Facebook-friendly free web host?

mrstab

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Mar 14, 2008
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hi guys,

i think this is the right section...

here's my situation: a coupla months ago i set up a free website for my band, free because we're all broke and because it's not really necessary for us to invest in this kind of web presence just yet. We have all the social networks covered, which have formed the bulk of our online presence for the past two years. Current host is 000webhost.

Unfortunately, i cannot share an article i wrote the other day on Facebook, because a spam filter somewhere can't tell the difference between humour and actual spam; namely certain words used for comic effect. the Facebook social plugins are also blocked as a result. all the other pages are fine. i don't want to use a host with such naive, paranoid policies, but i'd like to be sure in advance that i'm not switching to another host that causes us to fail the Zuckerberg Test. so i was wondering if someone could recommend me a more laid-back, free host?

as i say, while the text on the site is more suited to teenagers and adults, there is nothing actually spammy or obscene about the content. People who follow that link will know exactly what to expect in advance. i'm not looking for a back-alley host that'll let you upload your own mother, i just want one that A. is lenient/realistic and B. won't get caught up in Facebook's barbed wire. suggestions appreciated.

cheers!
 

PhilFrisbie

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When you add a social networking plugin, such as the one from Facebook, to your website, the website DOES NOT in any way filter the content from the plugin. In fact, the browser directly downloads the content from Facebook.

If you are experiencing filtering, it is your Internet service provider, not your web host.
 
The filter is coming from Facebook or whatever setup you are using to view the content, not from the website. Your HOST is HOSTING the pages, it sends them to whatever thing wants to view them. It's the CLIENT that filters things that are sent to it.

What you are saying is "Hey Server, I want to see this page" and the server replies "Nope, you can't".

What is happening is "Hey Server, I want to see this page", server replies "Sure, here it is", the other side looks at the data and "HEY, I don't like what you are sending, I won't show it".
 

mrstab

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Mar 14, 2008
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i'm not gonna pretend i have anything more than a layman's approach to this, but i probably did jump the gun a bit on blaming the host. either way, the host is on Facebook's "potential scumbag list" (as per many complaints on the host's forums), which is inconvenient for sharing anything. i assumed it might be the host's policies interfering based on a post that i probably mis-read.

it's just one page that rejects/is rejected by the social plugins, but moreover i have to enter a CAPTCHA whenever linking to other pages on Facebook (except that one page which is outright refused). it was suggested that the stat counter could be to blame, but no improvement when i disabled it.

all in all, it seems to me that free web hosts - largely down to the efforts of people who do make malware/wares/prawn pages - are public enemy number 1 when it comes to Facebook these days. it's like you have a choice between a dull blog or hiring a web designer. bring back Angelfire! lol

so i guess even if i did manage to sort out that one problematic page, i'd still need a new host. when most people see a caution message pop up before linking to an external site, it's bad for business.
 

mrstab

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Mar 14, 2008
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18,510


That'd probably be the most practical solution, but i feel it would seem clunky and just wouldn't stand out in this context.

we purchased a domain a few hours ago which is now full-on blocked by Facebook lol. good times. i probably shouldn't hold my breath waiting on a response to my appeal.

we're a quasi-business at this point in time, in the age of social networking this will be a hindrance to our prospects.