Understanding Shared Linux Hosting

Shared Linux Hosting is the easiest way to mass host number of websites on a single server. The server in question is a Linux based Web Server. A Web Server is a machine or a computer which does the job of hosting a website or serving web pages to visitors on the Internet.

A single Linux Web Server can host multiple WordPress type websites. The upper limit is only the hardware capacity of the server. The resources used by blogs with light traffic is very less. Hence hosting companies try to pack as many number of blogs on one server.

Virtual Private Server and Dedicated Server

As traffic increases, so does the resource usage increase on your shared server. This is the time when you get a call from your hosting company asking you to upgrade your plan or best go for a dedicated server. Buying a dedicated server is still very expensive. So as an intermediary, you can also buy a VPS or Virtual Private Server. This technology uses virtualization to divided a physical server into multiple virtual servers. Each virtual server can then be sold to each individual client. The client gets full access and freedom as if it is working on a dedicated server. Each virtual server shares resources from the physical server where it resides.

What is a cloud

The definition of cloud has changed over the years. Any data which is stored in the local hard disk is local storage. If the data is stored some place else on the network it is called as cloud storage or only Cloud. But this is the old definition. Now in recent times instead of providing just storage, cloud offers you a complete computer with the Operating System and Software Tools. This is cloud computing.

What is cloud computing

A photographer wants to use Adobe Photoshop to edit images. For this a PC with Windows OS and Photoshop is required to be installed. All this hardware and software has to be purchased and licensed.

Next Adobe decides to upgrade the Photoshop software to include revolutionary features. Our photographer has to upgrade to the latest version to remain in contention with his employers and clients. He pays for the software upgrades and to upgrade the hardware which has become obsolete with the newer version of Photoshop.

Next year Microsoft decides to upgrade. He again has to invest in the hardware upgrades to his PC. After the necessary upgrades to RAM and Processor, he discovers that there are some compatibility issue and Adobe Photoshop wont start. The troubles of our photographer have just begun.

Adobe Photoshop CC

CC stand for Creative Cloud. Here our photographer moves his PC, OS and tools, all to Adobe premises. Adobe takes care of maintaining the hardware, software and its upgrades. Our photographer gets access to his work though a common web browser. All his work is saved on the PC on Adobe premises. He can access his work from his notebook, tablet or mobile phone. He can also share his work with his team. The place where the hardware and software reside is called the cloud.

For a detailed article on cloud computing check out the following URL

So what is cloud hosting

For shared hosting, servers are kept at the hosting company location. You are accessing the Cpanel remotely. So it is the cloud. Not really.

The servers provided by your hosting company only provide you with a Linux Server configured as Web Server. The client has to install any additional tools or software as required.

Cloud Hosting on the other hand will not only provide you with the Linux Server but a range of all available software tools to host your own web application or website. All these tools are the part of the hosting package. No need to buy separate software development tools.

Cloud Hosting is scalable. Come back to the concept of shared linux hosting. If you want to upgrade your plan or move to a dedicated server there is a lengthy and technically challenging migration process involved which is full with risks. For subscribers of cloud hosting plans, upgrades are a breeze. The website never goes down even for a second.

Is Cloud Hosting for bloggers

Cloud Hosting will give your blog the edge with better and seamless management and amalgamation of hardware and software. But the present costing for cloud hosting does not justify the features which cloud hosting offer.

Web Programmers and App developers will use cloud hosting to offer services to their customers though their websites. But they are not bloggers in the true sense.

Even if your blog is attracting heavy traffic, a shared hosting or dedicated or virtual server should be able to handle it.

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What is Instagram

Instagram is primarily a smart phone app. It has been designed to be used only on a smart phone. Photos can either be clicked though the phone camera or can be selected from the gallery. The front camera is the primary instrument of choice for selfies which are quite popular on Instagram.

Copyright and privacy concerns have been given the highest importance and hence you cannot download images from Instagram, not even your own images.

How to use Instagram

Primarily two steps involved over here

• Uploading of images
• Following friends or people with similar interests

Instagram has Five primary buttons at the bottom to help you navigate through the app.

• Home button where the images and videos of people you follow appear as they keep posting.
• Search button to find everything from People, Tags and Places. It also displays search history.
• Camera button. This one is aptly placed in the center for easier access. It allows you to click photos, videos or choose from the gallery.
• Like button shows you history of likes of your followers and you.
• Profile button where you can see images uploaded by you as a gallery and also profile settings.

The design is clutter free and easy to use. When you see images or clips posted by the people whom you follow you can either like them or comment on them. The like button is in the shape of a heart and once you click on it the heart shape turns red. You can also send a direct message to your follower or friend. You can also selectively turn on notifications for specific people.

How can bloggers use Instagram

In case of Bloggers it is all about connecting and links. Both are dealt with in a subtle manner in Instagram. Check out the following options available to Bloggers

In the profile, Instagram allows a link to your website. The link is clickable and opens the website in the mobile browser of the user.

It also allows you to display your user name and a brief about yourself and your profile picture. All this can give instant recognition to a Blogger. You can connect with social media accounts like Twitter and Facebook and your photos or clips are posted there too. You need to link your accounts and give necessary permissions first.

First you choose a photo from the gallery, next key in the key information like location, description and tag people and you can also choose which social account it can be posted as an Instagram upload.

After the image is uploaded, it is visible in your feed and also to the social account where it was linked.

# and @ on Instagram

@ tag is for people and # tag is for posts, to put it simply. In case of hash tag or # tag, Instagram will allot a page to the tag so that all the posts which mention that tag will come on the same page. Tags are another powerful weapon in the arsenal when bloggers use Instagram.

In case of the above image, I have inserted the hash tag thetimelock. It can be inserted in the image info or comment. Here is how the results are visible in Instagram.

To understand hash tag in detail here is a FAQ from the official Instagram help.

https://help.instagram.com/351460621611097

The @ tag is linked with people using Instagram. So when you use @ and start typing in the name of a person, it will be visible in the search results. Same like # tag you can use the @ tag in a comment or in the image info.

Conclusion and Summing Up

Many bloggers use Instagram to showcase their post. A blogger can use Instagram to connect with people and with its clutter free design, it is sure to attract more attention to your picture.

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