Services
Chirp Internet provides services in:
- Development and hosting of static (non-interactive) websites;
- Development and hosting of dynamic (interactive/database-driven) websites;
- Intranet setup and maintenance; and
- Consultancy in the areas of:
- PHP programming;
- UNIX/Linux shell scripting;
- SQL;
- JavaScript;
- HTML;
- CSS;
- API integration; and
- various other Internet technologies.
We offer a wide range of customisable add-ons for your website, ranging from content management systems (CMS) and databased content to secure online applications and e-commerce solutions. Examples can be found in our portfolio.
Hosting with Chirp will give you access to advanced traffic analysis programs so that you can see exactly who is using your site, including enhanced Webalizer reports and our own Search Engine Traffic reports.
A contract with Chirp will deliver...
- Webpages and graphics in suitable web format;
- Templates for the creation of new webpages;
- Advice and technical assistance in setting up a web server (if not hosted with Chirp);
- Registration and delegation of a domain name;
- Instructions on how to easily update your website; and
- Ongoing assistance and feedback to help make your website a success.
Our design and development process...
- Identification of your requirements through consultation;
- Presentation of a number of design options;
- Quick and efficient conversion of your text and images to web format;
- Integration of all content into a neat, modular, accessible website based on web standards;
- Feedback and consultation to ensure that what you get is what you want throughout the process.
Hosting with Chirp includes...
For a period of twelve (12) months, extensible in six- or twelve-month periods:
- Setup of email aliases or MX pointing to your own mail server;
- Up to 256Mb of space on the server (more may be negotiated);
- An (optional) SFTP account for uploading and updating files;
- An SSL certificate to secure your website;
- Regular on-site, to the cloud and other off-site backups;
- Website traffic reports; and
- Support and advice in maintaining and updating your website.
Additions for dynamic websites...
- Hosting of a (PostgreSQL) database;
- Constant security monitoring and updates;
- Optimisation of your website for major search engines;
- Advanced Search Engine Traffic reports.
Hosting does NOT include...
- Shell access (Telnet or SSH);
- Control panel access;
- Hosting of mailboxes; or
- Hosting of unvetted (by us) third-party PHP, CGI or similar applications (i.e. WordPress).
Termination of Hosting
We reserve the right to terminate hosting for:
- uploading of inappropriate content;
- non-payment of hosting fees;
- excessive usage of resources; or
- any activity adversly affecting other clients or compromising server security.
In all cases discretion will be applied and any action will be preceded by at least one warning.
How your website operates
Chirp provides hosting for your website and database as well as a secure administration interface allowing you to update content and view reports. In the graphic below, those items for which Chirp is responsible are highlighted in orange. For other items we provide advice and assistance.
Once you have registered a domain name, your DNS and Mail settings can be managed either with Chirp or on your own servers. In any case you will be responsible for any mailboxes (where your email is stored). These can be hosted with your ISP, a local network, or a (free-ish) webmail service such as GMail.
Server software
All Chirp servers run Apache on Debian GNU/Linux. For dynamic website we are using PHP with PostgreSQL as the back-end database. We also use a number of other open-source modules, most of which you can find listed under Useful Links.
We have chosen these packages because of their reliability and stability. We believe that these 'open source' products are more reliable and provide greater functionality than competing commercial packages.
Apache is used on a quarter of web servers world-wide, having been overtaken recently by nginx, another option-source option. Globally, close to 80% of web servers are running PHP.
Source: https://kinsta.com/blog/is-php-dead/
Source: https://www.netcraft.com/