Whenever someone visits your website, Apache (web server) sends the html, CSS, JavaScripts to the browser uncompressed. If you are running a successful website and get a lot of traffic and have to pay for Bandwidth, gZipping your data before sending it to the browser would be a good option.

Using mod_gzip compression which is an Apache web server module, or one of the other methods of gzip, your server will only send out gzipped content All the new browsers currently in use support gzip. Incase an old browser which doesnt support gZip makes a request, uncompressed HTML will be served.

gZip will work on the following file types: HTML, JS, CSS, JSON, XML

Some advantages of Zipping your data

• gZip can reduce file sizes by roughly 60%-70%
• You can save on Bandwidth cost
• Increase in overall performance of your website
• Better User Experience as the site will load faster
• User will save on bandwidth cost too

To check if your site is sending gZipped content or not, use these links

http://whatsmyip.org/mod_gzip_test/

http://www.gidnetwork.com/tools/gzip-test.php

If your server is not sending gZipped data then you can write to your server/hosting company and ask them to enable mod_gzip on the server. You can also tell them the advantages of doing the same. Dreamhost/Mediatemple already has this module enabled. If you are running your own server please ask the system administrator to enable it for you.

More tips coming up soon.

Cheers

I have a domain www.247ithub.com hosted with XYZ Hosting company for donkey years now. I have one active pop account [kunal-old@247ithub.com] there which has close to 3000 mails!

Problem

I want to move my site from XYZ Hosting company to Dreamhost where i hold an account. Now thats simple download all files from XYZ Hosting company and upload it on Dreamhost. But What about my mails! I am planning to use the GMail hosted mail for my domain.

Solution

My first task was to find a good IMAP client. Asked around a bit and settled on Thunderbird. Why IMAP Client? Well it will allow you to drag and drop mails from one account to another and GMail supports IMAP!

I created an account to connect to my POP account [kunal-old@247ithub.com] and downloaded all mails. To be on the safer side i left a copy of all mails on the server.

I went to my control Panel in Dreamhost and added my domain there and also choose for the GMail hosted domain for the same.

I already have another domain on Dreamhost where i am using GMail. I created a temporary account there. Activated my IMAP for that account. [kunal-temp@someotherdomain.com]

I went back to Thunderbird and configured this new IMAP account [kunal-temp@someotherdomain.com]. Now i had two accounts in Thunderbird 1) POP account [kunal-old@247ithubcom] where i had downloaded my 3000 mails and another empty temporary IMAP account [kunal-temp@someotherdomain.com].

I Copied all my mails from my POP account [kunal-old@247ithubcom] to this new IMAP account [kunal-temp@someotherdomain.com]. Its simple Select all mails Right click->Copy to (or Move to) Target folder which will show you your new IMAP folders. Or you can Drag and Drop the mails also.

I went to Indialinks and changed my DNS to point to Dreamhost. Once it got changed I went and created my new email accounts on GMail [kunal-new@247ithubcom].

Now all i had to do was Create one more IMAP account [kunal-new@247ithubcom] in Thunderbird and Copy all the mails from my IMAP temporary account [kunal-temp@someotherdomain.com] to this new one [kunal-new@247ithubcom] and viola i was good to go!

Now i know that if you dont have any where to create a temporary account you can directly copy the mails [kunal-old@247ithubcom] in Thunderbird to this new IMAP [kunal-new@247ithubcom]

Synopsis

• Get Thunderbird [click to download]
• Configure and download POP mail from current server
• Change Name servers to point to New server
• Activate GMail hosted Domains [Clich to Activate GMail for your domain]
• Create your Email and Enable IMAP [settings-Forwarding and POP/IMAP]
• Configure Thunderbird for this new Email account
• Drag and Drop Mails from the POP Account in Thunderbird to the New IMAP account.
• Its Done. Login to Gmail and all your mails are there.

I hope you find this helpful. Took me a while to figure out.

Cheers!

I have used various tools provided by domain registering websites but never have they come up with a good or close match to what i wanted.

The worst was when .me registration begin within hours anything and everything you can think of was gone!

90% of them are squatters. I doubt i will see any .me website coming up soon. So.me people who would/could really do wonders with that particular domain and would add value to their idea are left high and dry.

But the search goes on I still go and look for domains for my ideas and register them. Most of the times i am not lucky and have to come up with innovative ways to add some prefix/suffix and still have a cool domain.

I found this very interesting link “200 Prefixes and Suffixes for Domain Names” do check it up maybe it will ease the time to come up with a fantastic domain.

One piece of advice go and book yourname.com (or any extention available) domains asap before someone else does. I am regretting not registering kunalsheth.com. Sooner or later it will help. If nothing else you can put up your resume or start a blog.

Some tips are available here “12 Rules for Choosing Domain Names“.

Some sites where you can search and register your domain for cheap.

• indialinks
• godaddy

Some cheap hosting companies

• Dreamhost (will update more later)

Till later

Cheers!