TsoHost swings axe at 'legacy' DIY website builder MrSite, giving customers a month to find alternative arrangements IP ban-list frequenter tsoHost has taken time out from borking emails to let customers know that its recent acquisition, website builder MrSite, is for the chop. MrSite was a neat little service, aimed at giving customers the tools to build a website without requiring much in the way of design or technical skills. Having been …
I can't begin to imagine why the dying business can't at least wrap up all the components of a website and offer each as a zip/rar to it's owner.
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On several disks I have complete back-ups and databases and files with their directories ready to be sftp'ed, to recreate my ancient WordPress blog --- though I shall probably not keep it as WordPress --- When The Stars Align; and on a tiny forum I maintain, even uncomplex CPanel offers wrapped back-ups to move the site to another server [ not to restore via CPanel [ or partial back-ups of such things as databases or directories.
It doesn't seem that difficult for them to achieve as a host...
Looking at it from the business point of view, if you're going to lose those customers anyway, there is little to gain by expending time and money on helping them go somewhere else.
People could probably do 'save as' from their browser anyway to get a reasonable approximation of the page in HTML, assuming just static pages and no active code like forms.
It's always a risk when using a proprietary platform that you are not just locked in if they decide to raise prices, but potentially unable to move anywhere else easily if they stop operating.
Though one month's notice seems a bit out of order. Unless this was an emergency decision because of some unexpectedly dire business development or security issue, 6 months would seem a reasonable period to give customers to transfer away.
There appear to be dozens of "web site builder" services out there, and pretty much every one ties you to its platform like MrSite does. I don't think this is a very good idea.
A huge mystery has been made of web development, in most cases quite unnecessarily, although it has to be said that the complexity of web sites has increased dramatically (also in most cases quite unnecessarily). However, supposing that "builder" services are actually needed by some people, I'd like to see a service that allowed a web site to be created to strict W3C standards and then taken away and hosted independently. Then, termination of the "builder" service would not be a problem.
I remember back in the day sites like TemplateMonster were commonly used (I did actually purchase one for one of the websites I was running at the time).
I think most users wouldn't touch them, but for me I had an academic copy of Macromedia Dreamweaver which actually made it rather quick to amend. Although probably very uncompliant W3C wise.
An actual "online shop" website is non-trivial, integrating payment providers and stock levels while also producing decent back-end interface for fulfillment and shipping notifications/tracking etc is certainly worth paying for.
But a "here's a portfolio of stuff we do, call or email us!"?
That's trivial, trivially-exportable, and seems to be the major business of these "web site builder lockin" sites.
Wow! everyone is being so nice about this. As a technically challenged business owner I am so very annoyed with Mr Site Tshost for this 1 month to get your web site rebuilt because were shutting down. It seems like we have only just paid them over £1000.00 to have them build us a new web site. I bought the Mr Site web site package builder when it first came out I spent so many hours scanning and downloading photographs and making it look good and being a complete and utter novice I was proud of the work I had done my web site worked and people were complimenting it yay!. Then around 2 years ago they tell me I have to build another web site for the new platform, or pay them a grand a page to do it, and now this? I am disgusted it took them over 1 year to build my new web site because they were overwhelmed and I stuck with them, £1000.00+ yeah! I haven't been able to change any of the prices on my web site because the person who started to construct our new web site left the company half way through the rebuild and something to do with old platform blah blah blah cut and paste and technical stuff. Honestly we are so fed up it's been a right waste of our hard earned money. I feel like suing them.
To be honest I am a very busy person and I don't want to learn word press and build another web site. Around 6 weeks ago they made us pay to keep our domain name then they spring this on us. So very annoyed I do like my web site which cost money and Its all going to disappear in a puff of smoke and my business will suffer. I am sick of waiting for them to answer my chat ticket I feel like they are just counting down the days hours and they don't care why would they as If we haven't got enough going on with the state of the world and the pandemic... And breath Calm Blue Ocean Calm Blue Ocean...No still livid.
I built my website ,as a novice ,from scratch with Mr site &I've been very happy with it ...until now - it suddenly disappeared & so did my business!
When I investigated the reason why - after being 32nd in the qué ...I'm told I had been sent an email giving me 30 days notice !??...except they sent it to the wrong email address & in the meantime billed me & took payment for another year of Mr site seller pro !?
Nothing they could do ,they said, no backup ,no retrieve ..you'll just have to build a new website from scratch !!
Now I'm far from stupid ..& run a very successful small business - but building a new website is above me & I expect very time consuming & expensive ..
Eventually after weeks of loss of business & customers assuming I'd closed down , they give me another 30 days - & inform me through the wrong email address again !! So have no idea !...meanwhile I'm scurrying around having a breakdown ,paying my rent,& not making a sale ..therefore not paying my mortgage or bills .
Do they care ?! ...not a jot!!
Surely this can't be right ?
I want my site converted to their required specification & I want compensation for loss of earnings & loss of loyal customers & reputation ...anyone else ??
Has anyone actually managed to keep their business going & overcome the situation ??
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