Tch Is Great If You Already Have A Pretty High Level Of Expertise

[mgxliwbg]

So many help searches come back with information that is qualified with "This assumes that you already know how to do x, y, and/or z." And of course there's no linking info about how to do x, y, and/or z. This is also the case with the mods -- there is a high level of expectation in their responses that clients are way more experienced than they should be or necessarily are. There are no step-by-step instructions for newbies for setting up their accounts, setting up their web sites, and how to use the Hosting Forums to best advantage (sign up for special announcements, and such). Yes, all the information is scattered about SOMEWHERE in the labyrinth of forums and how-to manuals, but TCH needs to take a bit more of a pro-active stance with making sure clients know how to get to the information they're looking for and most importantly making sure clients get the information they need (the sudden disappearance without any direct notice to clients of the Comcast forwarders last summer is a prime example).

 

I'm perfectly happy with TCH as a server, but if you're looking for a customer support system for novices, you're better off going with a more client-centered operation. If you're research savvy and have an intermediate level of expertise with dealing with servers and web site building then this is a great place to be. Very friendly and supportive staff in that case.

[TCH-Bruce]

Thank you for your feedback.

 

Please notice that the moderators including myself have links to the help desk, help site, tutorials and movie tutorials in our signatures.

[mgxliwbg]

Yes, I do know that, but that's sort of the point -- none of those paths are very intuitive. I can spend hours muddling about and still not find basic information that I need. (When I first signed on with TCH, for example, I didn't have any idea what cpanel was or how to navigate it. All the info that I could find on it assumed a basic understanding of what cpanel was -- I had to learn a lot of the INs and OUTs through trial and error. I'm sure there is some ready help for this example, but the point is, it's not easy to find!)

 

I often feel like a Freshman who has accidentally found himself in a Doctorate-level classroom.

[Madmanmcp]

but if you're looking for a customer support system for novices, you're better off going with a more client-centered operation.

 

TCH is a low cost Web Hosting company, thats why the best bargin is only $4 a month. But for that amount you get more than other companies out there offer. You are correct, if you want support for a novice and the step-by-steps and hand holding getting your site up you will need to go elsewhere and pay a whole lot more money for that service.

 

But, if you are willing to learn and do the research and browse around the forums and the help pages, TCH is a good place to start. The Mods are usually always close by and they try their best to help when ever someone asks.

[Deverill]

Hi. I just wanted to throw out my $0.02 on this. Yes, a lot of answers say "this assumes you know how to do __" but have you ever seen someone ask how to do it and not get answers back if it's necessary?

 

Also, when I bought my car they assumed I knew how to drive and didn't tell me that the brake was to stop. Not to slight the ones who do this, but how many questions are here that say basically "I got my host thing - now what - how do I make a web page?" I'm surprised they take the time to answer half they do but they are just helpful like that.

 

Contrary to popular belief, running a non-trivial website is NOT something my granny can do (although she can do lots of other great things) or someone who has no interest in hardcore computer programming... without a lot of effort. As such, TCH shouldn't be expected to train everyone how to do every little thing.

 

Be glad the information is scattered in the labyrinth ... many budget hosting places just say "Here you go, see ya. Send the check on the 5th!"

 

As for a customer support system for novices, it's called the local community college -- they teach what ping and traceroute and ftp and how to design web pages. There are places you can rent a recording studio but they won't give you free voice lessons with every 2 hour rental. A lot of folks really don't get how involved this all is because they can use a WYSIWYG editor and make a web page. Someone once said, just because I can shoot some hoops at the rim over my garage door it doesn't give me the right to call myself a basketball player and Shaq certainly wouldn't call me one.

 

The Comcast thing was announced in the forums. I'd hate to try to send thousands of emails to every customer about every little thing, and as a reseller I'd hate for my clients to get emails that scare them when it doesn't affect them. By the way, there are stickys everywhere telling you to subscribe to this or look at that for announcements and such.

 

Finally, remember that the mods are volunteers. They aren't even part of the TCH support system, technically. They do what they do not as employees, but as folks willing to help.

[DWD]

One point not yet made...having experimented with a number of providers and having been a complete novice myself when I started out, I can tell you that not only will you pay more for a hosting company geared more towards novices but you will also have a lot fewer capabilities.

 

One prior host of mine was geared toward novices and to hold down support costs they offered their own severely crippled control panel the capabilities of which were a joke compared to cpanel. However, it prevented a complete novice from screwing things up as one can do with cpanel and thus eliminated the associated support necessary to fix/explain things involving cpanel.

 

I've also used another host which offers a few options and controls that TCH doesn't at around the same price...but they have inferior support.

 

TCH's offerings are in a nice sweet spot of price/support/capabilities that few can match. I suggest sticking with TCH while you tough it out work through the learning curve...while the grass is always greener elsewhere, I think you'll be happy hear in the long run.

[highphilosopher]

I always find posts like this interesting.

 

It's like baseball. Anyone can swing a bat, and with that bat hit a ball, let's say a basketball, probably get 20 feet out of it.

 

A baseball player can take that same bat and using a tool (baseball) that's honed in can hit that ball hundreds of feet.

 

When all is said and done, people do not go to stadiums by thousands to watch people like me hit basketballs, nor will people come to your

website by thousands if you don't know what your doing.

 

Now, you can call me an a__hole if you want, but there is a difference in playing baseball, and hitting balls with a bat.

 

ok, I just read that and it sounded a lot meaner than I intended... I'm not saying that you cannot be a baseball player, it just takes more work than being a basketball hitter.

Edited April 27, 2007 by highphilosopher

[bellringr]

I had never seen cpanel before joining TCH, and I'm still a novice at most things, but that's ok because when I decide I want to do something, I read up, try it out, and get help here if I hit a roadblock. If I want people to do my work for me, I'd better be willing to pay accordingly.

 

I'll never be a brilliant web designer or techie, but I don't think figuring out how TCH works was all that difficult at all. You just have to make an effort.