Cloud Computing vs Dedicated Server

Should you host your next application in the cloud or should you continue to host your application on a dedicated server? If you were itching to put your next application in the cloud, you may want to hold off on that move. In some cases it makes sense to start your application in the cloud, but in most cases it doesn't. In the past, reliability was a big concern with hosting in the cloud. Your instance could disappear at any time without notice. There were no up-time guarantees or solid SLA's. Most of these concerns are melting away as the cloud computing industry starts to mature.

If looking strictly at price points, cloud computing may seem just a little more cost effective than renting a dedicated server. But it's not an apples-to-apples comparison. For cloud servers, you are paying for the resources that your virtualized instance uses. With a dedicated server, you pay the same amount regardless how much that server is used.

Don't fall for the cloud computing marketing hype of "pay for only what you use". Who in their right mind is only going to let their servers run from 9am to 9pm to save costs? What they really mean is if your application needs to scale, create a few more virtualized instances to handle the load. When the load subsides, you can destroy those instances since you no longer need those resources. If you had experienced high loads with a dedicated server, you would have to quickly have your vendor provision new hardware. That process could take anywhere from 2-24 hours. That doesn't include the time you would spend getting the server ready for production.

Most virtualized cloud instances are un-managed, meaning it's your responsibility fore the care and feeding of your instance. Dedicated servers come in managed and un-managed flavors. A managed dedicated server is usually more expensive than an un-managed server. So if your computer administration skills are on the week side, you'd probably want to go with a managed dedicated server. There are a few companies, such as Enki, offer managed cloud computing services.

There are also other companies (Rackspace, GoGrid) that offer a hybrid strategy of dedicated servers combined with a cloud to handle spikes in traffic or temporary large computing projects. I've managed dedicated servers now for many years with many different vendors. Each experience has been different from the next. From 99% reliability to outright fraud. My experiences with cloud computing have been favorable. But don't expect much hand holding.

As far as cost, again it depends on the type of application you want to host. If you just want to host a blog, you will probably be better off with getting a virtual private server (VPS) than a dedicated server or putting your application in the cloud. If you find yourself transcoding thousands of videos, running a social network, need your content distributed globally, hosting a Facebook application, or have some other unpredictable high volume application, then the cloud is the place for you. If you know what your bandwidth requirements will be month-to-month and you can plan your growth, then it will probably be more cost effective to stick with dedicated servers.

Make Money Sharing Your Files

Sharing files is normally looked at as a way of entertaining yourself or sharing information with colleagues at work. But you can make sharing files your part time "job" if you take advantage of file sharing opportunities. Lot's of people are already earning a substantial income. It takes a little bit of time to get there but anybody can do it with the right training and a little bit of work. And unlike a normal job; the more you put into it the more cash you get out!

And because of the way that it works you don't have to do anything that your not already doing. IE, sending pictures, home videos of friends and family, or sharing a "how to" video that you made. Using a file share web host is one of the best new ways to earn money online without having to promote a website or its products. Ask yourself this... how many facebook friends do you have? Maybe 100, 500, or 1500+?? If you shared just one (1) video with all your facebook buddies and 1500 people downloaded it... That's $10 in your pocket!

Maybe you have a nice car and want to share some pictures? Just upload a file and post it to your favorite forum, bulletin board, newsletter, website, and just about anywhere else you can imagine. The beauty being that once the link is posted you could be making money off that file for days, weeks, months, or even years!

So earning some extra cash sharing files is the ideal method for anybody trying to make money online who doesn't have the time to learn advanced internet marketing techniques or having to build a website. All you have to do is a do what your doing everyday. Reaching out to friends and family. A little bit of "work" every couple of days and you could have a 24 hour stream of cash coming your way. Even while you sleep!

Join the hundreds if not thousands of people who share their personally owned files and make some cash. Either way... keep it legal, non-adult, and have FUN!

Building Wealth - ShareJunky Method

Building wealth seems like an unattainable dream for some people. It is doable if you're willing to work and learn. Have goals you want to achieve and set a deadline. Spend less than you earn (and increase the gap). Automate your finances as much as you can. Eliminate your credit card debt. Have all the necessary insurance.

Here's how you go about building wealth step by step: Have goals you want to achieve and set a deadline. A very productive way to write a goal is to use the SMART method. Specific - Choose a specific goal. Don't say 'save more', but instead choose put aside 5% of my paycheck into a savings account. Measurable - How do you know when you reached your goal? If you are saving an emergency fund up, consider setting aside 3-6 months of living expenses. Attainable - Work on 1 or 2 goals at a time so you don't feel overwhelmed. Realistic - Make sure your goal is something you can do and truly believe in. Time Based - By setting a deadline, you can work backwards and break down the steps into mini goals.

Spend less than you earn (and increase the gap). This is the fundamental wealth law. By keeping your expenses lower than you income you'll have more money left for saving, investing, and sharing. There are two factors in this law that you can change: your expenses and your income. Decrease your expenses. A great place to start is to look at your last bank statement and see how you can trim your expenses 10%. Start small and see what you can do without. My husband and I are not big TV fans, so basic cable fulfills our needs without a big bill. Increase your income. You can only cut expenses so much, so increasing your income (hint hint use ShareJunky) is the other half of the plan to increase your gap. See if you can increase your profile at work and ask for a raise. See if you can turn a hobby into side income. There are different ways to build up income.

Automate your finances as much as you can. Have a portion of your paycheck transferred to a high interest savings account. Start small and automate your money to put into savings. You'll become use to the slightly small paycheck as you start savings. The first thing you need to save for is an emergency fund. This step can help you build financial cushion, especially in turbulent economic times like these. Find an FDIC bank or CUNA credit union that offer high interest rates for savings and watch it grow faster. Set up free online bill pay with your bank. Most banks and credit unions offer money and time saving feature. Spend an hour setting this up with your bills, account numbers, due dates, and amounts, and you'll only need a few minutes a month to keep it up. Some take advantage of your company's 401k program. Try to at least set aside enough money to receive the company match as it's basically free money in your pocket. Look for low cost index funds to put your money in.

Have a small portion of your paycheck transferred into an IRA account. Once your build up your emergency fund, eliminated your credit card debt, and have increased your income; funnel some money into an IRA. You want to still look for low cost index funds to put your money in. liminate your credit card debt. With credit card interest rates higher than the average return in stocks, a wise choice is to eliminate credit card debt. Depending on your circumstance you may want to transfer over to a 0% interest card to speed the process up. Here are some tips on using your credit card wisely. Pay your bills on time. A good credit history can help when looking for a home as a higher credit score leads to lower interest rates. I had a bad habit of losing paperwork, so I automated all my bills. It saves on late fees and stamps. Many banks have online bill pay as a feature.

If you can, pay the full amount owed. Credit card companies might call you a deadbeat, but at least you're not tied to them each month. If you can't, then pay as much as you can. Try a debt snow ball (a technique Dave Ramsey advocates) or even snowflaking. Find money in your budget to eliminate your debt. NEVER, EVER lend your credit card to anyone! Even if it is a trusted family member or family. This account is tied to YOU and you will be held responsible. Using a debt snowball or debt snowflakes to help speed up the process. Have all the necessary insurance. At the very least you should have health insurance for yourself. There are some things you can do to lower your health insurance premium and health expenses. Don't be a smoker: This habit can cut your life short and it has been linked to other health problems. This in turn leads to higher costs. Exercise regularly: Try being active 3x a week for at least 20 minutes. You can lose some Watch what you eat: Obesity can increase your chances of diabetes, heart disease, and joint problems.

In the end, just make more money and you can do that with ShareJunky.com!!