Bad Experience with ErnieandCompany (aka PromiseWeb)

Dear Friend,

I hope you are well, today. However, I regret having to write you this
message.

My name is Jason Gastrich and I'm the founder of Jesus Christ Saves
Ministries - a 501(c)(3), non-profit organization. You can visit our
ministry here: http://www.jcsm.org.

Over the past two years, Ernie Murry hosted JCSM. He also hosted the JCSM
Forum where over 12,000 messages had been posted. Hundreds of people spent
countless hours talking about God, the Bible, creation/evolution, etc.
People even got saved in the JCSM Forum! Glory to God.

Nearly a month ago, Ernie stopped hosting JCSM and he will not give us the
files for the JCSM Forum. He ignores all of my emails. I've called him and
he returned my call only to leave me a rude message; telling me to leave him
alone and saying he doesn't have JCSM's files. They were on his hosting
company - ErnieandCompany (now called PromiseWeb), so where are they now?

I'm very saddened at this and I'm quite concerned for his other clients. My
hard work is gone. People are looking for those files and finding empty
space. And Ernie won't even tell me where these files went. They have
essentially been stolen.

Please pray for Ernie and this situation. We really need a resolution.
Meanwhile, I encourage you to be wise about your web hosting needs and where
you put your trust.

Sincerely,
Jason Gastrich

Jesus Christ Saves Ministries
http://www.jcsm.org
Over 50,000 web pages!

John 8:36 reads, "Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free
indeed."

Galatians 5:1 reads, "Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ
has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage."

> I'm very saddened at this and I'm quite concerned for his other clients.
> My hard work is gone. People are looking for those files and finding
> empty space. And Ernie won't even tell me where these files went. They
> have essentially been stolen.

You should always have a backup on your local system... even if you have to
do it manually every night.

I don't know the law where you are but here in NZ they don't have to give
give you the files... as they once on their system are classed as their files
(thought they don't have any proprity rights to them) so if they clsoe the
business, decide to stop hosting your site then the can simply delete them at
will...

Y should keep a copy of your files on your local system and update or
syncronise them every night.

Hosts are not file backup systems or file storage and therefore as I have
said you have a copy and backup on your system incase this type of thing
happens...



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On 16 Oct 2003, "Bebop & Rocksteady" <spam@me.not> wrote:

>so if they close the business, decide to stop hosting your site
>then the can simply delete them at will...

Indeed... tape backup is sometimes an option, but on a daily basis
it could get quite expensive... weekly tape backup is offered on a
US hosting service for an extra $50 a month, and it is far from
clear what money (if any) was being paid in this particular case.

>You should keep a copy of your files on your local system and
>update or synchronise them every night.

That's one reason why I've not yet ventured into any online forum
on one of my sites... and I've seen a few systems where all the
old messages could not be transferred when a change is needed (eg
because they run past the limits of the old forum capabilities).

This is reminding me "I must put in BOLD that a client 'is solely
responsible for keeping backups of any files they store on web
sites'" when I am ready to take paying clients for hosting!

Peter Morgan - 0870 432 9631 wrote:
> On 16 Oct 2003, "Bebop & Rocksteady" <spam@me.not> wrote:
>
>> so if they close the business, decide to stop hosting your site
>> then the can simply delete them at will...
>
> Indeed... tape backup is sometimes an option, but on a daily basis
> it could get quite expensive... weekly tape backup is offered on a
> US hosting service for an extra $50 a month, and it is far from
> clear what money (if any) was being paid in this particular case.
>
>> You should keep a copy of your files on your local system and
>> update or synchronise them every night.
>
> That's one reason why I've not yet ventured into any online forum
> on one of my sites... and I've seen a few systems where all the
> old messages could not be transferred when a change is needed (eg
> because they run past the limits of the old forum capabilities).
>
> This is reminding me "I must put in BOLD that a client 'is solely
> responsible for keeping backups of any files they store on web
> sites'" when I am ready to take paying clients for hosting!

Thanks for your concern.

In this situation, I was using a Snitz, .asp forum. There were about 30mb
and around 12,000 message.

The hosting service did not offer FTP. However, their control panel gave a
way to download a backup, BUT it didn't work. I tried to backup my files
several times and emailed the host about the issue, but they never fixed the
problem or helped me. I tried to backup my files before they disappeared.

Jason

On 16 Oct 2003, "Jason Gastrich, B.A., M.A." <news@jcsm.org> wrote:

>There were about 30mb and around 12,000 message.
>The hosting service did not offer FTP.

Under the circumstances, I think I'd have moved on some time ago.

I don't see details now on the ernieandcompany.com/.net site about
any charges they levied, but from some time ago, they seemed to be
quite expensive. I don't quite understand why you posted here (as
this newsgroup isn't really about paid-for hosting) but they might
have had some free hosting deal, I suppose (?) Peter M.

Peter Morgan - 0870 432 9631 wrote:
> On 16 Oct 2003, "Jason Gastrich, B.A., M.A." <news@jcsm.org> wrote:
>
>> There were about 30mb and around 12,000 message.
>> The hosting service did not offer FTP.
>
> Under the circumstances, I think I'd have moved on some time ago.

I suppose we live and learn.

> I don't see details now on the ernieandcompany.com/.net site about
> any charges they levied, but from some time ago, they seemed to be
> quite expensive. I don't quite understand why you posted here (as
> this newsgroup isn't really about paid-for hosting) but they might
> have had some free hosting deal, I suppose (?) Peter M.

Yes, I received free hosting, but still sent them a couple of love
offerings.

JG

"Jason Gastrich, B.A., M.A." <fraudreport@jcsm.org> wrote in message news:<H4ojb.43212$th6.33958@twister.socal.rr.com>. ..
> Dear Friend,
>
> I hope you are well, today. However, I regret having to write you this
> message.
>
> My name is Jason Gastrich and I'm the founder of Jesus Christ Saves
> Ministries - a 501(c)(3), non-profit organization. You can visit our
> ministry here: http://www.jcsm.org.
>
> Over the past two years, Ernie Murry hosted JCSM. He also hosted the JCSM
> Forum where over 12,000 messages had been posted. Hundreds of people spent
> countless hours talking about God, the Bible, creation/evolution, etc.
> People even got saved in the JCSM Forum! Glory to God.
>
> Nearly a month ago, Ernie stopped hosting JCSM and he will not give us the
> files for the JCSM Forum. He ignores all of my emails. I've called him and
> he returned my call only to leave me a rude message; telling me to leave him
> alone and saying he doesn't have JCSM's files. They were on his hosting
> company - ErnieandCompany (now called PromiseWeb), so where are they now?
>
> I'm very saddened at this and I'm quite concerned for his other clients. My
> hard work is gone. People are looking for those files and finding empty
> space. And Ernie won't even tell me where these files went. They have
> essentially been stolen.
>
> Please pray for Ernie and this situation. We really need a resolution.
> Meanwhile, I encourage you to be wise about your web hosting needs and where
> you put your trust.
>
> Sincerely,
> Jason Gastrich
>
> Jesus Christ Saves Ministries
> http://www.jcsm.org
> Over 50,000 web pages!
>
> John 8:36 reads, "Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free
> indeed."
>
> Galatians 5:1 reads, "Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ
> has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage."

Sad to hear that such a promising site was shut down. But on the other
hand, local backups are a must.




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Vassil Stoyanov wrote:
> "Jason Gastrich, B.A., M.A." <fraudreport@jcsm.org> wrote in message
> news:<H4ojb.43212$th6.33958@twister.socal.rr.com>. ..
>> Dear Friend,
>>
>> I hope you are well, today. However, I regret having to write you
>> this message.
>>
>> My name is Jason Gastrich and I'm the founder of Jesus Christ Saves
>> Ministries - a 501(c)(3), non-profit organization. You can visit our
>> ministry here: http://www.jcsm.org.
>>
>> Over the past two years, Ernie Murry hosted JCSM. He also hosted
>> the JCSM Forum where over 12,000 messages had been posted. Hundreds
>> of people spent countless hours talking about God, the Bible,
>> creation/evolution, etc. People even got saved in the JCSM Forum!
>> Glory to God.
>>
>> Nearly a month ago, Ernie stopped hosting JCSM and he will not give
>> us the files for the JCSM Forum. He ignores all of my emails. I've
>> called him and he returned my call only to leave me a rude message;
>> telling me to leave him alone and saying he doesn't have JCSM's
>> files. They were on his hosting company - ErnieandCompany (now
>> called PromiseWeb), so where are they now?
>>
>> I'm very saddened at this and I'm quite concerned for his other
>> clients. My hard work is gone. People are looking for those files
>> and finding empty space. And Ernie won't even tell me where these
>> files went. They have essentially been stolen.
>>
>> Please pray for Ernie and this situation. We really need a
>> resolution. Meanwhile, I encourage you to be wise about your web
>> hosting needs and where you put your trust.
>>
>> Sincerely,
>> Jason Gastrich
>>
>> Jesus Christ Saves Ministries
>> http://www.jcsm.org
>> Over 50,000 web pages!
>>
>> John 8:36 reads, "Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be
>> free indeed."
>>
>> Galatians 5:1 reads, "Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which
>> Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke
>> of bondage."
>
> Sad to hear that such a promising site was shut down. But on the other
> hand, local backups are a must.

Thanks, Vassil. I tried to back up my forum, but it wouldn't work. The
sysadmin didn't help me, either.

Now I have everything backed up because my sites have ftp. I even have two
hosts in case one goes down.

JG