Future of PowWeb – General Question

[coan.net]

In the past, PowWeb has been very good on adding new features and services on to the existing packages at no extra cost – and this is one of the great things about PowWeb that I would always mention to others when telling them about PowWeb, that they are always improving and giving more to the existing accounts, which in turn always made me happy to renew my membership also.

But I’ve noticed that you are now adding paid “extras” to the packages, like the new map to subdirectory tool bundle for $27.77 a year (in my opinion, it would cheaper to just buy & host it in a new package for $7.77 a year, but what do I know)

Plus I’m kind of upset that before the takeover, we were allowed to install multiply copies of instant installer applications, and now you want us to pay $27.77 to do that – even though we were told many times you would not charge more money for things we got at the old PowWeb. Are you going back on your word? Not a good sign in my eyes.

Anyway, I just want to know if this is going to be how Endurance does it business. That is try to make as much money now, instead of how the old PowWeb did business – by making the users happy and keeping them long-term users, in turn looking away at making quick profits, but keeping users for a long time and making money over the long run.

[IanS]

I don't expect Endurance/Powweb to justify every commercial decision they make in a public forum, but I agree with the basic point being made - are we to expect extra features to now cost extra, even when they're providing features previously available at Powweb included in the package price?

[tbonekkt]

I'm in a very unique position in that there's only two people who have seen legacy PowWeb and Endurance from the employee aspect - me and Josh. So with that position comes knowledge of both points of view and such. You would never have seen this mapping tool or the disk quota division tool on legacy.

While I don't have a role in setting price points and such, let me say that I don't disagree with charging for extras on the new platform. Why? Because they're extras.

Even legacy PowWeb previously offered add-ons:
http://web.archive.org/web/20000510102303/www.powweb.com/additional.html
http://web.archive.org/web/20010405215531/www.powweb.com/additional.html
http://web.archive.org/web/20030210064433/powweb.com/additional.html

The default/primary package is targeted to the broadest number of users. Not all users need or want multiple domains and such a tool is useless to them. Would it "hurt" to include it in every package? Of course not. But there is a line where a tool or option isn't necessary for the bulk of users.

For example, I use Cingular Wireless for my cellular service. Text messages are either $.10 each or $2.99/month for unlimited. There's the argument that Cingular could include unlimited text messages for all customers and not charge an additional fee. However, at this point it's a good price point for them and they chose to make the business decision to charge accordingly. Maybe down the road they will add it to the standard offering just as voice mail is now standard (it once wasn't).

The same can be applied towards this situation as well.

[tbonekkt]

I also want to remind everyone that Endurance increased disk space to 20GB disk space and bandwidth to 400GB free of charge to all clients. Not all upgrades/options/tools will be a paid add-on.

[lsimpson4]

Tom until the rewrite issue is resolved I think it is a bit rich charging for the new map to subdirectory tool bundle.

[tbonekkt]

Tom until the rewrite issue is resolved I think it is a bit rich charging for the new map to subdirectory tool bundle.I definitely understand that. The mapping tool isn't meant to be a fix to that problem even though it does fix it. There still is a REAL fix being worked on and tested.

[lsimpson4]

Can you define a timeline for this fix?

[KitBear]

Regarding the new tool...

I was expecting an updated FAQ with sample .htaccess code which works on the new platform. Much like Powweb had on the old platform - which explained how to use the 2nd domain, etc. Please point it out if I have missed it.

The new tool was above my expectations (for Powweb), however having to pay for it was a surprise. It's a standard feature of WHM/cPanel type setups. And in the long run - as a standard feature - would reduce Powweb's support costs and increase its value proposition.

I can understand the business case for charging, and I can also see the business case for making it a standard part of a competitive package. It would be a great goodwill gesture for Powweb to make this feature standard given the migration issues we persevered with, the fact that the new way sub domains are implemented has broken existing .htaccess code, that multiple instant installs used to be possible under the old plan and that performance is still under the old levels for many customers.

Personally, I believe I have my .htaccess problems fixed, so I'm not going to need the new tool. However it's unsettling to think that future Endurance changes may "break" my code because, given no “official” solution, I’m sure my code would be considered “unsupported”.

[tbonekkt]

Can you define a timeline for this fix?
Unfortunately I can't personally. I'll see if I can get an update, but I can't guarantee that.It would be a great goodwill gesture for Powweb to make this feature standard given the migration issues we persevered with, the fact that the new way sub domains are implemented has broken existing .htaccess codeThat's not a bad suggestion and I will definitely pass that along.I’m sure my code would be considered “unsupported”.All .htaccess coding is considered "unsupported" if it's done outside the OPS tools - whether it be the mapping tool or the SiteTools .htaccess page. That's the same as it was on legacy.

[lsimpson4]

It would be a great goodwill gesture for Powweb to make this feature standard.

It should be free until the rewrite is fixed then it could be removed from anybody who did not want to start paying for it.

[IanS]

It should be free until the rewrite is fixed then it could be removed from anybody who did not want to start paying for it.
A number of places offer the charged add-ons for a trial period for free. Maybe this suggestion can be expanded to something like, "a free 30 day trial of the new tool in the light of the migration issues that people have had with .htaccess"

Just my 2 cents worth (Euro cents!)

[cc1030]

All .htaccess coding is considered "unsupported" if it's done outside the OPS tools - whether it be the mapping tool or the SiteTools .htaccess page. That's the same as it was on legacy.

Forgive me, but I have a hard time understanding things sometimes. Are you saying that the mapping tool is unsupported? Or that the SiteTools .htaccess page is unsupported? Or are you saying that only those two methods are supported, and all other methods are unsupported?

On another note, why should we have to pay for a tool to map our pointer domains to specific directories in our packages? We don't have to pay for the subdomain mapping tool (which includes mapping subdomains of those pointer domains), and yet that does the same exact thing. (this isn't a question directed at anyone specific, but to the Endurance corporation in general).

[IanS]

Forgive me, but I have a hard time understanding things sometimes. Are you saying that the mapping tool is unsupported? Or that the SiteTools .htaccess page is unsupported? Or are you saying that only those two methods are supported, and all other methods are unsupported?


I understood it to say that the ways provided are supported - so in this case .htaccess created with SiteTools and the Domain mapping tool are supported.

This isn't a change from Old Powweb - .htaccess has never been officially supported in that assistance for getting it to work has always had to come from the forums and not support. That support has lately come from Extras in many forms, including his own domain mapping tool that no longer works on the New Platform because of the way they've implemented .htaccess

[keithl]

On another note, why should we have to pay for a tool to map our pointer domains to specific directories in our packages? We don't have to pay for the subdomain mapping tool (which includes mapping subdomains of those pointer domains), and yet that does the same exact thing. (this isn't a question directed at anyone specific, but to the Endurance corporation in general).

See my reply here: http://forum.powweb.com/showthread.php?t=66799&page=4

Also, please try to keep the same question to one thread. There's enough going on as it is without having to chase things in multiple locations.