If you are going to somehow sell something on your website and you need to be able to accept payments, then use the PayPal.com services.
PayPal accepts all forms of credit cards and even e-check payments. PayPal is designed entirely websites and internet payments.
I know it sounds like I am trying to sell you paypal.com but it is the best way for you to accept payments on your website. It is even designed for novice webmasters to add to their websites.
Check it out.
Rawlin James
A great place to find independent contractors to do Web Design work is at ELance.com.
We love ELANCE. They have filled a need in the marketplace for on demand, independent Web Designers.
If you have a Web Design project, you should consider using ELance to find a Web Designer.
Mandrake
Wordpress is the easiest way to start your own blog. You can go to www.wordpress.com and start a free blog using their “free” services.
If you have your own website and domain name, you can use the wordpress software and install it on your website to run your own blog on your own website. Host your website with a cpanel host that offers fantastico and the wordpress software can be installed on your website.
This website is using the wordpress software and it is easy and powerful. Even a novice can install the blogging software and create their own website blog.
If you want to blog, just do it 
Rawlin James
Backups. Does your host have backups ?
Probably. But, did you know that the vast majority of backup solutions employed by the majority of web hosts is just about as worthless as a three dollar bill ?
Did you know that unless you have your data in three places, you may as well not have the data at all ?
Did you know that the web hosting industry is full of two bit operations ?
Did you know what the web hosting industry allows any pot smoking, video game playing loser to sign up as a reseller of any number of the “HUGE” hosting / registration companies, and viola… this dude is now SUPER DUPER SUPERIOR TRUSTED HOST!
Are you being hosted by pot smoking, video game playing loser ?
You could be.
More to come…
Mandrake
Posting your thoughts on a weblog, commonly known as blogging, is the current fad of this century. Blogging allows anyone with a thought and access to the internet a forum to post thier words for the rest of the world to read.
Who knows what blogging will lead to but, Isn’t it always a good thing for us common folk to have a way to publicly advertise our thoughts ?
I guess only time will tell
Rawlin James
Here we go again… in this unregulated internet that we live in… its like the wild west…
So, you go to www.networksolutions.com, and you check to see if a domain name is available… sure, everyone has done it… they are the biggest… they were the first… the godfathers of domain name registrations… oh yea, and they havent always been known to be the kindest when it comes to doing business with the little guys…
well, here we go again… if you thought you had heard everything… now, netsol is going to “temporarily reserve” your domain name if they feel like it for up to 4 days… just for checking to see if the domain name is available… here is the link to the policy, including the pertinent information:
http://www.networksolutions.com/legal/legal-notice.jsp
Use of our Web site search tools to search for the availability of domain names is subject to our customer protection measure, which may result in the searched domain names being temporarily reserved and available for registration only at NetworkSolutions.com for up to 4 days. When the reservation period ends, the domain name will be released back to the registry and will be available for registration through any registrar. If you wish to remove the reserved status of a domain name for which you searched, please contact customer service at 1-800-333-7680 for assistance. To read more about our customer protection measure, please click on the following link (or cut and paste it into your browser): http://about-networksolutions.com/customer-protection-measure.php
Am I the only one who has a problem with this ???
ManDrake
We have all seen the ads…. offering FREE WEB HOSTING… sounds interesting you say… so you click the ad, and what do you find ?
There is always some catch… some reason that the average webmaster would never use the free webhosting… no self respecting webmaster would ever allow advertisements or pop ups, etc on their site in exchange for free space…
so, beginner webmasters… be careful… not everything that sounds great actually ends up being so great.
I am still searching for Free Web Hosting.
Hi, my name is Robert Mandrake.
Most of you know me as the expert on everything internet…
Today, I want to talk to you about one of the most important things that a webmaster can do for his/her website:
blogging
Yes, blogging… every site on the web today should have a corresponding blog.
A blog is where you can talk about issues related to your industry without hard selling.
Welcome to the Web Hosting and Design Blog.
This is my attempt at providing the web hosting and web design community a direct route to the mind of a ten year web hosting and web design expert.
I am here to share my thoughts, give out tips and tricks, answer questions, and just anything else that I want to do.
Thank you, and welcome.
Robert Mandrake