I'm a cypher, wrapped in an enigma, smothered in secret sauce. Also, my name is Kev and I own this here website.
For the most part, I think I have an excellent track record for giving advice to people.
For example, in college, I suggested a friend think long and hard before asking “Sarah” out on a date. Her large hands, size 14 shoes, gigantic Adam’s Apple, and tendency to occasionally call herself “Jeff” were red flags I thought he needed to consider.
I wish I could say my friend heeded the advice. However, on the bright side, I was able to tell him “I told you so” over and over while he hid under my kitchen table and sobbed uncontrollably for 12 straight weeks.
Anyway, even with my excellent track record, I do occasionally slip up and give bad advice. A recent example involves my recommending a web hosting provider to three friends of mine.
Josh at The Smoake House, Melissa at For Cheap Sake, and Angi at We Sleep for Dreaming are all using JustFree.com as their web host.
Why?
Because they foolishly listened to me when I recommended JustFree to them.
Sadly, for the past few weeks, JustFree has been about as reliable as a garbage bag being used as a bulletproof vest. It’s been going down everyday — sometimes for several hours.
Why did I recommend JustFree, you might ask?
Well, once upon a time they were very reliable. I used them myself for almost a year before switching to a paid web host. Until recently, I viewed them as the perfect “starter” host for a blog wanting to graduate from Blogger or WordPress.
Needless to say, I feel bad. This is all my fault. I’m currently researching alternative hosting options for all three of them. Of course, if they’re smart, they probably won’t listen to me again.
Sigh.
I almost feel as bad as the time I told my friend to give “Sarah” another chance. The poor fool thought I was being serious.
What’s some bad advice YOU have given to people? Did they ever forgive you? Also, does anyone recommend a good, preferably free, web host that can support WordPress? As always, please feel free to leave a comment or two or ten.
;-) 8.20.08 at 11:48 am:
I am so unspeakably angry at you right now…
See if I ever do another interview for YOU again.
And you call yourself a web developer……….
;-) 8.20.08 at 12:08 pm:
@Angi: I know. I’m sorry. Hey, at least you didn’t listen to me when I tried to set you up with that “guy” who was a big Melissa Etheridge fan.
;-) 8.20.08 at 12:12 pm:
You should be sorry. And yeah, you’re right, good thing I didn’t take your advice about that “guy”, or I could very well end up having Katy Perry’s I Kissed a Girl as my theme song. Except I wouldn’t have liked it.
;-) 8.20.08 at 8:07 pm:
My advice-giving tendencies are limited to movies people might want to see. But that even petered out when I told my sister how excellent Punch Drunk Love was. She’s still thinks I’m mentally-damaged.
As for a host, I use BlueHost. I have been down for maybe a couple hours total since using them the last 9 months. That sounds pretty good to me. I wouldn’t recommend a free anything. You get what you pay for.
;-) 8.20.08 at 9:55 pm:
Don’t sweat it, Kev. You don’t have to apologize. Just make sure you sleep with one eye open from now on. That’s all,
;-) 8.20.08 at 10:30 pm:
I can’t stop laughing about the college thing… LMAO
;-) 8.21.08 at 9:47 am:
@Angi: Yikes, again, I’m so sorry. However, in my defense, the “guy” was really sensitive and had a nice car…
@Kathy: See, that’s why I limit my movie recommendations to Kevin Costner flicks. I figure you can never go wrong with one of those.
Thanks for the BlueHost tip. Ideally, I hope to find them a free option, but I’m inclined to agree with your “you get what you pay for” advice.
@Josh: Oh, I already do that. Yeah, I’ve slept with one eye open ever since college. You would, too, if you had my roommate…
@Corrina: You know, somewhere out there, I’m pretty sure my friend is still sobbing uncontrollably.
;-) 8.21.08 at 11:48 am:
Is that why I keep getting told Angi’s site is Forbidden? At first I thought she just changed the content…a lot.
Hm, bad advice from me? I don’t know because I always give advice with a huge disclaimer: “Remember–this is advice from Me. Follow it at your own risk.” Usually, I never hear from those people again so I might give really good advice. Or, they die.
;-) 8.21.08 at 12:23 pm:
No, I just blocked the people I didn’t want reading it.
Sorry, Erin, I would have told you, but….
;-) 8.21.08 at 12:32 pm:
@Erin: So, taking advice for you is a gamble? It will either out wonderfully or it will kill you. Personally, I think you should test out this theory. Of course, just to be safe, only give advice to people with no family or friends. Just in case.
@Angi: Wait a second…I get the Forbidden message, too. Um…
;-) 8.21.08 at 1:26 pm:
Yeah, well, for you, it’s for recommending JustFree.
Take your punishment like a man.
;-) 8.21.08 at 4:12 pm:
I told Johnny not to take that Captain Jack Sparrow role. Luckily he ignored me just that one time. We still laugh about it.
;-) 8.31.08 at 9:55 pm:
Your advice credentials are right up there with, oh, Sarah Palin– you know the new VP candidate gov. of Alaska who didn’t like her brother in law threatening to kill her father so she (allegedly) throught she outta have him fired as a State Trooper in Alaska thinking, I guess, that is unbecoming to a law enforcement man. So maybe you could give her advice about what would have been a better conflict resolution techique since the press thinks that was really bad. You’re really cool Kev, and don’t let anybody ever tell you your advice is not as good Marie Antionnette who told the peasants what to eat but they didn’t like the advice. Ungrateful peasants. After all, who doesn’t like cake? Oh yeh, Kev just watch your neck.