V10.03 March 2008

0. Introduction.
1. Apologies for Blingies.
2. Mail is Mail, FTP/Shell is FTP/Shell!
3. DreamHost Interns!
4. WordPress 2.5!
5. Disk Use by Domain!
6. DHSOTM


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0. Introduction.

I just wanted to start out by apologizing for the March 2008 DreamHost
newsletter being SO LATE! I'm sorry, I don't think it's ever been THIS
late before, and that's not just because this is the ONLY March 2008
there's ever been.

I just want to continue by apologizing for that joke. I'm sorry, I
shouldn't even call it a joke, because I've heard jokes are supposed to
be funny, or at least make you think. You see, I was trying to make
something humorous of the fact that you probably thought I was referring
to DreamHost newsletters in general, and not the March 2008 one in
specifics. However, I've yet to really see somebody in real life laugh
in response to one of those-style "jokes", so I'm not sure why I would
have thought reading it in a boring email from your boring web host
would elicit any better response.

I'm sorry. I didn't mean to over-analyze that thing to death. I think
that in itself was yet another pitiful attempt to be funny, and I really
regret even trying it.


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1. Apologies for Blingies.

In sticking with this month's budding newsletter theme, I'd like to
start out (again) with an apology for the last several weeks of
performance problems to everybody who's on our Blingy cluster. If you
haven't already jumped ship after all the site and email slowness and
inactivity, you have my deepest admiration.

At least now we finally seem to have things under control, and hopefully
for good. I'm sorry it's taken so long, and if it's any consolation,
here's all the gory details of what happened and "why":

http://blog.dreamhost.com/2008/04/07/another-anatomy/

Also note, if you're on Blingy (you can tell by going to our panel and
clicking "Account Status" and looking at "Your Email Server"), and would
like to get a full month's credit, all you need to do is contact support
via our panel and submit a request with the subject "Blingy Account
Credit" and we'll automatically give you the credit next Monday (April
14th).

I'm really really really really really really really really really
really really really really really really really really really really
really sorry.


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2. Mail is Mail, FTP/Shell is FTP/Shell!

Really.

And, I'm sorry for this new "feature", but it's our first step in a
whole new paradigm of hosting at DreamHost brought on by this Blingy
debacle.

We're no longer allowing (new) FTP/SHELL users to have an email address
associated with them.

The reason for this, I'm sorry to say, is that we are planning on a LESS
centralized hosting infrastructure for the future. One with fewer "eggs"
in each "basket". And, part of this is being able to separate the
storage we use for email (which is 10% of the total size but 90% of the
access) from the storage we use for user's home directories (which is
90% of the total size but only guess what percent of the total access?).

Fortunately, this change should be more or less invisible to everybody!
The only thing lost is the ability to see and manipulate your mail files
via FTP/Shell... (and even that is only for new users from now on).
Whoop-dee-do, I say!

And for those of you who DID want to do that for some reason, I have
something for you that might appease your new-found rage:

I'm sorry.


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3. DreamHost Interns!

Have you always dreamed of a career in groveling and prostrating oneself
before the almighty customer? Do you love offering your bare soul up to
the masses for piercing scrutiny and painful mockery? Are you a natural-
born apologizer like me?

Then a career at DreamHost could be the job for you! We're now taking
applications for our (paid) "Summer" internships, which are actually for
whenever and for as long as forever:

http://blog.dreamhost.com/2008/03/15/friendless-summer/

And, we're always hiring people for regular jobs too... see:

http://www.dreamhost.com/jobs.html

If you've already got a great job with great people and great apologies,
then I hope you'll accept my sincerest regrets at wasting your time with
this section.


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4. WordPress 2.5!

I apologize if, like paper mache, this is old news, but I thought some
of you may like to be *explicitly* told that our WordPress one-click
installer has been upgraded to version 2.5!

https://panel.dreamhost.com/?tree=goodies.installer

If you're using "advanced mode", that means you can now upgrade to 2.5
yourself from our panel above! If you're using "easy mode", we've
already done it for you, and I'm not going to apologize for making your
life so EASY.

2.5 is, like a giant clone of count dracula, a pretty big revamp with
a new skin for the management area with less clutter and an integrated
simple photo gallery app.

Sorry zenphoto, the heat is officially... ON!


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5. Disk Use by Domain!

I know by now you're probably getting sick of all the sheepish
apologizing and spineless approval-lusting you've had to wade through
this time. I just want to let you know I'm very very sorry if that's the
case, and I never intended to cause you any discomfort or annoyance. I
assure you that was the furthest thing from my aim.

As a way of apology, perhaps you will accept this new feature:

https://panel.dreamhost.com/?tree=status.disk

Now gives you an option to see how much disk you're using broken down
BY DOMAIN! (Instead of just by user or database or account.)

There are, I'm afraid, 3 caveats:

#1. Because this process can be somewhat intensive on the file servers,
you may only get these figures updated once a month.

#2. Never turn your back on a Turkish sailor.

#3. People on Blingy (see section 1. above) won't have this feature
available until we feel that situation is 100% under control,
probably within the week.

If you can't live with those three restrictions, than I'm very sorry,
neither can I. PSSSSSSHBLAHMMM!


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6. DHSOTM

This thing, like a cross-dressing light switch, is really dragging on,
and I regret that. I also regret that this month's DHSOTM winner is
almost like a META-DHSOTM site... except theirs is filled only with
sites that would each easily TROUNCE the entire DHSOTM competition with
one css-file tied behind their background process..

http://www.cssmania.com/

I guess it's just a gallery for pretty sites that don't use tables! The
sites are pretty pretty, and it just makes me feel like our little list
is entirely inadequate:

https://panel.dreamhost.com/?tree=home.dhsotm

I'm sorry, but the truth just hurts sometimes.


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So much to atone for,
Josh Jones

P.S. Is it too late to apologize? Too late to apologize? Tooo late?! Too
laaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyte? Then, please unsubscribe here:

https://panel.dreamhost.com/id/?tab=contact

URL source: http://wiki.dreamhost.com/V10.03_March_2008

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