years down the road like they were in the first few years. That is one of the perks of being in business for yourself with the right business model, you know: the ability to step back from a "hands-on all the time" mode a little. I should know, I've been in this business for quite some time myself. One thing I would never tell my customers is that I need a break. That tells them my management skills after all these years simply are not up to the task of running an ever-expanding business with goals of becoming one of the largest businesses in this field rather than remaining (and no offense intended) in the ranks of those who will never make it past what WHT thinks is large based on the regulars who seem to have nothing else to do with their time except hang out here. It reads more like burnout and would raise serious questions for me as a customer. Sorry for the interruption, but I needed to get that off my chest.
Posted by Lubby, 04-20-2005, 04:03 PM
This is a very uninformed and unprofessional claim in my opinion. If you were a regular of WHT you would know that Tina has health issues that I am sure extra stress probably doesn't help, even if you are able to step back many of us could never do that, we want to make sure everything is done right, if you can't step back but you can't continue then you should sell and go to something a bit less stressful. Please next time you make such comments about someone do your research.
Posted by universal2001, 04-20-2005, 04:09 PM
Tina this may be rude but may we ask how much AH was acquired for. Any rough figures, six digits?
Posted by Tina J, 04-20-2005, 04:14 PM
Actually, I have Muscular Dystrophy which has recently made it neccessary for me to cut back on the amount of hours I put in. The lack of normal sleeping hours, coupled with the day to day responsibility and stress I feel when taking care of that many people...has been taking a pretty good toll on my health in recent months. No, I'm not knocking on death's door...far from it. Thanks for your concern. My staff is fully capable of running things in my absense, and has in the past, but I am a control freak and feel the need to always be in the middle of things. Shifting our focus to dedicated and colo customers, and higher end hosting packages means a fraction of the number of customers (and stress) and still being able to meet the mortgage, car payment, kids' doctor bills, college, etc. After very careful consideration...I've also made one of our long-time admins, and one of my closest and most trusted friends, 49% partner in AxisHOST. So, there you have it. --Tina
Posted by ReasonSinger, 04-20-2005, 04:16 PM
Please. It doesn't matter to end users what sort of problems owners have. They want their sites up and their issues addressed. And I am a regular of WHT, just not a regular poster, so you can keep your hasty assumptions to yourself. If after seven years I was not able to step back because I wanted to make sure "everything is done right" and that equates to me doing everything myself or feeling compelled to doublecheck everything everyone else does, that means I have not hired intelligently. And that would be my fault. But I don't have that problem, because my business model is sound, I hire good people, and I act as a manager of the business rather than thinking that every little detail of every little issue is something I have to personally deal with rather than providing a strategic and guiding hand to the business. People who go into business for themselves know what they're getting into. "Needing a break" means needing people to help support the business structure. I know some hosts where the owners are actively involved in every day operations, but I have yet to see them use this cliche. Congrats on the sale Tina. It's a little strange to see a sale like this that doesnt involve some kind of total noncompete agreement.
Posted by Tina J, 04-20-2005, 04:19 PM
An amount that both myself and the buyers are very satisfied with. --Tina
Posted by VanHost, 04-20-2005, 04:24 PM
Well said, and what an inapproriate question. In response to Exactly, so as a business owner, if you felt (for ANY reason) that you could not fulfill this demand what would you do: a) collapse your business and move on, leaving your customer high and dry b) sell your business to a company whose ability to manage your customers you trust and collect a payment for your hard work It seems like a no brainer. Yes a good business plan is always a must. However, crap happens, things change and unforseen cirumstances arise. You can't always plan for everything in life - how you handle the unforseeable is what seperates the good from the bad.
Posted by ReasonSinger, 04-20-2005, 04:28 PM
I fail to see where I suggested that the option of selling was a bad one if a business owner thinks they can no longer run the business, so maybe you could point to that for me.
Posted by VanHost, 04-20-2005, 04:34 PM
It came across (to me) that you were on Tina about stepping back and dubbing it as "a needed break". I would say that if a business is taking a large toll on your health, it is time to re-evaluate...which is what she has done. So even if you didn't directly state that it was a bad decision, you certainly made it seem as if she had failed somewhere along the line - which I disagree with.
Posted by Lubby, 04-20-2005, 04:38 PM
I took your initial post the same way as VanHost did and is why I made my post.
Posted by Project X, 04-20-2005, 04:43 PM
oh no, jenni.... PLEASE tell me you are kidding... PLEASE tell me you didnt!
Posted by ReasonSinger, 04-20-2005, 04:44 PM
That has nothing to do with what I wrote. I only object to the "needing a break" line that gets tossed around over and over again (shall we see how many times Bob was told that when HTTPMe was sold the first time?). I'm not knocking Tina for selling out if she couldn't see her way clear of running AH any longer, even if that begs the question of why someone who desperately needed a break so badly would continue to run another hosting company, which has the same basic feeding and watering needs as any other. People who need to get out of their business for any reason should do just that. But it just seems that some people - and I'm not referring to Tina specifically here - like to claim some higher working level for some people than others, when most people who run their own businesses work themselves into a fine powder for most of the first few years no matter what business they're in, because they're trying to build it. After a certain number of years, and with claims of how large a company is, though, I would also expect some people to have a staff of some kind that would allow them to start reforming themselves from that powder. Anyone who has ever taken any management theory classes knows what I'm talking about here.
Posted by VanHost, 04-20-2005, 04:48 PM
Fair enough. And I fully agree with the "powder" analogy. I, myself, just started to reform last fall I didn't realize you were speaking in general terms, as I thought you were isolating this case. As for your comment about someone needing a break, and maintaining another company....I disagree with this. Only the business owner knows the full structure of the company and the service offerings. If it can be determined that one brand is less stressful than the other, why not?
Posted by Tina J, 04-20-2005, 04:50 PM
Okay, I'm the first to admit I couldn't handle the load like I thought I could. My health declined...I didn't plan for that, and maybe I should have. As for why I'm still in 'the biz'? As I said earlier, my focus has shifted to a less stressful aspect of hosting and I now have a very competant partner...who also is a long-time AH admin and friend. I've re-evaluated, re-focused, learned that I can't continue to work the hours I always have been able to...and dotCanada fit into that plan perfectly, when I sold AffordableHOST to them, in my opinion. --Tina
Posted by angstrom, 04-20-2005, 04:51 PM
Ah well, please try and take a small holliday between companies at least. I, for one, welcome our new Canadian hosting overlords looking forward to my new life in Canadia - Angstrom
Posted by ReasonSinger, 04-20-2005, 05:06 PM
It's a good feeling, isn't it? Not really. I just have this strange obsession with word usage. Which makes it all the more strange that people uninformed about these things make comments about other people desperately needing a break: my point exactly, thanks. For known issues, the further in advance plans can be laid, the better. Of course, there are always variables and unknowns, but it's a good lesson for other people who might be reading all this. At some point, you have to step back, even though it's a little like leaving your child at the first day of school.
Posted by Project X, 04-20-2005, 05:10 PM
well tina, ive known you for a while and i think it is great that you built something up to the level of someone wanting to buy it from you good look with everything!
Posted by Tina J, 04-20-2005, 05:11 PM
Oh, I actually slept until 10 am this morning...went out for lunch with my husband...and took a 2 hour nap this afternoon. I'm stepping back. As for AxisHOST, the new business model does not depend on me. Even though I'd like to believe that things would blow up if I wasn't around to poke staff with my big pointy stick once in awhile. --Tina
Posted by Project X, 04-20-2005, 05:33 PM
well please, hand down that big pointy stick to me! ive got guys around here who refuse to behave!
Posted by hendricknet, 04-20-2005, 05:51 PM
To follow up on this. They did respond to my ticket at around 1:00 ET today. Even though they knew that they were helping me get information regarding a cert to move a site off of their servers, they were very helpful and did complete the request.
Posted by Mr_K, 04-20-2005, 06:42 PM
All i can say is congrats on sale! but my small company will be moving to new pastures, as having started with homtownhosting about 8 months ago then passed to AH and put on a server that really is in need of being dropped in a big hole we are moving on hopfuly to more reliable service, the failures we have had with email has had our customers (knocking at our door and i do mean knocking at our door) there is noway anyone could stay in biz with that service, and not knocking Tina she did over us a move the other day but if the company is being sold then i need to move to a more reliable resller package as our customers could not handle anymore problems with email anyway just thought i would have my little rant...lol
Posted by Bruin03, 04-20-2005, 07:00 PM
All thing this development is just dandy and great for the hosting world, but as an end user, I have my own concerns: 1. Will dotCanada be assuming AffordableHost's Terms of Service/Acceptible Use Polocies for existing customers or will this change? 2. Since the buying company is not on U.S. soil, will the TOS be enforcible? Are my rights as a U.S. consumer protected? 3. I joined Hometownhosting, later bought by AffordableHost almost a year ago due to the company's competitive pricing. Will this change? As you can see, end users have very specific concerns. Much to my dismay most of the people chiming in have been hosting collegues and not customers. I would like to hear more from the AffordableHost/dotCanada staffs and their respective customers.
Posted by Tina J, 04-20-2005, 07:04 PM
1. You will need to ask dotCanada, I'm not sure. 2. When you purchased your account through HTH originally, they were also a Canadian company. 3. dotCanada has already stated, in their announcement sent to customers, that they will honor all existing pricing plans. --Tina
Posted by beanfa, 04-20-2005, 07:08 PM
TINA'S AFFORDABLEHOST its sad to see them go at affordablehost while quite a few, if not a dozen , were providing equally good or better services than Tina's affordablehost it made us stick to AH because of Tina and the facts that it was run and owned by a lady and her round-0-clock presence in the chat and forums. It was somewhat shocking . When as reasons of closing the chat it was said some new stuffs were being worked upon but we never expected this sort of new. Yes, sometimes sentiment get hurt and though it is logical world, we had sentimental reasons of identifying with the spirit of AH. We are going to pull out - and the name Radison or something like that just dont click or ring in enough ! AH owned a datacenter , made profits - would not a partnership rather than selling just work for issues like broken health, long seven years ( just wondering how Bill G managed his health ) It would be a void not to see Tina inthe chat, if the chat is still kept , which as of now point to invalid pages. It would have been nice gesture to the community which made AH what AH is or was if things were discussed with the community ( but the forums were closed ) rather than letting know when all the things were over. WEBDUDES WORLDZONE PRO they at least informed much prior to the actual sales and transfer. But it was sad, very sad to see webdude's wzpro being sold over almost at the same time. Its a world of logic - bigger companies will gobble smaller, but the heart goes where the brain does not , and the heart appreciates individuals managing smaller firms competently and grwoing with us as we grow too. Will unitedhosting, hostpc, rochen and all similar all-time favorites follow this ? Nothing is for sure in life but we still mourn in death - some passing away leaves our heart sorrowful for ever .
Posted by Bruin03, 04-20-2005, 07:25 PM
AH-Tina, Thanks for your quick response. 3. As for dotCanada's promise to honor existing pricing plant, I don't think it mentioned it in the email I received. It's not located on the press release either. Perhaps I can view the statement online somewhere? The email I got is as follows:
Posted by Lightspeed, 04-20-2005, 07:29 PM
Hi, If you follow the link to the questions (http://www.affordablehost.com/news/news_questions.html - without the trailing period in your post), you will see this: 8. Will my pricing change? AffordableHOST will be introducing new shared and hosting packages that will offer improved pricing for over 50% of our existing customers. If you do not wish to change to a new plan, or it is not cost effective, your current plan pricing will be locked for as long as you host with AffordableHOST. Thanks, R******
Posted by ReasonSinger, 04-20-2005, 07:44 PM
I believe that's one of the more interesting (babelfish) translations I've ever seen. Who knew it had a soul to write that sort of poetry? Can you repost what you wrote as that last line in your native language?
Posted by blue27, 04-20-2005, 07:45 PM
It looks fine to me. Why do you assume it is a translation?
Posted by joshiee, 04-20-2005, 07:46 PM
Uhh.. what?
Posted by joshiee, 04-20-2005, 07:48 PM
Yeah, grammar and syntax seem right. Doesn't seem like a translation to me, although, the content of those sentences dont make much sense to me.
Posted by Aussie Bob, 04-20-2005, 07:50 PM
Kudos for Tina in building a successful business, with her current medical issues. It can't have been easy. I take my hat off to that. We're all living different lives and want different things etc. I sold HTTPme so I could move onto something else - build the family home, have a break, reevaluate things. It had nothing to do with wimping out or not be able to take the pressure/heat (as some limp wimps have indicated) - actually far from it. Tina, you have accomplished something special, and something that so few can do, so pat yourself on the back. You deserve it.
Posted by ReasonSinger, 04-20-2005, 07:51 PM
As a student of linguistics, it reads like it was translated. "When as reasons of closing the chat" "It would be a void not to see" "We are going to pull out - and the name Radison or something like that just dont click or ring in enough !" And the rest. This is not someone who speaks English as a first language, and the somewhat stilted phrasing throughout looks more like the rigid grammar of an automated translator than even the internal translation of a person moving from their language to another.
Posted by Tina J, 04-20-2005, 07:54 PM
Bob, it gets harder and harder to hate you. Stop it, please. --Tina
Posted by ReasonSinger, 04-20-2005, 07:57 PM
It's asking for the world to expect people to actually read things, I guess.
Posted by ldcdc, 04-20-2005, 07:57 PM
Automatically translated or not, the OP did a very good job, because:
Posted by ReasonSinger, 04-20-2005, 08:00 PM
Geez, you get curious about one little thing. Hey, OP: how about posting four more messages here at WHT at some point and then PM'ing me what you wrote as that last line in your own language since everything else is verboten. (oops) Better?
Posted by Aussie Bob, 04-20-2005, 08:02 PM
Looking at this on a pure business level - Tina had 2 brands. She has sold one of those brands, and cashed out of the AH brand. Now Tina has 1 brand. IMO the main motivation for cashing out of the AH brand, was not "to have a break" - but was the money, and what could be achieved with that for her family etc. Anyhoooo, I've said too much, so good wishes to all involved in this change in ownership.
Posted by mahut, 04-20-2005, 08:03 PM
I guess no one is that sad at these two nice companies being sold over. As far as linguistics is concerned, have you Reasonsinger, read old English - english of hundred years ago ? how the language changed ? how the people who were changing the language reacted to ?
Posted by aingaran, 04-20-2005, 08:05 PM
Why is the name richard censored?
Posted by HostingInsider, 04-20-2005, 08:07 PM
I don't think anything is wrong with it. Even if English is not the poster's first language, that is definitely not the work of a web translator.
Posted by eddy2099, 04-20-2005, 08:44 PM
If I read the posting correctly, Tina's Affordablehost wasn't taken over by a hostile act but it was more a willing seller/willing buyer situation so I do not see that as being swallowing up by a bigger company. I doubt we would see the last of Tina as she is regrouping as Axishost.com . We would probably see more of her.
Posted by UH-Matt, 04-20-2005, 08:44 PM
Thanks for mentioning us... but we are'nt planning on selling out anytime soon.... and we're already a fair size Lots of upcoming plans for UH!
Posted by generouswebhostin, 04-20-2005, 08:46 PM
why so fast to criticize or at least point out something pretty insignificant?
Posted by JohnCrowley, 04-20-2005, 08:48 PM
Congrats Tina on a successful sale, and for being honest with your customers about it. Hope the new company works out well, and gives you the freedom you need. Remember, higher prices = less work and more rewards. (and it seems the new brand will reflect this.) - John C.
Posted by angstrom, 04-20-2005, 09:05 PM
drifting slightly OT here, but man does the dotCanada home site look really, really terrible on Firefox Not surprising as the CSS and HTML is all over the place http://validator.w3.org/check?verbos...page%3Ddefault http://jigsaw.w3.org/css-validator/v...page%3Ddefault thats pretty bad. Who actually bothers to write CSS and yet does it so badly? wow, I'm really looking forward to their online site creator !
Posted by bithost(NET), 04-20-2005, 09:41 PM
Tina, please accept my heartfelt "congratulations!" It's wonderful to see another lady in the biz doing so well and benefiting as you obviously are. You deserve every penny you got (and then some) and I hope that this change brings you many new great personal opportunities, plenty of rest, renewed health, and more time with your family. Enjoy this new phase. Bailey
Posted by Lightspeed, 04-20-2005, 10:06 PM
All right... Before http://new.dotcanada.com/firefox/before.jpg After http://new.dotcanada.com/firefox/after.jpg Got the CSS cleaned up a bit... The html still needs work, but the visual is better. Thanks for letting us know. Richard
Posted by mr_wuss, 04-20-2005, 10:44 PM
Home Town > AH > dotcanada I can not like canada, south park has ruled it unfaithful. But seriously, Im tired of being handed off like a piece of meat.
Posted by AussieHosts, 04-21-2005, 12:13 AM
Congrats Tina. A well deserved result. You built up a strong presence by maintaining a level of ethics and honesty that many could learn a few things from. Enjoy your new direction. Gary
Posted by The3bl, 04-21-2005, 12:54 AM
Well this is a shock but congrats on the sale Tina. Hope you enjoy the new found freedom.
Posted by mgphoto, 04-21-2005, 12:59 AM
What is the link to the announcement of this sale / takeover?
Posted by NexDog, 04-21-2005, 01:39 AM
Definitely a bit of a shock. But I'm thoroughly thrilled for you, Tina. You get to cash out and continue on another brand (I bet Bob is jealous as hell). Shame to see yet another "Old School" WHT host be separated from its creator though (a la HTTPme). Next it'll be AussieHosts, Myacen and HostMatters. Then I'll be all alone.
Posted by eddy2099, 04-21-2005, 01:43 AM
http://www.affordablehost.com/news/news_dotcanada.html
Posted by RossMAN, 04-21-2005, 01:52 AM
http://www.webhostingtalk.com/showth...hreadid=396861
Posted by Ghij, 04-21-2005, 09:12 AM
The thing that I don't like about this acquisition is the non-compete agreement Tina signed. I realize this is a condition of the sale and Tina had to do it to maximize her profits on the sale. I did a lot of research before I signed up for hosting with AH and the main reason I signed with them is Tina. Not prices, not features, but the business person Tina. Now I am being told that I can not host with Tina??? Here's the statement from the Q & A about the acquisition: Imagine being TOLD that you can not host with Tina even if you wanted to. That's not right.
Posted by Bruin03, 04-21-2005, 09:19 AM
Ah! Thanks for pointing that out. Old age must be catching up to me. With that, I think I'm willing to give them a try for another year. Cheers! Last edited by Bruin03; 04-21-2005 at 09:24 AM.
Posted by Aussie Bob, 04-21-2005, 10:04 AM
Nah. I'm very happy on my path, as others travel their path. It's nice to look around and see other folks happy too. I'm arguably the luckiest man on the planet!
Posted by The3bl, 04-21-2005, 10:27 AM
Maybe second luckest man. You aint got my wife and kids.. As long as everybody is happy doing what they do then life is grand cause it is too short to spend doing things you hate. As an old biker friend told me once if you aint happy where you are, why are you still there? Tina sounds like she is off to enjoy a little life and reap what she worked so hard for. Sounds like you are off doing what you enjoy and building your life the way you want it to be. Not much more anyone can ask for than that.
Posted by JenniH, 04-21-2005, 10:49 AM
You'd probably be surprised if you knew how many hosts we actually use. Different types of site tend to fit better with different types of host. Horses for courses. I suspect this also relates to Tina's decision to sell. The part of the business sold was the 'affordable' end. I'm guessing one motivation for this was so that she cpuld focus elsewhere... on areas which she felt she could do the best job in. This is fairly normal in some respects. Potentially of course, dotCanada might be better for the 'affordable' end of the equation, if that's what they specialize in. Then again, they might not! >> The thing that I don't like about this acquisition is the non-compete agreement << What strikes me as strange about this is that there isn't a direct correlation between Tina's new offerings and the old AH offerings that have been acquired. They are not like for like competitors. There is therefore every reason to believe that people might want hosting from BOTH sources, rather than either/or. In that context the non-compete agreement is a bit of a nonesense. We'll just have to see how it goes I guess.
Posted by Ghij, 04-21-2005, 11:17 AM
Actually AxisHOST and AffordableHOST Multi Domain Plans are very similar in pricing and features. It looks like the same offerings to me. dotCanada stated that they will keep the AH pricing and plans. I do agree that Tina is going in a different direction, but the grey area in between "affordable" and "high end" appears to be the same and we can not go back to Tina. I will, like others have said, give dotCanada a chance, but my alternate choice can not be a company owned by Tina. I just wish there was a way around this.
Posted by Festus2005, 04-21-2005, 01:56 PM
Notice this question never got answered:
Posted by VP-Sandip, 04-21-2005, 02:30 PM
What's wrong with Canadian companies?
Posted by matcollins, 04-21-2005, 02:44 PM
Nothing at all, just pointing out that the company that bought AH was canadian.
Posted by MatthewN, 04-21-2005, 06:49 PM
Wow, I am suprised at the anouncement and wish all involved good luck with the future plans. Congratulations Tina on building such a good brand.
Posted by mahut, 04-21-2005, 08:01 PM
well, what is the difference between Affordablehost and Axishost - Was Axishost before also ? The present Axishost website is just what the previous Affordablehost site was. And even Tina is there. So how she is getting the much deserved break ? Will there be any problem if a current customer cancels his account with Affordablehost and freshly signs maybe in another domain name with Axishost ? Does Axishost owns their own datacenter ? Affordablehost used to own their own. So are both datacenters the same ?
Posted by Tina J, 04-21-2005, 08:06 PM
AffordableHOST, Inc. changed its name to AxisHOST, Inc. and sold the affordablehost.com website, domain and budget hosting customers to dotCanada. AxisHOST, Inc. is the same company (our datacenter, our staff, etc.) that AffordableHOST, Inc. was. The only difference is that we no longer are affiliated with affordablehost.com. Follow? --Tina
Posted by JohnCrowley, 04-21-2005, 08:11 PM
> well, what is the difference between Affordablehost and Axishost - Was Axishost before also ? The present Axishost website is just what the previous Affordablehost site was. And even Tina is there. So how she is getting the much deserved break ? Axishost is probably much smaller in terms of total clients, and focuses more on dedicated and colo, higher ticket items requiring less of them for sustained long term growing revenue. Less hassles and headaches overall. Tina co-owns Axis. > Will there be any problem if a current customer cancels his account with Affordablehost and freshly signs maybe in another domain name with Axishost ? Does Axishost owns their own datacenter ? Affordablehost used to own their own. So are both datacenters the same ? Non-compete stops Tina from taking old shared clients on board at Axis. Tina owns the datacenter space/cage, so both are the same, as dotCanada is keeping the servers in the same DC for now. If I messed up any details, feel free to correct me. Edit: I'm too slow it seems with details. - John C.
Posted by ReasonSinger, 04-21-2005, 08:14 PM
Axishost (a not too large host) was acquired by Affordablehost. The Axishost site does look a lot like the Affordablehost site, but that's to be expected. I'm not terribly fond of the date under the logo, since it gives the impression that Axishost has been around since 1997 (it hasn't), and the boxes on the right have nothing in them (tacky). And that buy one get one mentality that ANZ promoted is in full swing there at Axishost, it seems. Trying to skirt the terms of the noncompete agreement is probably not going to be noticed by anyone, but it's not something I would do personally. Axishost still has the same facility that Affordablehost had, since Tina leases space in that building.
Posted by Tina J, 04-21-2005, 08:22 PM
Actually, we have. We've gone through 3 name changes in 8 years (White Lake Web, AffordableHOST, Inc. and now AxisHOST, Inc.)...but we're still the same company. --Tina
Posted by mahut, 04-21-2005, 08:25 PM
Thanks Reasonsinger. As someone noted somewhereelse in this forum, services are at times procured by a client on the basis of persons running them . So, do one stays in the same house with different people or moves onto different house with the same people. Noncompete agr was done by Tina. Clients I guess never signs any agr that they will stay on with a company. If Axishost has not been around since 1997 they should not advertise like that probably. If Axishost owns its own datacenter ( am I right ? ) , is using the same building and has the same support persons eg Tina then , well, someone may think why not go back to the old gold.
Posted by ReasonSinger, 04-21-2005, 08:26 PM
I'm still not fond of it without some other indication that the company has morphed so many times over the years for the same reason that regulars here will rip a company when their domain registration is only in 2002 (as axishost.com, with the incomplete WHOIS data, shows) and the company claims to have been around since 1997: it's more accurate. Then again, I'm a stickler for that sort of thing.
Posted by Tina J, 04-21-2005, 08:30 PM
Well, I'm not allowed to post links to my own site...but the information is there if you look at company info. --Tina
Posted by mahut, 04-21-2005, 08:30 PM
So, Affordablehost changed the name to Axishost , I thought Affordablehost was just purchased If that be the thing, some clients will like to stay with the same company and prefer the latest changed name instead
Posted by ReasonSinger, 04-21-2005, 08:32 PM
That's quite true: agreements are signed between the parties involved in the transaction, not by the assets (clients) within the entities. This particular noncompete is probably directed toward active solicitation of former Affordablehost clients by Axishost. However, this particular noncompete is also very strange from a business viewpoint. In general terms, acquiring companies like to see the owners of the acquired company not work directly in the same field for a period of time for precisely the reasoning you've given here: there is no incentive for people to stay with the acquired company if the original owner is off running a similar business and those people have formed some kind of attachment to that owner. It's a good way to get reamed on the acquisition price. Neither Affordablehost nor Axishost owns the datacenter. Although these two sites don't claim that, some other hosts do claim to "own" their own datacenter when in reality they own equipment they have placed in someone else's facility (in other words, they lease that space). It's a distinction that I wish people would ask those hosts about sometimes.
Posted by Tina J, 04-21-2005, 08:34 PM
Actually, we do own the datacenter. We lease the building space...but the lines, the equipment and everything else is ours. We aren't colocating in someone else's datacenter. dotCanada is actually colocating AffordableHOST servers with us. Again, the particulars are on our website. --Tina
Posted by mahut, 04-21-2005, 08:39 PM
<< "the owners of the acquired company ... work directly in the same field" - Reasonsinger >> Its "literally" the same field if they are in the same building. Axishost does say , so it seems, to have ownership of their data servers - "We have total physical access and ownership of our network - including; servers, routers, power backup, switches, etc. in our secure 1700 sq. ft. offices." [ stated in about.php of their site ] And as I said if its just same company with changed name some clients will like to stay with the same company rather than the same name
Posted by VN-Ken, 04-21-2005, 08:45 PM
Congrats to you Tina, and I do hope for the best for you I hope you find even more success on AxisHOST and any other projects you have in your pocket.
Posted by ReasonSinger, 04-21-2005, 08:46 PM
No, I'm afraid you don't "own" the datacenter. As I clearly said above - which was somewhat of a compliment because you don't make that sort of claim on your site - you own the equipment that you have placed into someone else's facility, which may or may not be a building specifically designed for placement of such equipment. Nowhere did I mention colocation or say that was what you were doing. You lease space that you have modified to run a hosting business, but that modification does not give you ownership of anything other than the equipment you have brought in. Why is that such a hard thing for people to come to grips with? There's certainly nothing at all wrong with it.
Posted by kelvinklay, 04-21-2005, 08:47 PM
do you have some pictures of your data center (axishost), so we can see them. Just curious.
Posted by VN-Ken, 04-21-2005, 08:49 PM
I've actually been curious to know what it looks like. That text saying 'Pictures coming soon' has been there for months now.
Posted by Tina J, 04-21-2005, 08:52 PM
Okay, we own the servers, the routers, the switches, the batteries, the racks, the shelves, the office equipment, the fax, the alarm system, the A/C units, the desks, the conference room table, the chairs and everything....except the walls, the floors and the ceiling. We pay rent to the guy who holds the mortgage on the building. Its our datacenter. Seperate from that, we also have some servers in other datacenters (not owned by us) in various locations around the country. We can argue semantics all day long. I actually have time to do that now. --Tina
Posted by Tina J, 04-21-2005, 08:55 PM
If anyone is in the Grand Rapids area...feel free to contact us and we'll arrange a tour. We're just a humble operation of 1700 sq ft., but its still pretty cool (I think) to hear the noise of all those servers whirring. --Tina
Posted by mahut, 04-21-2005, 08:56 PM
Reasonsinger , Axishost says - "We have total physical access and ownership of our network - including; servers, routers, power backup, switches, etc. in our secure 1700 sq. ft. offices." [ stated in about.php of their site ] if thats true , what else is ownership of datacenter ? And as I said , if its just same company with changed name some clients will like to stay with the same company rather than the same name - whatever noncompete agr is there it does not matter to such clients
Posted by ReasonSinger, 04-21-2005, 08:57 PM
Funny, and true. Yes, I've read it. They own their own equipment, but not the building. Equipment != datacenter. Some hosts do own their datacenters, but AH, in any incarnation, is not one of them. I own all my own equipment, too, but I do not own the building where my equipment is. Therefore, I make no claims about owning the datacenter rather than having full ownership of all the equipment that makes the business run, because it would not be true. Exactly. If I were the acquiring company in this case, I would not have signed off on the deal unless there was some guaranteed condition against attrition since the previous owner was not only remaining in the field but actually advertising on their site bigger plans than they had previously and that bottom-line reducer of two months free for one month signed up (a la ANZ). When the former owner is someone who is as well known in some limited circles as Tina is, such as here at WHT, I would have insisted on such a clause.
Posted by mahut, 04-21-2005, 09:00 PM
some OR may be most clients willl like to stay with same Tina , same support, rather than go for the same name but with changed faces unknown and untested
Posted by Tina J, 04-21-2005, 09:02 PM
No one else has keys to the place (except the landlord), access to the network, or the alarm code, etc. --Tina
Posted by mahut, 04-21-2005, 09:07 PM
Thats another clincher to go with the same company because they are finally giving the much asked 1 GB space and gigs of transfer at very affordable price - to get the same package wud be way costlier with the new people who are managing the old name. Plus as I said the timetested support factor is there.
Posted by ReasonSinger, 04-21-2005, 09:08 PM
Good for you. Sounds just like our leased space. And if and when we actually buy the building from the landlord, which we're in talks to do, then I'll term the datacenter something we "own" rather than a place we built out in a facility in a certain city. Until then, we'll opt for our vision of fuller disclosure to our clients, as is our habit, and you can opt for whatever it is you'd like to do with yours. C'est la vie.
Posted by Lightspeed, 04-21-2005, 09:11 PM
I'm siding with Tina. She owns the datacenter. It is located in a building that she does not own. 151 Front Street in Toronto is home to many datacenters. Yet none of the those tenants own the building. What about someone like The Planet. They have added a couple of DCs in the last two years. But I suspect for business and cashflow reasons, they have a mortgage. So does the bank own the datacenter? Or is it all of the shareholders of the bank who own the datacenter? What if the guy who owns The Planet is also a shareholder in the bank that holds his mortgage? Then does he own the datacenter? Or at least some of it I have been to Tina's datacenter. It is not co-lo'd in another providers facility. She built it (maybe not herself ) from the ground up inside someones building. You might take exception to someone renting 1,000 sq. ft. from The Planet and saying they own their datacenter, but what Axishost has is nothing like that. Thanks for listening, Richard
Posted by mahut, 04-21-2005, 09:14 PM
It really does not matter who owns the brick walls. It does matter to a lot of clients, who thought affordablehost was gone ( purchased ), to find that the same company, same staff are there ( and even in the same building ) and now they can just cancel, if they want, their accounts with some unknown, untested people, and come back to the old gold
Posted by Wullie, 04-21-2005, 09:14 PM
I agree here as well, whether the business is leased or not it is still your datacenter. Btw, I'm not sure about the others but The Planet are leasing DC5.
Posted by Tina J, 04-21-2005, 09:19 PM
There's a HUGE difference between a guy with a couple dedicated servers at, say, NAC advertising "Our datacenter...blah, blah, blah" and someone who owns equipment insured at over a million dollars housed in a location that only they and their landlord has keys to saying "Our datacenter". --Tina
Posted by VN-Ken, 04-21-2005, 09:20 PM
Yeah, I remember you posting on HHO about how you liked going through the datacenter listening to the sounds of the servers, switches and whatnot. I just saw a datacenter for the first time just two weeks ago, and to be honest, I got the chills myself :| (is this normal?) hehehe.
Posted by ReasonSinger, 04-21-2005, 09:22 PM
Hey, your opinion is your own. Mine is mine. If my name (or my business name) is on the mortgage, then yes, I "own" it in the same way I own my house. It's a simple concept, really. You guys have your opinion, I have mine. Mine just seems to be on a more strict interpretation, that's all. mahut, that's why this deal would give me the shivers if I were the buyer. Without some protection built in, it would be very easy for a great number of those affordablehost people to cancel and go to axishost, which would leave me paying premium prices for not so many clients. This is why when we acquire companies, we either hire the people who ran the original company (if they met certain standards) or make sure they will not be working directly in the field for a period of time or make sure there is what amounts to a poison pill clause in the buyout paperwork to cover the contingency of mass cancellations.
Posted by mahut, 04-21-2005, 09:46 PM
Well we are not buyers Instead of shivers we are feeling warmth to know the same company has changed name - its the same data center and same support staff. I guess many of the clinets will want to come here rather than stay with some untested new people once they know these facts And before the new buyers start shivering and services start to go down ( may or may not depending how much wooly blankets they have ) people will better start cancelling there and signing here fresh.
Posted by Tina J, 04-21-2005, 09:57 PM
The non-compete in the contract means that we can't take customers at AxisHOST that are customers of Affordablehost.com --Tina
Posted by mahut, 04-21-2005, 10:42 PM
does it take away the liberty of customers to cancel ? if that , then its something serious. it was nowhere mentioned in affhost TOS/AUP customers cannot cancel a/c anytime and they cannot join some specific host eg Axishost. To date, there is no terms in Axishost AUP also they cannot come from affordablehost. If so are customers sort of bonded slaves ( sorry if that is slang ) well, customers can cancel their account,some can cancel their domain if that was not the main one, and can join axishost. can't they ?
Posted by Wullie, 04-21-2005, 10:45 PM
They are not saying you cannot cancel, they are saying you cannot join Axishost. (Whether you cancel your current account or not) There is no reason for them to ask you to agree to this, they have the right to refuse access to anyone who tries to signup.
Posted by Tina J, 04-21-2005, 10:48 PM
I will not take customers away from affordablehost.com aka dotCanada. That would just be creepy. --Tina
Posted by macdonaldp, 04-21-2005, 10:50 PM
If you look at what Tina said carefully, it says that Axishost cannot take customers of affordablehost.com Meaning as long as the customer is getting hosting from affordablehost.com they cannot, in addition, get hosting from axishost. That's how I see it. Am I right? edit: I guess I'm not right Posted too slow Last edited by macdonaldp; 04-21-2005 at 10:57 PM.
Posted by mahut, 04-21-2005, 10:50 PM
whatever may be the boring complexities of whatever contracts were signed - I dont understand if a company can change places at will, why the customer cannot ? I mean if Tina can go to Axis, why cant we ? Is anyone getting my logic ?
Posted by Tina J, 04-21-2005, 10:52 PM
No. I will not take orders from any customers that were sold to dotCanada - either cancelled from affordablehost.com or brand new or in addition to. I really appreciate everyone's wishes to still host with me, personally. I think you all are going to be very happy with dotCanada in the long-run. --Tina
Posted by macdonaldp, 04-21-2005, 10:54 PM
Thanks for the explanation Tina. As well, best wishes with AxisHOST and your continued business success
Posted by Wullie, 04-21-2005, 10:55 PM
Your logic only rings true if the law was not involved. Legally, Tina cannot accept your custom now because she has a non-compete agreement stating that. Did you really expect them to buy over a company, pay money for every customer and then let everyone move to the other company Tina has?
Posted by mahut, 04-21-2005, 10:56 PM
ohhh !!! thats great then Surpass ! those who want then can just cancel and come back i.e. join fresh to the same company with same great support thanks for the clarification.
Posted by mahut, 04-21-2005, 11:01 PM
That is what Tina cannot do , Wullie. But law shud go by the TOS / AUP also , no ? read my above post. Customers have nothing to do with non-compete agr. Where does the law prevent them ( unless you are a cyber lawyer I am not sure ) to cancel and start fresh accounts with Axishost ? Also , nothing of the non-compete agr has been mentioned in the legal emails that has been sent to affhost customers - it is in this board and the links posted here we are listening of the non-compete agr.
Posted by macdonaldp, 04-21-2005, 11:03 PM
The agreement is between dotcanada and AxisHOST (i.e. Tina), meaning nothing would stop you from cancelling from affordablehost.com and then trying to signup with AxisHOST but because of the agreement Tina signed she would not be able to accept you as a customer. The above explanation of mine is wrong.
Posted by mahut, 04-21-2005, 11:04 PM
and some customers who are reading this may be so bored or upset that they may say "what the heck ! there are at least two more all-similar good host! let us join them " - I guess they can do that legally
Posted by Tina J, 04-21-2005, 11:04 PM
It was included in the email that was sent out day before yesterday - via URLs in the email. The page here specifically talks about the non-compete: http://www.affordablehost.com/news/news_questions.html --Tina
Posted by Wullie, 04-21-2005, 11:06 PM
Yes, Tina and Axishost cannot accept your custom, period. There really is nothing you can do about it, it doesn't matter if you personally signed something, the company did sign it so they legally must refuse to host you. Whether it was mentioned elsewhere is really irrelevant, Tina has clearly stated that she would not and cannot take your account on at Axishost. Ethically and legally, I do not blame her. If she took you on then she is only cheating the company who bought out AH.
Posted by mahut, 04-21-2005, 11:08 PM
that is mentioned neither of the companies TOS / AUP and a company refusing some customers on basis of something so flimsy ( whatever non-compete agr is there ) - I dont think stands by the law , neither good for reputation and earning goodwill of either . Are customers bonded ??
Posted by macdonaldp, 04-21-2005, 11:10 PM
Since when do businesses have to accept any customer that comes along? Non- compete agreements are not flimsy pieces of paper that don't mean anything. They are legal documents that must be followed, otherwise legal consquences would happen to the company that is in breach of the contract. It doesn't get much simpler than that.
Posted by Wullie, 04-21-2005, 11:11 PM
What is flimsy about an non-compete agreement? It is a legal document (contract) stating that they cannot accept your custom. Tina could be sued for doing this or there might be a clause that could seriously screw up the buyout if this clause is not upheld by Tina. It does not need to be mentioned in the Tos/AUP, every AH customer was told about this by e-mail and the pages linked to are pretty clear about this.
Posted by mahut, 04-21-2005, 11:12 PM
[QUOTE] Tina has clearly stated that she would not and cannot take your account on at Axishost. [/QUOTE ] clearly where ? not so far in any of the company s ( affhost or Axis ) TOS - what she says in a forum - is that accountable ? I have freezeshot of all the TOs AUPs what if a customer cancels affhost, gos to host X, cancels and joins Axishost You see if someone wants to join you cant do anything practically neither you can do anything legally .
Posted by Tina J, 04-21-2005, 11:16 PM
Yes, people can do sneaky things to get around the non-compete. I won't be a part of that and if I find out that someone has, I will terminate their contract. The email sent to Affordablehost.com customers included information on the non-compete. I really think there's not much more that needs to be said about the non-compete. We're beating a dead horse here. --Tina
Posted by mahut, 04-21-2005, 11:16 PM
We are not supposed to read links in details unless they are AUP TOS or unless they have been clearly written in the body of the email - it is sure some guts to say that TOS AUP etc does not matter at all. What matters then ?
Posted by mahut, 04-21-2005, 11:19 PM
And customers can sign up for another fresh domain , fresh plan with you Tina. Do you consider that sneaky or are you going to terminate that ?
Posted by Wullie, 04-21-2005, 11:22 PM
Did I say that TOS/AUP does not matter at all? I said this does not need to be in the TOS/AUP of either company for them to enforce it. The e-mail that was sent to you linked to further information about the buyout and one of the parts was about the non-compete and your inability to move over to AxisHost. To put it quite simply, AxisHost cannot (legally) and will not (read Tina's reply above) host you on AxisHost. There really is no clearer way to put it.
Posted by Tina J, 04-21-2005, 11:23 PM
I think the non-compete is pretty clear. If you have questions about it, you can email me. --Tina
Posted by The3bl, 04-21-2005, 11:26 PM
I agree.