I want to expand my hosting horizons - and when i say hosting I mean PROFESSIONAL DEDICATED hosting (24/7 live human support a must). I’ve been happily using Peer1 for a few years and their technical support has been top-notch. Although a client/friend of mine uses Rackspace, i’ve been wary of recommending them due to their higher cost and their recent problems. I’m also aware of Media Temple, but their prices are also premium - but I do realize you get what you pay for. Outside of these, I’m wondering what else fits into this particular part of the hosting universe. If you have someone you use, drop me a line.

The article “The Rules of Digital Engagement” from A List Apart is probably the best non-technical article I’ve read from them. Of course, they are on the money and I found myself relating to everything said. In summary, working with team members or other partner companies virtually (email, BaseCamp, etc.) can be a problem for certain types of people. If you don’t phrase an email correctly or use the right kind (and amount) of tact, then things can go wrong. Working virtually is a great thing overall, but you have to be mindful you are in a space without direct person to person contact. For some, this daily reminder is needed to manage one’s perspective and self control.

I’ve been looking into hosted version control solutions, and i’ve stumbled upon Beanstalk recently. Like Eric, I’m liking it’s features (works with Basecamp, FogBugz, Campfire) and the fact you can get a free account. I’m reading about other altneratives like assembla.com and an open-source and free solution you can host yourself - Origo. Feel free to comment on any you recommend.

Digital Web Magazine shows how Amazon can help out sites that need bandwidth suddenly. I wasn’t aware of this before, so i’m bookmarking. The pricing for Amazon S3 is on a pay-as-you-go basis, so there is no minimum fee.

These freelance tips I would think would fall under “common sense”, but i suppose some people need to be warned.