Unlimihost.com - a 15-year-old running the company

[Entemedia]

Hey all,

I just found out that the owner of Unlimihost.com is a 15-year-old kid. The following is a conversation between me and him.

Please wait for a site operator to respond.
You are now chatting with 'UnlimiHost Rep'
UnlimiHost Rep: Hello
UnlimiHost Rep: Sir we are notifiing the police
UnlimiHost Rep: we have your ip adress
UnlimiHost Rep: you have just sent us a blank order form twice
UnlimiHost Rep: You will be hearing from the police in a while
you: your site is giving me browser error i was attempting to sign up
you: when i click submit my browser crash
you: also is your site netscape compatible?
UnlimiHost Rep: yes, but i dont see why its giving you an error
you: it relaly is what browser you using?
you: also i don't like your attitude
you: how could a hosting be so rude when your site is giving me problems
you: pleasr fix your form
you: i guess i will try signing up tommorow
UnlimiHost Rep: accualy, we arnt rude, our site has no problems, we have over 1,000 members
UnlimiHost Rep: i dont know one that had a problem
you: and i feel so unsecured since you don't have SSL so my credit card is not secured
UnlimiHost Rep: so please dont talk about my attitude
you: lol
UnlimiHost Rep: we have ssl, on it, dont worry its a hidden SSL server woth our merchant account
you: what's your telephone number so i can reach you?
you: it's hard to talk via a text interface
UnlimiHost Rep: we are very buisny now, i dont know if a trech can pick up niw
you: oh
you: no what are your staff available to help?
UnlimiHost Rep: but i mean i can talk to you im one of the techs brother
you: oh
UnlimiHost Rep: im not a real tech togh and im only 15, my brother is very buisy and so are all the other techs,
you: LOL
you: a 15 running a hosting
you: i feel suspicious already notifing the police
you: since when is submitting blank forms illegal?
you: i can submit even more but there are no laws about this
you: sorry i can't rely on a 15-year-old running a hosting
UnlimiHost Rep: im not running a host, call the police
you: lol
UnlimiHost Rep: im not even registered as the host owner
you: ok
UnlimiHost Rep: neither is my brother
you: how unprofessional is your host
you: i mean unlimihost
UnlimiHost Rep: how is that unprofesional
you: spelling mistakes all over your website
you: 15 year old being part of the staff
UnlimiHost Rep: IM NOT!!!!!!
you: i doubt that you guys would be able to answer my technical questions
UnlimiHost Rep: i didnt go to school today
you: you admitted it above
you: ok
UnlimiHost Rep: what are you go ques
you: i am kind of tired of your attitude. actually you dont' even know what the idea "Customer First" means
UnlimiHost Rep: im not a staff member and i maybe dont know
you: being a 15, you are representing your company to answer your customers? I don't think it's professional
you: but you are the UnlimiHost Rep
UnlimiHost Rep: im telling you my brother is here we have 20 customers on tech nad only 10 techs at this moment
UnlimiHost Rep: so my brother asks non members to speak to me
you: i want to talk to a real tech
you: you are too young to talk about business can you please find someone to talk to me?
UnlimiHost Rep: hold up let me see
you: ok
you: also being a non-staff member you have access to your order forms?
UnlimiHost Rep: yes let me put garry trough
UnlimiHost Rep: nope
UnlimiHost Rep: let me see if i can out you through
you: then how you know the forms are blank?
you: what? can out
you: i can't understand your so-spoken english
UnlimiHost Rep: i get a email from our merchant and i read that
UnlimiHost Rep: put
UnlimiHost Rep: i am typing fast thats why
you: ok
UnlimiHost Rep: hold up....
UnlimiHost Rep: ok he is ready
UnlimiHost Rep: Hi, this is Garry may i help you?
you: you receive an email from your merchant. you are a non-staff member how would you have access to the order forms.
UnlimiHost Rep: what, im a staff member
you: i can't trust your company anymore. unsecured order form being sent to a 15-year-old kiddo
UnlimiHost Rep: this is garry, what kid
you: > im not a staff member and i maybe dont know
you: that's what you said
you: your words are very suspicious
you: how could i trust you guys
UnlimiHost Rep: oh you mean igors little brother
UnlimiHost Rep: oh that was a techs little brother, why what did he say?
you: are you pretending to be someone else? i know you are the same person
UnlimiHost Rep: Excuse me?
you: ok fine. i need your phone number so we could talk about some hosting details
you: i tried both phone numbers in your contact page - none of them worked
UnlimiHost Rep: well, the phones are buisy, alot of customers today
UnlimiHost Rep: try later
UnlimiHost Rep: in maybe a half hour
you: i tried 2 days ago, yesterday and today
UnlimiHost Rep: and, what happened
you: it simply didn't connect
UnlimiHost Rep: well, you have to dial 1 for are code
you: of course
you: everyone knows that, so do i
you: but the thing is it doesn't work even having the 1 before the phone number
UnlimiHost Rep: i dont know why
you: i doubt that your company always has customers calling
UnlimiHost Rep: well, then you should sign up, thankyou bye
Chat session has been terminated by site operator.
Please wait for a site operator to respond.
You are now chatting with 'UnlimiHost Rep'
you: wow cutting the conversation off eh
you: i know you are that 15 year old kid
you: stop pretending to be that garry
UnlimiHost Rep: Im really buisy bye
you: it doesn't make you look more professional
you: your company's reputation is ruined
you: everyone in the web hosting community will know about your unprofessionality
you: 15-year-old running a web hosting. the title of my article. i run a famous web hosting discussion forum.
UnlimiHost Rep: Sir i can file a lawsuite right now
UnlimiHost Rep: now bye
you: go ahead
Chat session has been terminated by site operator.
Please wait for a site operator to respond.
Site operators are currently busy. Please close the chat window and try again in a few minutes.

How could anyone rely on a 15-year-old child running a web hosting?

[Frosty]

you went to unlimihost.com to chat with a rep and that`s who you spoke to?

he he, that`s quite funny. Maybe a 19 year old runs the place and his 12 year old brother decided to use his site as a playground. Oh my god.

I want to email them to! This should be fun. I`m gonna go check it out.



:D

[Entemedia]

Yes. I phoned them too a minute ago, and a child answered it. I assume he's the same 15 year old kid in the chat conversation. I asked to talk to the president of the company or tech support reps, he said they are all busy and he's the only one available to talk.

[Martie]

Reminds me of the big scenario about gx hosting?
They were 2 high school kids, I think?

[DesertSage]

That chat is just incredible... :eek:

Good reason to get to know a host a bit, before you sign up!

[Technics]

Doesnt take much to setup as a donhost reseller.

[Entemedia]

I doubt that more than 1 person runs the hosting. Try contacting them in school times (8am to 3pm i believe). I assume no body would be answering it :p

[Jaiem]

It remindes me of the email exchanges with that other host company - darn, can't remember the name! - that kept threatening to sue everyone. Was it Total Host?

[Colin]

Now where's that "Chat" button that's supposed to be at the bottom of the page...

[JTY]

It's teens like that make teens look bad.

[Technics]

Well if he turns out to be the next bill gates will you say the same things?

[akashik]

well at least that seems like quite a remote possibility based on that conversation :)

Psst True Hosting was the name you were trying to think of.

Greg Moore

[Technics]

Dont know if anyone has seen this .. But daveys new business adventure must be doing good. They can afford magazine ad's this time around.

Not cheap to advertise in .net about £750 (1,076.13) a month for the ad he has in the magazine.

[Phoenix]

Originally posted by JTY
It's teens like that make teens look bad.

To balance this out, here's a story from my own files.

I had a lengthy face to face meeting with a colleague recently, a fellow who runs a server-based web hosting company who was looking for advice regarding attracting sales and more information regarding the industry itself, as he is a relative newcomer, and he was also looking for recommendations regarding going into consulting. From his professionalism, technical knowledge, erudite communication style, and keen interest in politics, one would assume he was an older individual.

Anyone out there not know what assume does? He was in fact an 18 year old with a mouthful of braces and a mind like a steel trap. I introduced him to the guy I used to work for at my old consulting agency and told him to get the youngster a job pronto, he's going to make a lot of money for them.

[Jaiem]

Phoenix - completely agree. There are some very talented teenager in the web field. But it only takes a few to paint them all with a broad negative brush.

[Entemedia]

But there are some of them that AREN"T... like unlimihost.com's owner. I gotta agree with Phoenix, but in fact there are many teens in the world that always imagine that they would become the next Bill Gate. But they don't even know the steps to achieve such honour. They thought they would become rich by stealing another host's design and modified it; became a reseller of donhost. Too bad... He doesn't seem to know a little about how to run a web hosting.

[Frosty]

i don`t get why it takes "talent" to do webhosting. I mean, if yer just a reseller all you have to do is answer support questions in a timely matter and advertise your site (jeez, how much talent does that require?). I say that it takes money to succed, rather than talent. It`s how you adveritse and how much money you spend on advertising and if you have a nice looking site with good prices. It also helps if you manged to get a webhosting directory site where you could promote your own site and even get paid extra by allowing others to advertise. Jeez, nevermind, i don`t know what i`m talking about. vat the?.....

good bye.

:o

[Entemedia]

Yep resellers don't need much talent in administrative and technical aspect. But they have to answer customers' questions. But kids sometimes don't know how to answer their customers in a good manner. Also they can't solve technical problems in case of a customer asking him to debug a CGI script.

[Jaiem]

Agreed. The kid may be able to answer the question but how you answer is sometimes just as important or even more important than what you actually say. Tact takes time and maturity to learn.

[Phoenix]

how you answer is sometimes just as important or even more important than what you actually say. Tact takes time and maturity to learn

And I hope that he learned something from this. If not, I'd like to volunteer my woodshed, my leather belt and my good right arm to teach that youngster a lesson about treating people with respect that he won't soon forget. :eek:

[akashik]

If he starts to squirm can I volunteer to hold him down for you?

This is probably off topic (what's new for me). Am I the only one that seems to feel young people these days lack the morality and simple responsibility fo their actions that we used to. I might add I'm saying that as a 28 year old not a wizzled old 80 year old like it sounds *grin*

I'm the first to admit it sounds like I'm tarring with a wide brush, and especially in this industry, some 16 year old 'kids' are trully great future business men. Think of it from a real world perspective, out and about downtown etc... It just seems they don't fear the results of their actions anymore... that's a little scary at times. I have a 2 year old growing up into that world.

Greg Moore

[Phoenix]

If he starts to squirm can I volunteer to hold him down for you?

You grab his hands, we'll get another one of the guys around here to hold his feet, and I'll open up a big ol' can of whup a**. It's amazing how the proper application of leather can improve a person's manners. That and I'll also deliver one of my father's rather blistering tirades on showing proper respect in between swats - never, ever mouth off at a former Airborne Ranger.


This is probably off topic (what's new for me). Am I the only one that seems to feel young people these days lack the morality and simple responsibility fo their actions that we used to. I might add I'm saying that as a 28 year old not a wizzled old 80 year old like it sounds *grin*

They learn that from watching their elders. They don't feel that they should have to be accountable for what they do. After all, in a world where someone who does something stupid and gets hurt can sue McDonalds because the coffee they ordered was hot, and WIN?! A world where a criminal breaks into your house, you plug him a good one, and he (or his heirs) can sue you and WIN?! Adults lie their way out of being held accountable for things all the time, even when you catch them with their hand in the cookie jar.

Case in point: the Columbine school shootings. The people who were to blame for that were the parents. Not the bullies (we all get bullied at one time or another, and killing them isn't the answer) or the media, or any corporate entities who make movies or video games, or Marilyn Manson.

Parents are responsible for what their children do, it's their job as parents to teach them right from wrong, to notice when the child starts acting very weird and take steps to get them back to normal-and pay attention to them! Instead, the parents have filed a class-action lawsuit against the makers of violent video games such a Mortal Kombat blaming them for causing this to happen. Playing MK4 when I'm stressed out keeps me from going postal. That and listening to Limp Bizkit's Break Something Tonight really loud.

[Tommy]

This is all way off topic but here's my two cents without writing a 10,000 thesis:

1)
We are all a product of society. Our parents are a great influence on us as children but what's probably a greater influence is our peers.

2)
Society sees the internet is seen as being a 'good place to make a quick buck'. Somewhere to easily start a business, and it's all faceless too.

3)
What happens now and what we do will leave an impression on the next generation and they will follow suit.

[Jaiem]

Kids fly off the handle easily. It's a lack of maturity.

When I was younger I too jumped-the-gun on things. Burned a lot of bridges too.

Today I see the downside of blowning up and try not to (still do sometimes but not before I've exhausted all my calmer approaches).

And inspite of what can be said to you, IMO it's <B>never</B> a good idea to blow up at a customer or perspective customer. That doesn't get you business.

[akashik]

Originally posted by Phoenix
Playing MK4 when I'm stressed out keeps me from going postal.

Driver 2 is mine :) 100 miles an hour through the back streets of Havana with the police on your tail is a good way to work out the kinks. :) It's also a good case in point too. I wouldn't *really* drive that way, even though it seems like a real good idea on the Playstation.

Back on Topic (as I can see Tommy glaring at me from here)

There are amazingly smart young people around these days - who were practically raised in front of a computer (my 2 year old already understands the 'concept' of what a computer does already). By 15-18 they are very accomplished technically, and some are even very comfortable dealing with people in a business sense.

I do think it takes a while to get that down pat though. If nothing else the ability to swallow your rage and smile when things are going *very* pear shaped. People online who I had assumed were a lot older have sometimes suprised me when I see them lose it (abeit sometimes pushed way past breaking point). Suddenly the penny drops and they look a lot younger.

Of course every now and then you get a see a true 'hissy fit' that makes your skin crawl... I've almost caught myself at times pleading at my screen for them to just stop. If they just didn't respond back they'd possibly save some face. I think there might be a certain 'life experience' factor in knowing when you pull your head in before it gets shot off. :D

Greg Moore

[RotoHost]

In general, with age comes maturity. While 15 to 18 year old kids are certainly capable of "running" a web hosting business, "growing" that business is another matter. Their age almost always becomes apparent. At some point in time, a client or prospective customer rattles their nerves. Instead of sitting back, taking a deep breath, looking at both sides, they lash out. An older, more mature reresentative of a company rarely does that.

This is my opinion, of course. Your mileage may vay. :)

[Phoenix]

Of course every now and then you get a see a true 'hissy fit' that makes your skin crawl... I've almost caught myself at times pleading at my screen for them to just stop. If they just didn't respond back they'd possibly save some face. I think there might be a certain 'life experience' factor in knowing when you pull your head in before it gets shot off.

I hear you, I've been active in an online community where ugly flame wars start on a daily (sometimes hourly) basis when one of these young boy geniuses takes offense at being shown up for being ignorant and/or immature about business or technology or politics, etc., and starts something with one of the regulars-most of whom are mature adults who consider flame wars and pig fighting a sport. Or they decide to troll.

The kids just don't know when to give up. They keep shooting their mouths off and refusing to give up-it's kind of like sticking your head into a wasp nest-you need to pull your head back out and run after they start stinging you, don't just leave it in there and then bang on the side of the nest to make them sting you more.

Like good sportsmen, we adult flame warriors compliment one another on the deadliness of our insults, awarding honors to the "Line of the day" when someone gets off a really good one. Another form of stress relief. Truly great lines become part of the vernacular on the board, to be used whenever appropriate. one of my favorites is the famous knoa quote which is used often on the youthful offenders:

"This is serious business here, and not a game to be played by children like you."

Our lighhearted jocularity in the face of their relentless fury really drives the young 'uns crazy until we get bored with them and the threads drop off and are forgotten.


Driver 2 is mine 100 miles an hour through the back streets of Havana with the police on your tail is a good way to work out the kinks. It's also a good case in point too. I wouldn't *really* drive that way, even though it seems like a real good idea on the Playstation.

Try Midnight club for the PS2-it rules-you get to drive in New York City and London (based on the PC game Midtown Madness engine)-and you can run down the pedstrians!

[akashik]

and you can run down the pedstrians!

sweet! I'll look it up straight away :D

Greg

[RotoHost]

Originally posted by Phoenix
Try Midnight club for the PS2-it rules-you get to drive in New York City and London (based on the PC game Midtown Madness engine)-and you can run down the pedstrians!

For relaxation, I've been playing with Red Alert 2 for the PC. I'm not usually one for these micro-manager type games, but this one's got me hooked!


Has this thread gone horribly off-topic? :D

[Jaiem]

Originally posted by Phoenix
Try Midnight club for the PS2-it rules-you get to drive in New York City and London (based on the PC game Midtown Madness engine)-and you can run down the pedstrians!

And how would that be different from the reality if NYC streets? ;)

[Phoenix]

Originally posted by Jaiem


And how would that be different from the reality if NYC streets? ;)

:lol:

That was the one thing missing from Midtown Madness, no matter what you did, the pedestrians got away from you.

Not these people, they can be run down, and they curse at you or scream for an ambulance.

Course, today I found out the bad news when I got my Games Backwire mail, I have to buy a Microsoft Xbox to get the Matrix game :bawling: Ol' Bill got hisself an exclusive contract with the game's developer, and only MSFT will have the good stuff in the game and online.

[JTY]

To release stress, I play with my cats...... or chase them with my rc cars.... :)

[DesertSage]

I don't have any RC cars, but definitely, my cat is my #1 stress reliever. I call her my Zen Guru. She knows when I am having a bad day, and she purrs so loudly that she can be heard from across the room. She comes over, hops on the back of my chair, drapes herself over the chairback, and purrs in my right ear...

:)

[Jaiem]

Hmmmmm....my two cats help me too.

This is interesting - all hosters seem to have cats. Anyone have a survey on this?

[DesertSage]

My cat is a riot, chasing the beam from the flashlight...(I think you fellows in the UK call them a "torch"?) ...and my cat is not at all interested in catnip or toys...just give her a crumpled piece of paper and she will bat it around the floor and play with it for hours...

Anyone else here like to play "flashlight" with their cats? :)

[akashik]

Sadly my cat is a little deceased these days, but I agree with the hosts and cats thing. Seems to be a stereotype we're all happy to perpetuate :)

I recommend a laser pointer too. Cats dig those things like cream

Greg Moore

[Phoenix]

Sadly no cats here, the fiance is a) allergic and b) wants a weiner dog.

Cats rule!

[akashik]

my future mother-in-law is allergic to cats too. *evil smile* All the more reason to pick up a new one I think.. maybe a persian. :D

I think I'll settle on a Russian Blue or a Burmese this time though.. very elegant animals. My last one was a mutt but very adorable. Huge thing too (looked feral), and as lazy as all hell.

Oddly he lived a double life and could kill a full growth possum (saw evidence on my front door step more than once).

I think hosters have cats more often than not, as they are pretty self sufficient animals. Dogs don't do too well being owned by people who live 14+ hours a day staring at a computer monitor. Cats are also very handy to wiping up coffee spills and make a great lower lumbar support when you start to stiffen up from sitting down too long. On top of that they are a great foot warmer and prevent small rodents from chewing through wiring.

Cats - the gift that keeps on giving :)

Greg Moore

[James]

I'm closing this thread now...... I think we all know why :)