Do We Really Need More Web Hosting Directories? - A Growing Concern
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In 1999 I sold that business to CNET and now I am running the Developer Shed network (www.developershed.com). But somewhere in between my last business and this business something happened. There could quite possibly be thousands of similar types of web hosting directories out there.
Big ones, small ones, fat ones, tall ones. All shapes, colors, and flavors. Some have their own gimmicks, such as a spotlight on a web host of the month, a top 25 of web hosting companies, a so-called independent panel that rates and tests hosting companies, bandwidth testing, so on and so forth. Some of these directories only have a top five as their specific picks for the top web hosts, and wouldn't you know it, those are the same five companies that are advertising on their site. Coincidence? I don't think so!
I recall a year or two ago, there was actually a directory of the hosting directories! Say that ten times fast. That particular site has since folded up shop, but the hosting directories continue to go strong. And while some of them may in fact be legitimate, I would venture to say that a great many of them are not. You almost always see a direct correlation between who they rate as a top host and who is the largest advertiser on their site.
As a matter of fact, I know for certain that there are a couple of rather large hosting "directories" that are owned in part by a hosting company! I will venture a guess and say that they probably are rated very high on their own site. In fact, I'm amused to note that they usually rate themselves second or third. I guess they figured that being rated first all the time would be just a little too obvious.
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