Importance of CSS in web development

CSS style sheets have made it easier to handle web pages during web development. CSS or Cascading Style Sheets as the name suggests is a style sheet that allows you to easily link to other documents in your website. It allows you to retain control over the various elements in different web pages of your website.

CSS only defines the structure and content presentation of a website it has nothing to do with the design of a website. A single CSS sheet can control the font, positioning, colour and style information of an entire website.

9 advantages of using CSS
* Web pages are easier to load and uses less bandwidth
CSS style sheets are preferred by web developers for website development because they are lighter than table layouts, which consumes lots of bandwidth. The style sheet is downloaded only once and stored in the cache memory, so subsequent pages load faster.

* A CSS style sheet compliments well with HTML
HTML is insufficient when used independently in website development, but when combined with CSS they can result in technically stronger web pages.

* CSS allows you to position your element anywhere in the webpage
Web developers love to use CSS because it allows them to position their element where ever they want in the web page. If during any phase of web development the developer feels that particular links or columns are not going well with the situation then it becomes easier for them to position them easily using CSS. CSS reduces the risks associated with maintenance of the website.

* CSS is compatible with all web browsers
CSS is combined with HTML or XHTML by web developers for web application development because it is compatible with all web browsers. The sites that use CSS appear similar in all the web browsers.

* CSS can be used to create print friendly web pages
Most of the web developers love to use CSS for building their HTML based web applications because they allow them to create print friendly web pages. These web pages can be easily printed. The colours, images and other things which are difficult to be printed can be eliminated and printed easily.

* CSS style sheets allows the user to customize the webpage
Now days many websites allow the user to change the layout of the website without affecting the content. The CSS style sheets which are stored externally allow the user to make requisite changes by themselves. Most of the modern browsers give user the liberty to define their own style sheets like changing some font properties etc.

* CSS style sheets makes it easier for your website to feature in search engines
The CSS style sheets are favoured by web developers because they allow them to position their elements as per their wish anywhere in web application. Positioning helps to project the main contents first, so that it is easily captured by web spiders. CSS also gives cleaner HTML codes thus cutting down the job of web spider to search the real content from junk code.

* CSS allows the web pages to have absolute consistency
One of the reasons for using CSS during web development is that they allow consistency to all web pages. All the expressions and texts will get their characteristics from external style sheet. Web developers need not to worry about the change in characteristics of the elements because they can be easily altered at any stage of web development by using CSS.

* CSS lends portability to content
By using CSS you can make separate style sheets for different media. This provides you the great flexibility in presenting your content. CSS allows you to redefine the characteristics of elements in a website to suit the need of the situation. For e.g.: A separate style sheet will allow you to redefine the characteristics of certain elements so that they are easier to be printed. Also the user will never come to know that you had restructured the characteristics for their benefit.

CSS is created to make the things easier for your website and also to give you control over different elements in your website. Utilizing benefits of CSS will give you popular user friendly web pages.

To appreciate the beauty and flexibility of CSS, check out the site, CSSZenGarden.com
The Zen Garden aims to excite, inspire, and encourage participation. To begin, view some of the existing designs in the list. Clicking on any one will load the style sheet into this very page. The code remains the same, the only thing that has changed is the external .css file.

CSS allows complete and total control over the style of a hypertext document. The only way this can be illustrated in a way that gets people excited is by demonstrating what it can truly be, once the reins are placed in the hands of those able to create beauty from structure. To date, most examples of neat tricks and hacks have been demonstrated by structurists and coders. Designers have yet to make their mark. This needs to change.

Original Source:
http://support.fuchsiasoft.org/importance-of-css-in-web-development-t67.html

YouTube Scalability

This talk will discuss some of the scalability challenges that have arisen during YouTube's short but extraordinary history. YouTube has grown incredibly rapidly despite having had only a handful of people responsible for scaling the site. Topics of discussion will include hardware scalability, software scalability, and database scalability.

Speaker: Cuong Do Cuong is currently an engineering manager at YouTube/Google. He was part of the engineering team that scaled the YouTube software and hardware infrastructure from its infancy to its current scale. Prior to YouTube/Google, he held various software development and management positions at PayPal and Inktomi.



Google Tech Talks June 23, 2007

Optimize your Web site performance to survive heavy traffic

1. Avoid accessing databases to often
On a database driven content sites, the slowest task is accessing the database to retrieve the content to display. If a site is not fast enough to serve its pages, many simultaneous user accesses force the Web server to create more processes to handle all the requests.
This is bad because it demands more server memory. Once the server RAM is exhausted, the machine starts using the virtual memory, making the server even slower, until it halts completely.

2. Cache Web pages
If the site needs to access the database to retrieve the content to display, what can we do to minimize the database accesses?
First, we need to focus on what kind of information the site retrieves from databases. The most common type of data is information used to build the HTML pages.
The fact is that the information in database does not change so frequently. As a matter of fact, usually different users see the exact same HTML content when they access the same page.
It is not unusual to execute many SQL queries to retrieve all the data that is necessary to build a single HTML page. So, it is evident that it would be much more efficient if the sites could cache the HTML of each page after it is accessed for the first time.
So, what if the database content changes? Just call a code that invalidates all the page caches that depend on content of the changed database table rows. This way, it forces the caches to be rebuilt on the next access to the site pages, and so the pages are always upto date.

3. Avoid needless personalization
What about pages that appear differently to each user that accesses them? Use separate cache files depending on the user accessing the pages.
However, it would useless if the site would use a separate cache file to store the HTML that each user sees. The benefit of reusing cached information would be lost.
To maximize the efficiency of this approach you should minimize the number of user profiles that may be used for each page context. Therefore, it is very important to avoid personalization as much as you can.

4. Queue tasks that may take too long
Caching is great to avoid repeated accesses to the same content stored in a database.
However, caching only applies to accesses that retrieve data from databases. Operations that update the database content may not benefit from caching. However, when done to frequently, database write accesses may cause server overload.
One of the solution is not to update that table in real time. Instead, create a similar table that act as a queue. The queue table has no indexes. Periodically, start a background task from cron, and move the queue table data to the main table.

5. YSlow 13 optimization rules
There are many aspects to be concerned regarding what to do to make browsers interact with the Web servers in an optimized way that it takes less time and less server resources.
The issues are often not trivial to understand for people looking for quick and easy solutions to optimize their Web sites. Fortunately, there are tools that help you to audit your sites and suggest what needs to be done to boost the performance of the sites to the limit.

YSlow is one of those Web site performance auditing tools. This is a tool that the fine folks of the team of Jeremy Zawodny at Yahoo! released a few weeks ago.
http://developer.yahoo.com/yslow/

This is a wonderful tool that in a few seconds gives you an overview of how a page of your site is being served. It also suggests what can be done to optimize aspects that affect page loading speed and the consumption of Web server resources.
This tool is an extension for the Firefox browser. It works together with another very good extension named Firebug. So, to use YSlow, first you need to install Firebug.
http://www.getfirebug.com/

Once you have installed Firebug and YSlow, it is very easy to audit the performance of any Web page. Just load a Web page that you want to test and wait until it finishes loading. Then open the Firebug pane, click on the YSlow tab, and use the Performance button.

Immediately YSlow starts collecting details about the current page. When it is done it shows a list of 13 rules about aspects of the page loading performance.
On the left side of the listing you see grades from A to F. Those grades express how your page performs on each of the 13 rules, A being the best and F being the worst. On the top of the listing you see your overall "Performance Grade" also from A to F, and a score between 0 and 100.
If you got the score 100, congratulations, your page is perfect. Otherwise there is performance tuning work to be done.

Thirteen Simple Rules for Speeding Up Your Web Site are

1. Make Fewer HTTP Requests
2. Use a Content Delivery Network
3. Add an Expires Header
4. Gzip Components
5. Put Stylesheets at the Top
6. Put Scripts at the Bottom
7. Avoid CSS Expressions
8. Make JavaScript and CSS External
9. Reduce DNS Lookups
10. Minify JavaScript
11. Avoid Redirects
12. Remove Duplicate Scripts
13. Configure ETags

6. Too much AJAX and external Javascript may kill your page performance
Using AJAX and cool Javascript libraries is definitely the latest fashion in Web application development. These are common aspects that you may notice in the so-called Web 2.0 sites.
The problem is that when you use a Javascript library that has may interdependent components, sometimes to use a simple component you end up loading a pile of separate Javascript files.

This makes the browser send a lot of requests to the Web server once it enters a page that needs many of those Javascript files. Not only it may cause excessive load to the server, but it also slows down the rendering of a page, even when the page HTML has already been fully loaded. It is a similar effect of pages that use Flash movies that take a while to load.

Browsers cache Javascript files, but when the user is making the first access to a page that needs many Javascript files, it may take too long. It may give the impression that your site is much slower than it actually is.

More detailed information regarding rules to optimize your Web site performance and for defensive programming practices to survive Web site traffic peaks can be found in www.phpclasses.org

100 Web Apps for Everything You Will Possibly Need

Running a business for yourself means you have to be inventive and always on the lookout for a new and better way to get things done. Innovation junkies, take note: the Internet has a lot to offer. From invoicing to marketing, these are tools that freelancers need to know about.

Organization

If you’re busy with lots of client work, it’s easy for things to get out of hand. Don’t let your work get away from you; organize information and projects with these tools.

1. Backpack: Get your projects organized by using Backpack. Create to-do lists, notes, files, images and a calendar with reminders that can be sent via email or to your mobile device.
2. Central Desktop: Collaborate, communicate and share files with clients and coworkers using Central Desktop.
3. iOrganize: With iOrganize, freelancers can organize work by keeping notes, ideas and bookmarks in one place.
4. Viapoint: Viapoint makes it easy for freelancers to store emails and files by client or project.
5. Stikkit: Use Stikkit’s “little yellow notes that think” to keep in touch, plan and collaborate with clients and coworkers.
6. Webnote: Webnote users can take notes using a web browser, then save and return to the notes on any computer. This is especially helpful if you’re working on-site with a client and have to use a computer other than your own.
7. Netvibes: Spend less time searching and more time working by customizing your browser’s start page with email, feeds, messaging, job boards and much, much more.

Calendars & To-Do Lists

Client meetings, important events and a never-ending list of things to do can wear you down if you can’t make them manageable. Use these handy calendars and to-do lists to keep your schedule from taking over your business.

8. Remember The Milk: Remember The Milk reminds you to take care of important tasks, so you’ll never forget when a project is due.
9. CalendarHub: Use CalendarHub’s web-based calendar to keep track of deadlines and set goals for your business.
10. Google Calendar: Google Calendar is a web based tool that allows users to organize their schedule, so you’ll always know exactly what you need to be working on.
11. Planzo: Planzo’s online calendar keeps freelancers connected to events and things to do. It lets you share your events just about anywhere, get a daily digest and receive text message reminders.
12. Spongecell: Spongecell is an online calendar made for freelancers with lots of meetings and engagements. Plan events, spread the word and allow guests to add content to your calendar.
13. Neptune: Neptune’s web based to do list tool helps you keep track of the things you need to take care of every day. It lets you email yourself new tasks, get an email report every morning and upload files to store with your projects.
14. Ta-da List: When you’re busy with lots of projects, it can be hard to keep track of what you’ve accomplished. Make web-based ta-da lists for yourself or other people, then share them and check items off as you go.

Your Money

Money is what keeps your freelance business going, but managing it can be tedious and time consuming. Sure, it’s fun to see money come in, but does anyone really like sending out invoices? Use these tools to make the process of managing your income easier and more enjoyable.

15. Wesabe: Use Wesabe to keep tabs on where the money in your business goes, helping you to make better financial decisions.
16. InstaCalc: InstaCalc is a web based calculator with lots of bells and whistles including spreadsheet capabilities, unit conversions and programming commands. It’s great for freelancers because you can send clients links to any of your calculations, put a calculator on your website or create charts and graphs from your calculations.
17. XE: If you’re working with an overseas client, you may need to handle foreign currencies. Use XE’s currency converter for accurate calculations with up-to-the-minute currency rates.
18. Dimewise: Use Dimewise’s web-based convenience to manage your business transactions wherever you are.
19. FreshBooks: FreshBooks offers a program for “painless billing,” so you’ll never have to spend hours sending client invoices out. Designed with service-based businesses in mind, this software provides a method to manage and send invoices, handle work orders and generate reports with ease.

Storage

Do you have too many client files clogging up your hard drive? Use these services to take a load off.

20. openonmy: openonmy’s website offers storage for files up to 1GB. These files are made to be accessible from any computer, so you can open them up even when on-site with a client.
21. Xdrive: Xdrive offers 5GB of online storage. Use their service to share files with your clients and coworkers.
22. YouSendIt: Have you ever had to clean out your inbox just so you’d have room to send out an email? YouSendIt puts and end to that trouble by sending files up to 2GB to your clients.
23. Flickr: Save space on your hard drive by uploading your photos to Flickr. It’s a great way to store, share and organize photos for your business.
24. Box: Create an online file-sharing location for you and your clients on Box.
25. MediaTemple: Keep your important client files safe on MediaTemple’s servers. They offer innovative hosting solutions for all kinds of websites.
26. DivShare: Use DivShare’s file hosting service to email files to clients or store them in a folder for shared access later.

Project Management & Productivity

Do you wonder where all of your time goes? Do your clients want frequent status updates? Keep tabs on your time and projects with these tools.

27. Harvest: Harvest offers web-based time tracking software with simplicity. Track your progress and inform your clients using Harvest’s reports.
28. Side Job Track: Side Job Track, designed with freelancers in mind, provides software that lets you track and manage project information. Features include job tracking, invoicing and reporting.
29. Basecamp: Basecamp offers a way to improve project communication. Use it to keep your teammates and clients informed about what’s going on with your projects.
30. ConceptShare: ConceptShare provides online design collaboration. Invite clients and coworkers to view your design and make comments on your work.
31. ProjectStat.us: Instead of fielding constant calls about the status of a project, let your customers view the status of their project online with ProjectStat.us.

Writing & Design Tools

Being creative can get expensive. Purchasing icons, stock photos, book publishing and the like can add up fast and eat into your profit margin. Check out these free and inexpensive tools designed to make the lives of freelance writers and designers cheaper and easier.

32. Writeboard: Have you ever had a client or coworker revise a document and end up wiping out your work? Use Writeboard to share and collaborate while saving separate versions each step of the way.
33. Lulu: Lulu gives fledgling writers an easy way to get published. Each product is printed as it’s ordered, so you don’t have to build an expensive inventory.
34. MailBuild: Built for web designers, MailBuild allows users to set up a template for client email campaigns.
35. MyFonts: Do you want to see how fonts will look on your design before committing to a purchase? MyFonts provides a source for trying out and buying new fonts.
36. IconBuffet: Find and trade stock icons for your web designs on IconBuffet.
37. stock.xchng: Add photos to your writing or web design at low or no cost. stock.xchng provides tons of stock photos, many of them royalty-free.
38. Google Docs & Spreadsheets: Don’t bother spending hard-earned money for the latest version of MS Word. Create, upload, share and edit word and spreadsheet documents online using Google Docs & Spreadsheets.
39. MorgueFile: MorgueFile’s high resolution photos are has-beens in the stock photography world, but that doesn’t mean they won’t do a great job spicing up your work.

Security & Privacy

Don’t let your work get stolen or compromised. Can you imagine how your business would suffer if you lost files due to a virus? Or worse, if the financial information of your clients got exposed to spyware? These services help you stay safe and secure.

40. SpamSieve: Fighting spam takes time away from your business and opens your system up to intruders. Use SpamSieve to keep spam out of your Mac email client.
41. Escrow: Don’t get burned by clients that make fraudulent payments. Use Escrow to protect yourself and your clients from payment fraud.
42. Cloudmark Desktop: Cloudmark protects your Outlook inbox from spam, phishing and viruses, so you’ll never have to worry about compromising business files when reading your email.
43. PayPal: Give your clients a way to pay without sharing their financial information by using PayPal.
44. Moneybookers: Open your business to the worldwide market safely. Use Moneybookers for secure worldwide payment and acceptance.
45. Spamato: Keep your business email secure by using Spamato with Outlook, Thunderbird or Mozilla Mail.
46. Spybot Search & Destroy: Make sure your confidential client information is safe from prying eyes by scanning for spyware with Spybot Search & Destroy.
47. AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition: Protect your business files with a good antivirus program. AVG Anti-Virus offers a free solution for protecting your computer from viruses.

Mobility & Contact

When running a business, it’s essential that you’re able to keep in contact with clients, vendors, coworkers and other important acquaintances. Use these tools to communicate with ease.

48. Campfire: Campfire is a web-based chat tool that’s ideal for online meetings with clients or coworkers.
49. Meebo: Don’t miss out on a client just because you don’t use the same instant messaging tool. Get access to every major messaging service on Meebo’s website without having to download anything.
50. FaxZERO: Online communication is popular, but sometimes you just have to send a fax. But who wants to invest in a fax machine and phone line for something that happens only on a rare occasion? Instead, use FaxZERO to send a fax anywhere in the US or Canada for free.
51. eBuddy: Don’t miss out on important messages while you’re away from your base of operations. Log on to eBuddy to sign on to online messengers using your mobile device.
52. K7: FaxZERO lets you send out a fax for free online, but what if a client wants to fax something to you? Enlist the help of K7, a service that assigns users a phone number that accepts fax and voicemail messages, which are then sent to your email.
53. GoToMeeting: Use GoToMeeting to keep in touch with clients and coworkers via online meetings.
54. LogMeIn: Don’t let your business suffer because you can’t take your computer on the road. Use LogMeIn to get access to your computer’s desktop anywhere.

Marketing & Networking

You provide a great service and offer awesome rates, so why isn’t the world knocking down your door with business? Perhaps it’s because they have no idea you exist. Get your name out there and find new clients with these tools.

55. LinkedIn: LinkedIn offers online networking at its best. Find opportunities and contacts based on your work and the people you already know.
56. askCHARITY: Take advantage of askCHARITY’s database of key media contacts to get the word out about your business.
57. Craigslist: Craigslist is an invaluable tool for any freelancer. Find clients, sell your work, buy supplies, network and more using Craigslist.
58. Coroflot: Use Coroflot to post an online portfolio and find design jobs.
59. ProfessionalOnTheWeb: ProfessionalOnTheWeb hosts a directory of portfolios. Make sure yours is there when clients search for help.
60. Elance: Use Elance to get connected with clients that need your services on a project.
61. 37signals Gig Board: Use the 37signals Gig Board to find freelance jobs in programming, design and more.
62. WebProJobs: Find full-time and freelance web professional jobs on WebProJobs.
63. Job Pile: Job Pile aggregates popular freelance job boards, so you can spend time working instead of searching.
64. YouTube: Use YouTube’s viral video to get the word out about your creativity.
65. CafePress: CafePress offers on-demand printing for promotional items as well as a place to sell your design.
66. Spot Runner: Use Spot Runner to build a TV advertising campaign.

Business & Legal

Paperwork isn’t always fun, but it is necessary. Forms and agreements can provide legal protection and help you avoid disputes down the road. Check out these tools that help you protect yourself and spend less time on the boring stuff.

67. MyNewCompany: Get legal and tax protection for your freelance business by making things official. Use MyNewCompany to incorporate or form an LLC online.
68. Help Me Work: Get the stability of corporate life while still working as an independent consultant. Help Me Work takes care of taxes, client billing, paychecks, benefits, retirement plans and more.
69. Designers Toolbox: Get set up with all the legal forms your design business may need with Designers Toolbox.
70. Creative Commons: Use Creative Commons to specify how much or how little legal restrictions you want your work to carry.
71. AIGA: Protect your business with AIGA’s standard form of agreement for design services.
72. Nolo: If you’ve got a legal question about your business, head to Nolo. Experts there offer legal advice for independent contractors and consultants.
73. Creative Public: Head to Creative Public for forms, contracts, pricing guides and more for your design business.

Client Contact & Feedback

Your clients are what keep you in business, so it’s important to check in with them and make sure they’re satisfied. Use these programs to keep in touch with your clients and find out what they have to say about your work.

74. Breeze: Send out email campaigns to your clients with Breeze’s easy tool.
75. Wufoo: Use Woofoo to make forms, surveys and invitations for your customers with ease.
76. Relenta CRM: Keep track of customer relationships using email, contact, document and activity management with Relenta.
77. Highrise: Don’t lose track of your customers: keep in touch with Highrise’s online contact management system.
78. ScratchnScribble: Use ScratchnScribble’s service to have handwritten or printed greeting cards sent to your clients.

Website Tools

Clients are looking for your business online. Will you be there? Check out these applications to make sure your business has an excellent online presence.

79. Big Cartel: Set up an online store to sell your products using Big Cartel’s service.
80. WordPress: Blog about your business and industry with WordPress.
81. Inblogit: If you’re a design professional, your blog should be attractive. Use Inblogit for blog functionality with more flexbility in design.
82. Icebrrg: Create web forms with Icebrrg so that your website can generate customer inquiry and feedback.
83. XHTMLized: If you’re too busy to build a website yourself, use XHTMLized. They take your design and turn it into a web page that is browser and search engine friendly.
84. XHTMLiT: XHTMLit offers freelancers another time-saving solution for converting design into HTML.
85. Userplane: Make your website interactive for your clients by bundling chat, messaging, video, search and live presence with Userplane.
86. Ning: Let your clients network with each other by creating your own Ning social network.
87. ExpressionEngine: Impress your customers by having a website with lots of features. Use ExpressionEngine to publish just about anything on your website.
88. FlashDen: Build a great-looking website that your clients will want to visit. Buy Flash, audio, video and fonts to make your website look good at FlashDen.

Printing & Packaging

When your products look good, your business does too. Presentation makes a difference, so be sure to make a good impression by using these innovative printing and packaging tools.

89. Jewelboxing: Impress your customers with Jewelboxing’s customized, professional-grade DVD and CD packages.
90. Qoop: Qoop prints everything freelancers might need: business cards, apparel, promotional items, posters and more.
91. Moo: Moo prints note cards and mini cards from your photos and design. These can be used for promotional materials or business cards.

Tools to Give & Take

These tools pack a double-whammy of functionality. Use them to get the resources you need or as an alternative revenue stream.

92. Google AdWords: Use Google AdWords to advertise your business or make money by putting AdWords on your website.
93. Prosper: Using Prosper’s people-to-people lending website, you can borrow money for business expenses from real people. If you have extra cash, use Prosper to earn interest by lending to others.
94. Text Link Ads: Generate interest in your website and attract clients with Text Link Ads or earn money by selling space for others on your site.
95. PayPerPost: Use PayPerPost to have a blogger write about your product or service. Alternately, you can earn money by writing about someone else’s business.
96. Guruza: Find answers to your business questions or earn money by giving expert advice on Guruza.

Miscellaneous

From office suites to creative stimulation, these tools have a lot to offer for freelancers. Check out these applications that cover anything and everything else you might need for your business.

97. Zoho: Zoho’s Office Suite includes a variety of software solutions for freelancers: a word processor, spreadsheet, presentation tool, wiki writer, notebook, project management, CRM solution, database creator, calendar, web conferencing, email and chat.
98. Veetro: Veetro offers another all-in-one solution that specializes in the tools freelancers need the most. This program combines money, document, task and customer management with email marketing, reporting and blog publishing.
99. Work: Are you clueless about what it takes to run a business in your industry? Work offers guides that show you how.
100. Pandora: Get your creative juices flowing with Pandora’s fully customizable internet radio.

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Free Web Hosting

Can you really get FREE web hosting?

Yes, there are hundreds of free hosting web sites, as far as not having to pay any money to have your website hosted. Generally they either cost you in time, web hosting restrictions, or modifying your free web pages by adding pop ups, banners, or other adverts. When looking for free web hosting (especially on search engines), you should beware that there are also a large number of commercial web hosts that claim to offer free hosting services, but those often have a catch, such as paying an excessive amount for a domain name or other service, and therefore aren't really free. The free free hosting guide below will give you some tips for finding the right free web hosting company for you.

How do the free web hosts make money?

The free website hosts often make money in other ways, such as putting banners, pop ups, or pop unders ads on your free web pages. Some free web hosting companies do not put ads on your site, but require you as the webmaster to click on banners in their control panel or sign up process, or just display banners in the file manager in hopes you will click them. Some lure visitors with free hosting in hopes you will upgrade and pay for advanced features. A few send you occasional emails with ads, or may even sell your email address. A new method that is becoming popular is requiring a certain number of "quality" forum posting, usually as a means of getting free content for them and thereby being able to display more ads to their website visitors.

Are free web hosts reliable?

Generally no, although there are a few exceptions. If the free host is making money from banner ads or other revenue sources directly from the free hosting service, then they likely will stay in business, provided someone doesn't abuse their web hosting server with spam, hacking, etc., as often happens to new free web hosting companies with liberal signup policies. If the freehost accepts just anyone, especially with an automated instant activation and it offers features such as PHP or CGI, then some users invariably try to find ways to abuse it, which can cause the free server to have a lot of downtime or the free web server to be slow. It is best if you choose a very selective free hoster which only accepts quality sites (assuming you have one).

Uses for free webspace

Free web hosting is not recommended for businesses unless you can get domain hosting from an ad-free host that is very selective. Other reasons for using free hosting websites would be to learn the basics of website hosting, have a personal website with pictures of your family or whatever, a doorway page to another web site of yours, or to try scripts you have developed on different web hosting environments.

How to find the right free web hosting site

The best place to search for free web hosting is on a free webspace directory website (i.e. a web site which specializes in listing only free web hosting providers). There are some which add new free hosts pretty much every week (and if it is updated often, has usually had to delete about as many). There are also many which almost never update their web site, and a huge percent of their links and info are outdated. Unfortunately that includes most of the directories that were the best several years ago. The problem is free hosts change so often, and most fold up in less than a year (often even after only a day or two), that it is hard to keep such a free hosting directory up-to-date.

For a more selective list of the best free hosts, there are also these free webspace hosting directories:
Free WebHosts (http://www.free-webhosts.com)
Best Free Webspace (http://www.100-Best-Free-Webspace.com/)
Free Hosting (http://www.Absolutely-Free-Hosting.com/)
Free Webspace (http://www.free-webspace.org/)
Other (usually less useful) resources include subcategories of freebies sites, search engines and directories, and forums. Your ISP might also supply you with free webhosting.

Hints for finding the best free web hosting service

Generally it is best not to choose a free hosting package with more features than you need, and also check to see if the company somehow receives revenue from the free hosting itself to keep it in business. As already mentioned, it is best to try to get accepted to a more selective free host if possible. Look at other sites hosted there to see what kind of ads are on your site, and the server speed (keep in mind newer hosts will be faster at first). Read the Terms of Service (TOS) and host features to make sure it has enough bandwidth for your site, large webspace and file size limit, and any scripting options you might need. Read free webspace reviews and ratings by other users on free hosting directories. If you don't have your own domain name, you might want to use a free URL forwarding service so you can change your site's host if needed.

Recommended free web hosts

It would be awfully hard to recommend any free web space host and someone not like it, as different people need different web hosting features and have different priorities, and the webhosting quality may change over time. Also some people want free domain hosting (you own the domain), and others might not be able to buy a domain name. Here are some of the most recommended free web hosts, and their main features.

• Tripod - http://www.tripod.lycos.co.uk/
• 100webspace - http://www.100webspace.com/web_hosting/free_plan.html
• AwardSpace - http://www.awardspace.com/signup.html
• php0h - http://www.php0h.com/
• XlPhp - http://www.xlphp.net/signup_form.php
• Hp-h - http://hp-h.us/signup.htm
• Gig4free - http://www.gig4free.com/registration_form.php
• 50webs - http://www.50webs.com/signup.html?domain_type=new&plan=0
• JayWebDesigns - http://www.jaywebdesigns.com/modules.php?name=Your_Account&op=new_user
• Somee - https://somee.com/Signup.aspx
• Domaindlx - http://members.domaindlx.com/otmain.aspx
• 1ASPHost - http://members.1asphost.com/otmain.aspx
• websamba - http://www1.websamba.com/registration/
• Free Cpanels - http://www.freecpanels.com/hsignup.php?pt=&plan=free
• 100-Best-Free-Webspace - http://www.100-best-free-webspace.com/
• Absolutely-Free-Hosting - http://www.absolutely-free-hosting.com/
• free-webspace - http://www.free-webspace.org/
  

You could read the original article in this link: http://www.free-webhosts.com/free-webhosting-article.php

More Lists of Free Web Hosts

• http://www.free-webhosts.com/webhosting-01.php
• http://www.free-webhosts.com/php-hosting-comparison.php
  
• http://www.free-webhosts.com/search-webhosts.php?ORDER=14&CO=1
  

Please visit my other blogs too: http://edwardanil.blogspot.com for information and http://netsell.blogspot.com for internet marketing. Thanks !!