Web Server Upgrade

There's a few things that need to be addressed in this issue of the Gazette.

Just last month, I had the server upgraded to match the demand for the ever-growing infopackets web site. For the Month of September, 2002, infopackets had 114,241 unique visitors that viewed 275,331 pages. In the last 7 days, infopackets has been averaging between 3,500 and 5,000 unique visitors a day.

The server is humming along for now, but I fear that it will reach another limit in the very near future. The next "step up" for a server upgrade is going to cost $650.00 USD a month (or, $8,000,000 CDN dollars) just to host this web site. To be honest with you, I don't have that kind of cash. I have a $20,000 monster student loan I have to pay off, first.

So, what's the plan?

As you probably already know, I have some free video tutorials that I've developed, as well as a few pay-tutorials; the pay-tutorials are very moderately priced and help fund the web site. Until now, payment was only accepted with a major credit card.

The good news: order by Check now accepted!

After receiving MANY requests to accept payment by check for the pay-tutorial teaching videos, I have added a module to the 'members only' area of the web site which will help to automate the check-ordering process. If you've been itching to grab one of my teaching videos via check, click here to place your order.

More videos coming in the very near future

With the cost of hosting the web site increasing substantially in the very near future (and the fact that I have a monster student loan that I need to pay off), I have come up with really good ideas for some future pay-tutorial video and ebooks. I will be developing them after the 'members only' area of the web site is 100%, and will keep you posted.

Web re-design

Since the newsletter is such an integral part of the infopackets web site, I am also developing some automated scripts which will generate "on the fly" new web pages that make searching for newsletter-related information much easier. I have also developed a new "shell" for the web site and will be implementing this very shortly.