Online class

Warhammer Online: the new classes

2009-02-04T00:50:00.000-08:00

The public apology starts here. Mythic copped a fair chunk of flak for the late revelation that they'd axed four classes and four cities from Warhammer Online. The grand, sprawling world we'd been anticipating suddenly seemed smaller and more ordinary. Indeed, MMOs breaking their own promises is something that happens with depressing regularity - look at the difference between what Conan was meant to be and what it is. Whither those severed limbs?
To Mythic's credit, it's gradually working on reinstating the cut content, and it looks as though it'll be free rather than in paid expansions. Take last week's much-anticipated 1.1 patch, which introduced two new tank classes to the game. You really don't get many MMOs that offer up a new class for no-pennies, let alone two of the beggars. Mythic's developers haven't broken any promises - they're just taking their time.
These are not just throwaway bonuses, either - the new classes are about balance, levelling out the playing field, and bringing the slightly unruly team-play closer in line with MMO tradition. It seems incredible in retrospect that WAR had fewer tank classes than it did healers (4 to 6, to be precise). This is, after all, a game about constant fighting. With the Dark Elves and Empire humans finally having a front-line beefcake amongst their number, the player-versus-player game's set to become that much more visceral.
These tanks can dish out a fair amount of damage, but their main purpose is to hold the line - to absorb the slings and arrows of their enemies, and to act as a meat-shield for their frailer allies. Warhammer has that collision detection in PVP for a reason, after all, and it comes into its own when applied to a tall fella with a massive shield.
The new classes are interesting, and possibly game-changing. Like so many of WAR's 22 careers, while they're rough mirrors of classes on the opposing side, they're definitely their own entities. The Dark Elf Black Guard is perhaps the most conventional class in the game to date, and that's not said in a negative sense - just that this is a pure front-line assault troop without the funny business that characterises his peers and foes. Like World of Warcraft's Warrior, he (or she) builds up a special energy bar as he fights - here known as Hate rather than Rage - which powers his more devastating attacks. So it's vital to take a Black Guard down fast, before he builds up so much Rage that he becomes an unstoppable force.

A Knight of the Blazing Sun takes a stand.
The closest analogue is the Dwarf Ironbreaker, but this guy's a whole lot more self-interested than that redoubtable shortie. The Black Guard has no powers that aid his allies - simply ones which increase his own offence and defence. Crucially, the Guard's naturally quite resistant to magical attacks - something you can increase significantly if you take his talents down the Path of Anguish - which means he's not fodder for all those back-row mages while he's busy holding the front line. His presence could really shake up the PVP game. Those Bright Wizards might not look so smug now.
The human Empire's Knight of The Blazing Sun is a fresher take on tanking, and as a result his effect on the war effort is subtler, but likely to be hugely effective as players get to grips with him. It's possible, though, that you won't see too many Knights wandering about, as playing one requires a certain degree of philanthropy - while powerful, they're certainly not an ideal class for lone rangers.
The Knight's abilities focus as much on buffing the rest of his party as on doling out damage, so they lack the more immediate appeal of the Black Guard. It's the thinking man's Tank, in other words. They have a few similarities to the Paladin archetype of MMOs - decent enough powerhouses in their own right, but they need to balance the offence with caretaking their fellows. For instance, head down the Path of Glory and you'll find yourself casting buffs that increase the amount of healing your party enjoys, and decreases the enemy's. Not that a Knight has any healing abilities himself - he's a sort of front-line commander character rather than an armoured priest.
So, two pretty meaty additions, and certainly not token efforts to bolster the ranks. The sometimes bewildering pile-ons of Scenarios will hopefully become more colourful and more tactical affairs now that there are six remarkably distinct flavours of tank to choose from. Whether or not they're exciting enough to help repopulate WAR's flagging servers remains to be seen. Everyone currently playing is bound to roll one as an alt, and definitely should, but it's not as though they're shaking the game up enough to lure back lapsed subscribers.

Starting out as a Black Guard.
It'll likely take the restoration of the axed Greenskin, Dwarf, Dark Elf and High Elf cities to do that, as they're the best hope of amping up the personality of what's otherwise a somewhat functional world. At present, the starting areas are still pretty desolate, despite the new classes. That's no doubt why one of the less headline-making aspects of the recent patching is the reduction in the difficulty of Public Quests. There just aren't enough souls around, especially in the earlier zones, to complete the PQs, so making them more achievable for smaller groups is the best hope of keeping this great but currently faltering idea relevant.
Mythic has been claiming that is plan is to ‘fix' WAR before working on a full expansion, and that hopefully means we can expect more patches of this magnitude. While this one may not address some of the more fundamental problems with the game, it's an incredibly generous freebie that definitely adds real worth.Thank to http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/warhammer-online-the-new-classes-article

Taking discussion online

2009-02-04T00:46:00.000-08:00

Online discussion allows students to interact with classmates outside class. An online discussion is not fixed in time or space: students can log on at any time from any Internet-enabled computer to seek clarification for issues they encounter in their coursework, to discuss topics raised in class, or to initiate new discussions on related topics. A successful online discussion has the same synergistic effect of group or in-class discussion, in which students build on one another's perspectives to gain a deeper understanding of the materials.
An online class discussion area can be beneficial in a number of areas:
Class preparation. You can use a course discussion area to prepare for class and adapt class time to address the needs of the students. Monitoring the class discussion will help you identify topics that need clarification or that have captured the interest of your students, and you can use the insights you gain to structure class time. Also, if you use the Web discussion area to address some of the more straightforward student questions, you can make better use of class time.
Shy students. Students who are reticent in class may find an online discussion area the perfect place to discuss class topics. Participating in an online discussion is less threatening than speaking in front of peers. And in an online discussion, students can compose, edit, and refine their ideas before expressing them to the group. If you set up a discussion area for your course, you may find that some of your quiet students actually have a lot to say!
Sensitive issues. Discussion areas work well for courses that cover topics that may be too sensitive, controversial, or personal for some students to discuss face-to-face. Students contributing to online conversation may feel less exposed than in a classroom setting, particularly if you allow them to write using pseudonyms.
There are also drawbacks to using online discussion:
Too much participation. An active discussion area can add hours of reading to the regular course load, or distract students from other equally or more important coursework. A discussion area can also become unwieldy for the instructor: weeding through submissions and responding where needed can quickly become impractical. When thinking about whether to include a discussion area on your Web site, decide how much time you can (and want to) spend monitoring submissions. Consider assigning the task to a teaching or research assistant, but be sure to have him or her bring to your notice any items that might require your attention. You can also take a hands-off approach: create the discussion area for your students and make no attempt to monitor the activity. Although this approach does not take advantage of some of the benefits of a discussion site, it is still an advantage for your students. You might find that students are more apt to contribute if they know you're not listening.
Not enough participation. If you are contemplating online discussion for a course that does not normally have much in-class discussion, consider whether it is worth the effort. If the subject doesn't normally provoke much discussion in the classroom, you may find that the online discussion is limited to questions about assignments or scheduling. Be realistic about your expectations: don't go to the effort of setting up a forum thinking that your students will converse online if you are teaching a subject that elicits little in-class exchange. (See Encouraging participation, below.) Thank to http://www.dartmouth.edu/~webteach/articles/discussion.html

Online Teaching and Learning

2009-01-05T02:27:00.000-08:00

Online Teaching and Learning continues to grow at San Francisco State University (SFSU). Today's students need us to accommodate flexible schedules, alternative course locations, different learning preferences, various levels of background preparation, unequal access to technology, and much more. Using the online environment can improve curricular and co-curricular success, by allowing us to share files, to interact and collaborate, and to assess progress as students, teachers, and experts in our disciplines. Currently, Academic Technology leads and coordinates development, training, and support for several different online teaching and learning tools, including Learning Management Systems ( iLearn ), Streaming Media Solutions ( CourseStream ), and Electronic Portfolios .
Academic Technology promotes Univeral Design for Learning (UDL), or "Teaching Every Student." Many people equate this with accessibility for students with disabilities, but it really is about teaching every student. Almost every online accessibility accommodation strategy designed for students with disabilities also helps additional students. For example, English language learners frequently use screen readers that were originally created for people who are blind or who have visual impairments. The non-native speakers benefit from hearing the text spoken out loud as they read a passage of text. Overall, UDL assists students with disabilities, certainly, but also assists students who are non-native language speakers, students with different learning styles, students with different levels of Internet connectivity and access to technology, and even students who require more assistance with self-motivation. We will share effective practices and examples with you, and hope that you will share yours with us.
Both classroom and online technology connects people in ways that improves the probability of learning success, but it still takes people to make it work. There is a human at the other end of each web page, discussion thread, chat entry, blog, or wiki contribution! Now more than ever, online learning environments provide opportunities for interaction and collaboration. The sonic boom of social networking echoes around the world, as more and more people enter MySpace, Facebook, ELGG, and other social networking sites. What does this tell us? For one thing, it tells us that people want technological ways to communicate their ideas and opinions to a small community of friends, to the entire world, or any sized group in between. Despite the medium (or media), people are seeking human interaction. The bigger questions for educators are "How do we tap into students' energy around social networking and channel it into meaningful, networked learning?" and "How do we create a culture of expression that encourages students to consider what they say, how they say it, and who might see or hear it?" Together, we will answer these questions.
Last, but not least, the academic horse drives the technology cart, not the other way around. Academic Technology employs several instructional designers to support online teaching and learning. We help you as faculty, students and staff to make choices about which technology solutions will help you meet your goals, whatever they may be. Then we will help you reach them, support you as you surpass them, and maybe even ask you to help your peers down the road. Welcome to Online Teaching and Learning at San Francisco State University!

An Online High School Can Help You Move On

2008-12-11T17:48:00.000-08:00

An online high school is a program that allows a student to receive his or her diploma while studying at home. Some courses may be accomplished with paper and pencil, while other courses may be accomplished online.
One of the advantages of completing your high school studies at home is that you work at your own pace. This works well for teens who do not fit the traditional secondary education model or for adults who never received their certificate of graduation, but who need a flexible schedule in order to receive one now. It is up to the student to decide when they will complete their course of study and receive their diploma. There is no timeline of achievement.
It is important to understand that an online high school is not the source for a G.E.D. By enrolling in a fully accredited online program you will receive a high school diploma upon completion, not a G.E.D. There are advantages to having a secondary education degree that a G.E.D. does not provide.
When you have a high school diploma from an online source you then have the necessary documentation that you need to move on. You can now move on with employers looking only to applicants who have at least completed their secondary education or with college, universities and trade schools that will only accept high school graduates.
ContinentalAcademy.com is an excellent source to go to for enrolling in an online high school course of study that has worked for many. In 2007, over 5,000 graduates of the course got their diploma and went on to further education. The program is fully accredited and fully refundable. There is a Home School Program for those who are at least 16 and an E.A.G.L.E. Online Program for those who are at least 18.
There is now a way for you to earn your diploma from an online high school. For more information about this opportunity, visit ContinentalAcademy.com.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jack_M_Patterson

Online Class HTML Level 2

2008-11-14T01:46:00.000-08:00

This course covers the Strict DTD of HTML 4.01. During the eight weeks, students will develop a web site of their choosing, become familiar with the HTML 4.01 Strict, understand how to use basic CSS for presentation and produce valid markup. The class covers complex table structure, image maps, forms, accessibility awareness, and a short introduction to Javascript. Incorporating multimedia files are also briefly covered. CSS is discussed on a basic level and the goal is to introduce students to tools that enhance HTML.
Outline
Week 1: Validation, Planning and CSS
Differences between Transitional and Strict DTDs
Basics of CSS for Strict documents
Planning a website
Validating documents
Week 2: META Elements and Accessibility
What are meta elements?
How do users access the web?
Usability
Accessibility
Creating a 3-page website
Week 3: Complex Tables and Lists
Properly nested tables
Complex list structure
Week 4: Image Maps and Phrase Elements
Creating an image map for a website
Using phrase elements effectively
Week 5: Multimedia
Methods for embedding multimedia into a webpage
Week 6: Javascript Basics
Event Handlers
Status bar messages
Images rollovers
Week 7: Forms
Creating basic forms for website
Week 8: Domain Names, Search Engines, Wrap up
Discussion on domain names and search engines
Final project site submission
Prerequisites
Students must have basic HTML, as covered in this course: Introduction to HTML, or similar knowledge. Although knowledge of CSS is not required, it is encouraged. The course will cover only the basics of CSS.
Requirements
Students must have webspace where they can post their assignments. Students will need to have at least two browsers installed on their computer. Current versions of Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera, Safari, or Mozilla are recommended.
Books
Required Book: HTML and XHTML: The Definitive Guide, Fifth Edition [ Suggested Book: How to Do Everything with HTML and XHTML ]

Online Class Introduction to HTML

2008-11-13T01:40:00.000-08:00

Designed for the student with little to no working knowledge of creating HTML files by hand. If you're looking to learn HTML from scratch or move beyond using a WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) editing tool, this is the class for you. Students will be introduced to the structure of HTML documents, good markup techniques, and the concept of validation. Students will be required to use a plain text editor to write HTML and use an FTP program to upload the pages to the Internet. Functional topics will include text formatting, using lists, tables, and a brief foray into CSS.
Outline
Week 1:Basics of FTP and the document HEAD
Form the basic structure for an HTML document
Understand and know which DOCTYPE declaration to use and why
Know how to insert META tags and why they are needed
Use an FTP program to transfer files to a web server
Week 2: Basics of Inline and Block-level tags
Understand the difference between Inline elements and Block-level elements
Know which tags must be closed and the order to close them
Week 3: Links and Images
Know how to create links to other pages/sites
Be able to insert Images into a web page
Week 4: Tables and Search Engines
Understand the basic ways a search engine works
Learn the basic structure of a table
Learn how to combine table rows and columns for layout
Week 5: Forms and validation
Understand the structure of forms
Be able to create forms that can return the responses via email
Understand how the validating process works
Be able to create 'valid' html files according to the W3C specifications
Week 6: Lists and Character Entities
Understand and be able to insert lists into the document
Learn how to use character entities
Week 7: Basics of CSS
Understand basic CSS
Be able to incorporate CSS into a web page
Be able to link a web page to a style sheet
Be able to create CSS classes that can be re-used throughout a web site
Week 8: Final Project
This lesson incorporates all 7 of the previous lessons and you will be creating a functional web site
Prerequisites
None
Requirements
Students must have webspace where they can post their assignments. You need to avoid webspaces that support banner ads or popup adds as this adds code to your pages. If you do not have webspace, try your ISP first as many provide a small amount of space with your monthly fee. If yours does not, there are a number of free services that are available on the net. A good place to look for free webspace is FreeWebSpace.net at http://www.freewebspace.net/ or the Free Site at http://www.thefreesite.com
Books
Required Book: Head First HTML with CSS & XHTML [
Price: $220.00 US More detail at http://www.eclasses.org/cgi-bin/ql/search.cgi?template0=listing/nomatch.htm&template1=listing/course_main_info.htm&template2=listing/course_main_info.htm&listing.services=H101&listing.services_option=1&listing.ref=Main_eClasses

Why Do Students Like Online Learning?

2008-11-04T18:20:00.000-08:00

Why do students flock to the online learning environment? With over 4 million students are enrolled in online schools and universities (and that number is growing 30% per year), there are many compelling arguments for attending a cyber classroom (Lewis, 2005).
1.
Students can "attend" a course at anytime, from anywhere. This means that parents can attend to their children, then sit down to class; working students can attend classes no matter what their work schedule might be, folks that travel for business or pleasure can attend class from anywhere in the world that has internet access.
2.
Online learning enables student-centered teaching approaches. Every student has their own way of learning that works best for them. Some learn visually others do better when they "learn by doing."
3.
Course material is accessible 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Students have the ability to read and re read lectures, discussions, explanations and comments. Often spoken material in the classroom passes students by due to a number of distractions, missed classes, tiredness or boredom.
4.
In an online environment, attendance to class is only evident if the student actually participates in classroom discussion. This increases student interaction and the diversity of opinion, because everyone gets a say, not just the most talkative.
5.
Online instructors come with practical knowledge and may be from any location across the globe. This allows students to be exposed to knowledge that can't be learned in books and see how class concepts are applied in real business situations.
6.
Using the internet to attend class, research information and communication with other students teaches skills in using technologies that will be critical to workers in the 21st century business community that works with colleagues globally and across time zones.
7.
Participating online is much less intimidating than "in the classroom." Anonymity provides students a level playing field undisturbed by bias caused by seating arrangement, gender, race and age. Students can also think longer about what they want to say and add their comments when ready. In a traditional class room, the conversation could have gone way past the point where the student wants to comment.
8.
Because online institutions often offer "chat rooms" for informal conversation between students, where student bios and non class discussions can take place, there appears to be a increased bonding and camaraderie over traditional class environments.
9.
The online environment makes instructors more approachable. Students can talk openly with their teachers through online chats, email and in newsgroup discussions, without waiting for office hours that may not be convenient. This option for communication provides enhanced contact between instructors and students.
10.
Online course development allows for a broad spectrum of content. Students can access the school's library from their PC's for research articles, ebook content and other material without worries that the material is already "checked out."
11.
Students often feel that they can actually listen to the comments made by other students. Because everyone gets a chance to contribute, students are less irritated with those that "over contribute" and can ask for clarification of any comments that are unclear.
12.
Over 75% of colleges and universities in the U.S. offer online degree programs, with online degrees as respected as "on the ground" degrees. (Lewis)
13.
Online classrooms also facilitate team learning by providing chatrooms and newsgroups for meetings and joint work. This eliminates the problems of mismatched schedules, finding a meeting location and distributing work for review between meetings.
14.
Students often comment that online learning lets them attend class when fully awake and attend in increments of convenient time block, rather than rigid 2 or 4 hour stretches once or twice a week.
15.
Because there are no geographic barriers to online learning, students can find a diversity of course material that may not be available to them where they live or work. This is especially true for professional training such as medical billing training or purchasing training and for students in remote rural areas that cannot support college or vocational training centers.
While "brick and mortar" institutions will never be eliminated, it's easy to see why a growing number of people are attending class in the cyber world. They may be reasons of accessibility, flexibility or quality, all compelling and contributing to the attractiveness of this mode of learning.
By Stephanie ColemanContributing Writer to World Wide Learn. © 2005. All Rights Reserved.
Sources:Lewis, Regina; Earning a Degree Online. (2003) Retrieved from http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/08/26/earlyshow/contributors/reginalewis/main570268.shtml August 14, 2005.

Integrating Critical Thinking into Online Classes

2008-10-11T01:24:00.000-07:00

Introduction
The integration of critical thinking skills into the online curriculum is an essential to providing intellectually challenging and relevant learning experiences for students. The paper will offer a basic description of critical thinking and discuss how to engage students in higher order thinking skills.

Nature of Critical Thinking
Distance education literature contains frequent references to the importance of critical thinking and teachers are encouraged to cultivate reflective thought in their students. Yet, even veteran teachers will admit that integrating critical thinking instruction into their classes is one of their most difficult tasks. Teachers who want to enhance the teaching and learning process realize that fostering critical thinking skills will require extra work to effectively communicate complex ideas to their students. Bullen’s research (1998) reveals that a student’s ability to demonstrate critical thinking skills during online discussions is influenced by four major factors:
cognitive maturity
teaching style of instructor
student’s prior learning experiences
degree of understanding the critical thinking process
The list of factors reveals that students will vary in their understanding of critical thinking skills and cognitive abilities. Therefore, teachers will need to develop a set of strategies that will help them to meet a diversity of student needs. A good starting point is to examine the literature on critical thinking to create an educational philosophy that reflects the latest research studies and teaching ideas.
Read More From This article from http://www.usdla.org/html/journal/NOV02_Issue/article03.html

Cheap Background Checks

2008-08-23T03:05:00.003-07:00

Increased crime, terrorism and employee liabilities have forced employers to avail of services offered by agencies providing background checks. Getting a detailed, in-depth background check by a reputed agency may be a costly affair. There do exist a number of companies providing cheap background check. However, they may not provide adequate and up to the mark information. Another source of obtaining cheap services for a background check is the Internet. A number of web sites offer free and instant online services for selecting job candidates, but these low-budget background checks may not always work.

Thus employers are advised to be extra careful while dealing with offers for cheap background investigations. The Internet provides a plethora of information relating to agencies that provide cheap background searches. However, upon a closer detailed examination of these 'cheap' offers, it is apparent that information that a person needs is not really cheap at all. The Internet provides a number of public records, which are searchable online. Apart from this, another method is to contact the local police or sheriff's department. These two methods form the cheapest methods of obtaining background checks.

Often the information provided by such cheap websites and agencies tend to be old, outdated or just plain wrong. Availing of such cheap information depends on the laws of a particular state and the employer's needs. Agencies offering the cheapest services usually fail to identify criminals, performing such shallow reviews that serious offenders can get absolutely clean reports. Even when these services reveal criminal records, the information obtained is often deficient and untrustworthy. With instant checks costing as little as $10 each, the flattening of privacy rights and fair-hiring laws have become as simple as a point and a click. While the private background-check business has a few big players, numerous upstarts have mushroomed in recent years to cash in on the nation's sensitive security concerns.

In spite of the numerous drawbacks displayed by free background-checking agencies and websites there also exists a few plus points. Casual and less complicated data can be easily obtained by these agencies. Often, the database existing with such agencies tend to be pretty informative.

Background Checks provides detailed information on Background Checks, Criminal Background Checks, Employment Background Checks, Online Background Checks and more. Background Checks is affiliated withCriminal Background Search .

How To Promote Your Website Offline

2008-08-23T03:05:00.001-07:00

Serious entrepreneurs know that there is no such thing as ?enough promotion?. To achieve success each business needs to use all possible marketing channels. We live in a world dominated by technology and the Internet is the perfect proof to sustain this statement. Doing business online goes beyond mere transactions: there are no borders. Once you start an e-business: you are a global player. By using the right promotion channels you?ll be able to sell your products and services in different countries around the world.

Although the Internet offers so many possibilities, there are still people who don?t know how to use it effectively. There are also potential clients that simply don?t like to search. Others don?t have time to. That?s why it is very important for the success of your e-business that you promote your website both online and offline: the more exposure your URL receives, the more traffic to your website.

Start by inserting your URL in all your business stationery: business cards, business letters, envelopes, company leaflets and brochures, promotional cards and so on. Every time a client, business partner or potential customer gets hold of one of these documents he or she should be able to see clearly where to find more information.

Then brand your company cars. A branded automobile could expose your company name, phone numbers and URL, therefore your brand, to thousands of people every day. While many people usually ignore stickers on cars, if your message is clear, stylish and distinctive, there will certainly be some interested in what your business has to offer.

You should also promote your business URL through giveaways: pens, calendars, mouse pads, coffee cups, t-shirts, cap, and so on. As online every visitor has potential, offline anyone who sees one of your branded freebies could decide to visit your site. You never know who will see your brand and how the word of mouth could be of benefit for your online business.

And speaking about word of mouth: it has an amazing power. As long as you provide impeccable services and high quality products you can be sure the power of the word of mouth will work for and not against you. People do have a tendency to complain about a service provider more than to express their satisfaction. So perform your business respecting your clients and you will see it flourish.

Never ignore the power of conventional media. The morning newspaper is still a tradition in many homes. Sure, newspaper ads are quite expensive, but if you start small, with some ads in the local papers, you?ll soon know whether this offline advertising option is right for your business or not. You could make some savings though by posting ads in a paper or magazine related to your line of work. This is not only an economic savings, but it also helps you to attract targeted traffic to your website.

Radio and television are very expensive as well, but they are very effective. As a mater of fact, the effectiveness of the ad will depend upon the time the advertisement runs and the frequency that it is shown. Usually, this type of advertising is for big companies with considerable budgets, but even small firms have a chance, thanks to local channels.

So plan your promotional campaigns carefully and remember that by ignoring one advertising channel you could be missing out on many possible customers.

About the Author :

Scott Lindsay is a web developer and entrepreneur. He is the founder of HighPowerSites and many other web projects. HighPowerSites is the easiest do-it-yourself website builder on the web. No programming or design skill required. Get your own website online in just 5 minutes withhttp://HighPowerSites.com at:http://www.highpowersites.com

Using Free Web Hosting For Your Business-Sure-Why Not?

2008-08-23T03:03:00.001-07:00

Having a web site is no longer an option for your company -- it is a necessity. A web site enables your business to reach more customers at anytime and anywhere. With more than one billion people worldwide going online, your business will be missing out on a large portion of the market without a web presence.

In order to establish a web presence, one of the issues you will need to look into is getting a web hosting service for your web site. With technological progress and market competition, web hosting services are becoming more affordable, and better yet, many providers are now offering web hosting service for free. Yes, that means you don't have to spend even half a cent to get your business online.

Other than for the obvious fact that it's free, here are a few reasons why you should consider using free web hosting for your business:

Test ground for your budding web skills If you are thinking of being your own webmaster and want to get your feet wet in web building, you probably won't be ready to invest much on web hosting yet. Free web hosting services will give you the freedom to test out your skills, to see what does or does not work in your site, and can better visualize the cost and effort needed in creating and maintaining your company web site. Free web hosting also allows you to try the hosting provider's service for an initial period; once you're confident that the service provider is reliable enough for you, you can upgrade your company web site to the service provider's paid package that is better and with more frills.
Convenience of built-in featuresMost free web hosting companies, such as Bravenet, Yahoo! Geocities and Tripod, provide easy-to-use web page builder, and tools such as guestbook, hit counter, email forms, and others that can enhance your web site. You will be able to build your company web site in just a few simple steps, while providing you with a more than decent web site in just minutes. The extra features frees you from having to hire programmers just so that you can have online applications to capture visitor feedback, setting up of polls and survey, as well as building up your subscribers for your online newsletter.
High return on investment You get free web hosting, you design your own web site, and you have fancy tools added in your site to give it extra functionality, all without having to spend a single cent. Add these up, compare with the potential new customers that you will be getting, and you find that your ROI for establishing a web presence for your company would obviously be significant. You can now reach out to your online market and hopefully your online strategy can effectively increase your revenue.

On the other hand, the downside to using free web hosting is also numerous and comes in the form of hidden costs to your business:

Lack of flexibility and controlBe sure to read the web hosting provider's Terms of Service before registering for your free web hosting account. Some free web hosting providers restrict the use of certain file types, content, or even languages. In addition, they can also overload your web site with unneeded and irrelevant advertisements in order to support their services. When bombarded with such annoyance, visitors to your site are going to take the effort not to visit your web site ever again. You will also find that some advanced tools needed to operate a fully functional e-commerce presence are not possible with the use of free web hosting, such as shopping carts, secure ordering system, and online payment gateways. You may have to upgrade or switch to a paid hosting service provider if you decide to use them, which will require not just the extra effort but also the extra cash.
High risk of downtime and no guaranteed supportTo be honest, there is no such thing as a zero downtime, whether it be for free or paid web hosting. Downtime refers to the period of time or a percentage of a time span that a machine or system is offline or not functioning, making your web site inaccessible (source: Wikipedia). However, the risk of free web hosting having frequent downtime is more than likely to happen than with paid hosting. Free web hosting providers more often than not won't provide any guarantee to their services due to the cost of maintaining them. Other than the risk of downtime, free web hosting accounts are mostly subjected to low priority bandwidth, thus affecting access to your site by making your web site load slowly. Responses to support requests can be slow or next to nothing, and you are solely responsible for backing up your own web site files. These problems cause visitors looking for information on your company feeling frustrated. Ultimately, this can jeopardize your reputation, and your current and potential clients would view your company as an unreliable provider.
Loss of credibility Internet marketing strategists place unprecedented importance on the use of domain names for your business. A domain name (or web site address) is one of tools used to establish your company's online branding and image. Most free web hosting providers offer subdomains as addresses for your web site. A subdomain is a web site address whereby your business name is appended onto the free host's domain name, such ashttp://yourbusiness.freehost.com/ orhttp://www.freehost.com/yourbusiness . Seldom do you see free hosting providers that support actual domain hosting (such ashttp://www.yourbusiness.com ), or at least not without a catch. A subdomain name as your business web address is harder for your clients to remember than a domain name. Furthermore, one serious drawback to not having your own domain name is the fact that subdomains sounds less professional. Without one, your business may be regarded as disreputable or even illegitimate, and tend to be avoided by web-savvy customers.

In the end, it's your choice. While some sacrifices needed to be done when using free web hosting, try to look at your need for web hosting service just as you would your budding business. Start small, dream big. Weight the pros and cons of free web hosting versus paid web hosting. If you have to, begin with using a free web hosting provider. Once your needs and resources grow, you can then upgrade to a more advanced web hosting service which you can afford to pay.

So don't worry for now, especially if you are a small business or are just starting one. No one will shoot you in the head for using free web hosting -- at least I won't.

Cybernet Sabah ( http://cybernt.net ) founder and CEO, Lorna Timbah, is a graduate from the University of Alabama, USA, with a Bachelor's degree in Industrial Management, and a minor in Computing Technology and Applications. Her passion for IT and the Internet helped her land her first job as a Webmaster (and later as a Web Unit Manager), with the role to manage websites for a state-wide network known as Sabah.Net. As her freelance pursuit continue to flourish, Lorna left her job to pursue a full-time position in Cybernet. Lorna is also a part time tutor with Open University Malaysia, teaching IT and e-commerce subjects to diploma- and degree-holder students.