Abuse policies are one thing that few hosts publicize. They are usually kept quiet, buried in the footer of a host’s site or footnotes in the lengthy legal agreement users sign.

Host don’t want you to see them, read them or think about them. But they should.

These abuse agreements are the tools that hosts use to keep unseemly customers out while still providing service to the good guys. These rules enable them to provide quality service to all without worrying about the handful who might wish to misuse the network.

Because of this, as unseemly as they might be, abuse agreements are important and, more accurately, important to get right. Too loose of an agreement and a host can become a haven for spammers and others who become “bad neighbors” on the Web, too tight and even well-intended Webmasters can run afowl.

So what should you be looking for in a good abuse policy? Here are a few things to consider.

Things to Look For

When glancing through an abuse policy, check for the following items and see what the policy has to say.

1. Spam: Read the spam policy carefully. Not only to make sure they have one and that it is strong enough to keep spammers at bay, but also ensure that it mentions Web and other non-email forms of spam. Also, see if it places a cap on outgoing messages per day and decide if that will be an issue for you (for example, if you send out an email newsletter).
2. Adult Content: Check to see if your host allows adult content and what the boundaries are. Typically, it is better to go with a host that has fewer content restrictions as that leaves less up to their whims. However, at the very least, make sure you are comfortable with the content rules and are aware of them. If you have questions about your specific situation, ask before signing up.
3. Allowed Software: Shared hosts place restrictions on what users can run in their accounts. Things such as chatrooms, instant messaging services, etc. are usually not allowed because they eat up a great deal of resources. Some, however, also ban forums and other more-intense but still common scripts.
4. Misuse of Resources: Read this section carefully, especially if you sign up for an “unlimited” plan. Shared hosts have to set restrictions on the amount of resources each account can use. This is less of an issue with dedicated or VPS hosting. Understand the situations the host is authorized to take action against your site for using too many resources and, if the answers are vague, ask questions such as what happens during a traffic spike.
5. Copyright/Trademark Policy: Read the site’s copyright policy closely. First, make sure that they have one as too weak a policy could put you in the same “neighborhood” as sites getting banned in Google for infringement. Second, make sure that there is a fair warning policy for one-off cases of infringement, ask if you must. You don’t want one accident, bad comment or mistake to cost you your site. For U.S. hosts, the DMCA provides the guidelines a host is supposed to follow.

Other than billing issues, which are most likely in the contract you sign than the abuse agreement, these are the most likely ways you can draw the ire of your host and find yourself with an unwanted disconnection.

Other Steps

In addition to reading the abuse policy carefully, as well as other terms you agree to, you need to ask questions about your host. The sales staff should be trained to field any questions about their policies you may have.

It’s important, in doing all of this, not to think just about what you plan to be doing, but what you might be doing. Think about where you want your site to be in six months to a year, think about the different types of content you might want to include and how your host could impact it.

In short, what you want to avoid is a situation where you sign up for a host and, in a few months, wind up having to make a choice between violating their terms of use or self-censoring. Neither is a pleasant choice.

Think ahead, read the terms, ask questions and sign with caution. If you do that, you can keep the possibility of that to a minimum.

Bottom Line

When you sign up for a host you are forced to agree to a lot of different terms and, though they are a pain, you should read all of them. It is more than worthwhile to do so. You should also ask questions and introduce yourself to your host before you sign up.

The last thing you want to be is a faceless, anonymous customer who unintentionally oversteps a boundary. Doing so is a very likely way to give yourself headaches as even good hosts are prone to overreaction.

So be smart about your host’s policies before signing up, it can save your neck.

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Tags:   abuse • Add new tag • copyright • DMCA • Hosting • junk mail • spam • terms of service