Announcements Articles - GreenGeeks Blog https://www.greengeeks.com/blog/category/announcements/ Mon, 29 Jan 2024 16:55:27 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.3 WordCamp Phoenix, AZ 2024 https://www.greengeeks.com/blog/wordcamp-phoenix-az-2024/ Mon, 29 Jan 2024 16:55:17 +0000 https://www.greengeeks.com/blog/?p=44621 It’s almost been a year and GreenGeeks is a sponsor for Phoenix WordCamp in 2024! This year, the camp is held at the Phoenix College […]

The post WordCamp Phoenix, AZ 2024 appeared first on GreenGeeks Blog.

]]>
It’s almost been a year and GreenGeeks is a sponsor for Phoenix WordCamp in 2024! This year, the camp is held at the Phoenix College on February 9th and 10th, which is sure to be an interesting weekend.

This year, GreenGeeks will also be there in person. Please stop by and chat with Anna, Ericka, Marco, and Trey as they are always eager to answer questions and interact with camp goers.

For us, the interactions we have with others at the camp are one of the biggest highlights.

What’s Available at WordCamp Phoenix This Year?

As always, there are so many interesting talks happening at WordCamps. It’s often exceptionally difficult to pick a few, not to mention how some of them run at the same time.

Still, let’s take a look at some of the ones that stand out most to me.

  • The 2024 Remote Work Survival Guide
    In 2020, the world expanded greatly into remote work due to necessity, and the trend has simply continued. In this talk, Kathy Zant explores 20 years of working and how remote access can lead to greater productivity and fulfillment.
  • AI Crash Course for WordPress Users
    Artificial intelligence is here to stay; you should explore what it can mean for your website development. Keanan Koppenhaver goes over content creation and the AI tools that are being developed to help you along the way.
  • Using AI to Speed Up Your WordPress Builds
    Sticking with the AI theme for a moment, Robbie Adair shows multiple ways to use ChatGPT and BARD to improve WordPress builds ranging from content development to CSS and coding elements.
  • A Look at Serverless WordPress
    Did you know that you can run WordPress without the requirement of a server? In this talk, Carl Alexander goes over using WordPress in a serverless environment as well as the tools you’ll need to deploy it properly.
  • Unleash the Power of SEO: A Checklist Approach…
    Search engine optimization is constantly evolving. With a checklist in hand, it’s less of a headache to keep your site compliant with SEO algorithms. Art Enke guides you through creating your own checklist for both on and off-page SEO.

If you’re looking to get more out of the WordPress experience and are in the Phoenix area, this WordCamp is sure to be informative. There is so much you can do with the platform whether you’re building a blog or a business site.

This is especially true when you consider the impact of artificial intelligence. And although I don’t condone using AI for generated content, there is still a great deal it can do to help you build a great website.

For one thing, AI can crunch data far faster than you can with a spreadsheet.

Fun Things to Do in Phoenix

Phoenix has a lot going on. Its amenities rank the city at number 11 in the world for weather and attractions. While you’re there attending the WordCamp, why not take an extra day and check out the scenery?

So, what kinds of things pique my interest in this amazing city?

  • Bring your clubs! Phoenix has more than 185 golf courses spread across the city. Some of the best-voted courses are in Phoenix, such as TPC Scottsdale and Camelback.
  • If you want to explore American Indian artifacts, the Heard Museum is home to an amazing display including the largest kachina doll collection in the United States.
  • Of course, I’d have to mention taking guided trips through the Grand Canyon. This massive natural construct spans four states, including Arizona. It’s one thing to see it in online pictures, but it’s a whole different experience to be there in person.

This is an extremely short list of the attractions in Phoenix. You could spend weeks exploring everything the city has to offer.

Have a Great Weekend at the Phoenix WordCamp!

This year’s WordCamp has a lot of great talks happening, and there is something for everyone. That’s one of the great things about the WordPress community; we’re always looking to help regardless of your skill level.

Enjoy the weekend, and don’t forget to stop by and say hi to Anna, Marco, Ericka, and Trey at our table.

I’d like to end this by giving thanks to the sponsors, organizers, speakers, volunteers, and patrons. Your support is what makes WordCamps like these an incredible experience.

We’ll see you in Phoenix!

The post WordCamp Phoenix, AZ 2024 appeared first on GreenGeeks Blog.

]]>
WordCamp Zaragoza, Spain 2024 https://www.greengeeks.com/blog/wordcamp-zaragoza-spain-2024/ Wed, 10 Jan 2024 19:22:38 +0000 https://www.greengeeks.com/blog/?p=44340 It’s not often we’re able to travel the world. But to start off 2024 the right way, our very own Marco Berrocal will be attending […]

The post WordCamp Zaragoza, Spain 2024 appeared first on GreenGeeks Blog.

]]>
It’s not often we’re able to travel the world. But to start off 2024 the right way, our very own Marco Berrocal will be attending the Zaragoza WordCamp in Spain on January 19th and 20th. It’s sure to be an amazing experience for all.

And I have to say, I am somewhat jealous. There is so much history to absorb and so many amazing attractions both at the WordCamp and in Spain, generally speaking.

This year, the WordCamp is held a the Etopia Centro de Arte y Tecnologia (Etopia Center of Art and Technology). It’s located just a short distance from the Ebro River and conveniently located near the Zaragoza-Delicias train station.

What to Expect at WordCamp Zaragoza 2024

Aside from the amazing location, there are a variety of sessions available at the WordCamp this year. Like most other camps, it’s difficult to decide which ones are of top priority.

That’s perhaps the most challenging part of attending these camps. Which talks do you want to attend in person when some of them are at the same time on different tracks?

Well, here are some of the talks that pique my interest most:

  • SEO Audit: With WordPress at the Top of Google
    In this workshop, Eva Garcia Gallego delivers 11 points of a basic SEO audit and how you can make them work for you to improve site searchability.
  • Controlling Google Tag Manager from Start to Finish
    Google Tag Manager can help you discover all kinds of data for your site. Carlos M Diaz Honorado goes over how to use the labeling platform using the CVAE method and how it works.
  • Functional Creativity with JetEngine
    JetEngine is an elaborate development plugin for WordPress loaded with a slew of options. In this talk, Yannick Garcia Monguilod tells of the features of JetEngine and how it works for being creative with your site.
  • You Can Also Create a Simple A/B Testing Plugin
    Most platforms utilize an A/B testing methodology to find what works best. Alvaro Torres describes how you can create a testing plugin of your own without extensive programming knowledge. Though, knowing basic HTML and CSS is a plus.
  • AI and WordPress: Where and How
    Artificial Intelligence is a booming platform. In this session, Fernando Puente provides solid examples of various products and services that use AI to improve WordPress as a whole.

This is just a short list of some of the awesome talks that are going on during this year’s WordCamp in Zaragoza. And to top it all off, there are games and gifts from various sponsors to close the camp in addition to the scheduled After Party.

It’s sure to be a great time for all those who attend.

Enlightening Things Around Zaragoza, Spain

If you’re in Europe or are planning to travel to Spain for the WordCamp, be sure to embrace everything the location has to offer. Keep in mind that Spain, itself, has a very long and rich history.

So, what are some of the attractions in the Zaragoza area? Well…

  • If you have time to explore, perhaps one of the most amazing attractions is the Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Pilar en Zaragoza (Basilica of Our Lady of Pilar). Started in 1681, the cathedral is a testament to superb craftsmanship and is an amazingly beautiful location.
  • If you like wine tasting and tapas, you can take a 3-hour tour of four Agagonises Wines and four Regional Tapas while walking through the ancient parts of the city. The exploration alone is worth the admission!
  • If wine isn’t your thing but you love exploring anyway, take a two-hour tour through Palacio de la Aljafería (Aljaferia Palace), which was built more than 1100 years ago! This is another locale in Zaragoza with some of the most intriguing architecture that is both magnificent and memorable.

I could spend days going over everything available in the area. And if you’re visiting for the WordCamp, I do hope you set aside some time to see some of the spectacular elements of Spain.

After all, some of the tours are only a couple of hours out of your day. Why not?

Have a Great Weekend in Zaragoza!

While at the WordCamp, don’t forget to stop by and say hi to Marco. He’ll be at our GreenGeeks table ready to answer questions or just to hang out and talk about WordPress in general.

I’d like to take this moment to thank all of the sponsors, organizers, volunteers, and patrons who made WordCamp Zaragoza happen this year. It’s your support that makes these camps worthwhile and why WordPress has one of the best communities on Earth.

Enjoy the weekend in Zaragoza and don’t forget to take a few moments to breathe in the atmosphere. It’s an awe-inspiring location with plenty of history to uncover.

The post WordCamp Zaragoza, Spain 2024 appeared first on GreenGeeks Blog.

]]>
Legacy DNS: End of Life https://www.greengeeks.com/blog/legacy-dns-end-of-life/ Mon, 11 Sep 2023 15:12:20 +0000 https://www.greengeeks.com/blog/?p=41084 Earlier this summer, GreenGeeks began rolling out our Anycast-based DNS for all shared and reseller hosting accounts. Using Anycast allows higher performance, decreased latency, and […]

The post Legacy DNS: End of Life appeared first on GreenGeeks Blog.

]]>
Earlier this summer, GreenGeeks began rolling out our Anycast-based DNS for all shared and reseller hosting accounts.

Using Anycast allows higher performance, decreased latency, and scaling across multiple locations, better meeting our customers’ needs.

Anycast Nameservers

Our new nameservers, which are Anycast-enabled are as follows:

  • ns1.greengeeks.net [75.2.69.7]
  • ns2.greengeeks.net [99.83.188.187]

Legacy DNS Shutdown

On September 30th, GreenGeeks will shut down our legacy DNS infrastructure and will make default the Anycast-enabled nameservers.

The legacy nameservers, with the IP addresses listed below, will no longer respond after September 30th:

  • chi-ns1 [99.198.112.83]
  • chi-ns2 [69.175.59.162]
  • ams-ns1 [107.6.141.186]
  • sgp-ns1 [103.3.62.28]

GreenGeeks has already re-directed the legacy nameserver aliases to the Anycast DNS cluster and automatically adjusted domains registered through the GreenGeeks registrar to the Anycast NS.

Domains registered through third-party domain registrars need to be updated manually.

Although the legacy nameserver aliases will continue to work after the nameserver shutdown, GreenGeeks strongly recommends updating all nameservers to the Anycast DNS to avoid mismatches between the backend nameservers & the domain registrar.

Private Vanity Nameservers

For users with private vanity nameservers under non-GreenGeeks domains, you’ll need to adjust the IP address assigned to each nameserver to match those provided below:

  • ns1.domain.com [75.2.69.7]
  • ns2.domain.com [99.83.188.187]

Private vanity nameserver adjustment is a two-step process involving registering the IP address for each nameserver with the domain registrar and updating the corresponding A record within the GreenGeeks DNS zone. For more info about private nameservers, refer to our support article on Setting up Private Nameservers

The post Legacy DNS: End of Life appeared first on GreenGeeks Blog.

]]>
WordCamp US – National Harbor, MD 2023 https://www.greengeeks.com/blog/wordcamp-us-national-harbor-md-2023/ Thu, 17 Aug 2023 16:00:49 +0000 https://www.greengeeks.com/blog/?p=40892 It’s that time of year! Time for WordCamp US, and this time it’s being held in National Harbor, Maryland from August 24th through the 26th. […]

The post WordCamp US – National Harbor, MD 2023 appeared first on GreenGeeks Blog.

]]>
It’s that time of year! Time for WordCamp US, and this time it’s being held in National Harbor, Maryland from August 24th through the 26th. It’ll be at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, which is a spectacular location in itself.

This year, our team members Ericka Barboza and Marco Berrocal will be attending in person. So, feel free to stop by and say hello as they love interacting with WordCamp folk.

What Will You Find at WordCamp US 2023?

Not only is this year’s WordCamp US at an incredible location – the Gaylord is just phenomenal – you can also be a part of quite a few talks and gatherings. For example, on the 24th, the contributor day is open for everyone.

There are a lot of great talks at this year’s WordCamp US. Some of the ones that stand out most to me include:

  • For All Userkind: NASA Web Modernization and WordPress – Abby Bowman and J.J. Toothman talk about how NASA’s web modernization efforts include WordPress and the challenges they face revamping its websites and adding its first on-demand streaming service.
  • Tell the Story You Want To Tell – In this talk, you’ll hear the story of how Ken Liu, an award-winning writer, lost faith in storytelling and how he rediscovered the meaning of narratives in day-to-day life.
  • Modern WordPress Development – While this talk might be a bit more advanced in comparison to beginner tracks, Gary McPherson will go over some of the more profound components that you can integrate into the WordPress development experience.
  • Learn WordPress: A resource for you and your community – Presented by Courtney Patubo Kranzke, the Learn WordPress element is a resource for those who want to understand more of what the content management system can do and what you can do to contribute. This is a great talk for beginners!
  • Gutenberg: Next – WordPress Co-founder and CEO of Automattic, Matt Mullenweg, will discuss the improvements delivered in 2023 and the plans going forward for WordPress. This will also include a live Q&A at the end, so bring your questions!

Personally, I’m highly interested in learning more about what NASA is building and how it’ll incorporate video-on-demand. Then again, I’m a bit of a geek when it comes to anything space and science related.

Plus, being able to toss questions at Matt Mullenweg would be fun. Especially after the most recent updates in WordPress 6.3 that are a bit questionable, such as the ability to add links to Gutenberg. It now takes extra steps just to set it to open in a new window.

Anyway, from the talks available, it’s sure to be a great weekend for those joining.

Interesting Facts About National Harbor, MD

The Gaylord Convention Center is located along the Potomac River just south of Washington DC. As such, it’s surrounded by some amazing attractions and a lot of US history.

One of the features in the area is the Capital Wheel, a 165-foot Ferris wheel with an amazing view of the most prolific national monuments in the country.

A few other things to keep in mind include:

  1. The “American Way” is a 3,000-foot promenade running through the center of National Harbor that was designed to page homage to the American experience.
  2. There are more than 150 stores in National Harbor, not including the Gaylord. So, make sure you bring some money along to enjoy as much of what the area can provide.
  3. If you’re interested in watching some games or other popular programming, there is an 18 by 32-foot Jumbotron in National Harbor. Can you imagine playing the Xbox or Playstation on something that massive?

Hope to See You at WordCamp US in National Harbor!

As you’re visiting WordCamp US, don’t forget to stop by and say “hi” to Marco and Ericka, who will be attending on our behalf. Although the Gaylord is relatively large, they should be fairly easy to find.

I’d like to finish by thanking all of the organizers, speakers, volunteers, attendees, and sponsors who put in the time and effort to make WordCamp US something amazing. Between the locale and the talks, it’s definitely one that I wish I could attend myself.

Have a great weekend and enjoy everything National Harbor and WordCamp US have to offer.

The post WordCamp US – National Harbor, MD 2023 appeared first on GreenGeeks Blog.

]]>
New Global Anycast DNS Service from GreenGeeks https://www.greengeeks.com/blog/anycast-dns/ Tue, 25 Apr 2023 14:10:04 +0000 https://www.greengeeks.com/blog/?p=39424 GreenGeeks is thrilled to introduce our new globally-based Anycast DNS platform.  The new Anycast DNS platform promises faster page load times and improved reliability for […]

The post New Global Anycast DNS Service from GreenGeeks appeared first on GreenGeeks Blog.

]]>
GreenGeeks is thrilled to introduce our new globally-based Anycast DNS platform. 

The new Anycast DNS platform promises faster page load times and improved reliability for websites hosted on the GreenGeeks network. 

What is Anycast DNS?

At its core, the Anycast DNS is a more efficient method of routing DNS requests.

Instead of directing requests to a random nameserver like traditional DNS, Anycast DNS routes requests to the closest server geographically, reducing latency and helping to ensure website availability during a partial outage.  

How is Anycast DNS different from traditional DNS?

With traditional DNS, all requests to a single IP address get directed to the same physical backend server. 

In contrast, on the Anycast DNS platform, multiple servers are distributed globally and configured under the same IP address.

When the DNS queries are received, Anycast can route the request to the nearest server in the network. These qualities make Anycast DNS particularly useful for websites or services with a global audience, as it allows for faster and more efficient DNS resolution.

In addition, anycast DNS can provide increased resiliency and redundancy, as queries can be routed to a different server if one server goes offline.

Improvement in the Numbers

We’ve compared the response times of our new Anycast DNS with our Legacy DNS across various cities around the world, and we’re excited to share the results with you.

RegionAnycast DNSTraditional DNS
Frankfurt0.625 ms92.29 ms
Amsterdam0.71 ms91.18 ms
London0.74 ms88.05 ms
New York1.78 ms90.18 ms
Dallas0.82 ms90.34 ms
San Francisco1.05 ms123.80 ms
Singapore1.71 ms154.29 ms
Sydney0.615 ms187.60 ms
Tokyo2.07 ms164.60 ms
Bangalore2.065 ms194.15 ms

Benefits of GreenGeeks Anycast DNS:

Faster Page Loads

With Anycast DNS, your website will load faster than ever!

Multiple DNS servers distributed globally mean reduced response times for all queries, reducing the load time. 

Enhanced Reliability

Anycast DNS improves the overall reliability of your website.

If one DNS server goes down or becomes unavailable, traffic gets automatically routed to another available server. 

That redundancy means your website will remain online during a partial network outage. 

Improved Scalability

Since Anycast’s capacity is not limited to a single backend server, it can handle higher traffic levels without slowing down or becoming overloaded.

These benefits make Anycast DNS a dependable option for eCommerce sites or popular blogs.

Better Protection against DDoS Attacks

Finally, Anycast DNS can help protect your website against distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks. 

By spreading traffic across multiple servers, Anycast DNS can reduce the impact of an attack if one server becomes overwhelmed with malicious traffic.

What do I have to do to take advantage of Anycast DNS?

There are two simple steps to converting an existing domain on the GreenGeeks traditional DNS to the Anycast-based DNS platform:

First, you need to update the nameservers for your domain with the domain registrar to the GreenGeeks Anycast nameservers.

  • ns1.greengeeks.net
  • ns2.greengeeks.net

Second; after updating the nameservers with the domain registrar, the backend DNS zone needs to be updated to set  the correct NS & SOA records in order to take full advantage of the Anycast DNS platform.

For users without custom DNS records(meaning records that you’ve manually added), you can reset the DNS Zone from the  from the cPanel(or WHM)  using the DNS Zone Manager.   Resetting the DNS zone will rebuild the DNS zone using the default values, including the NS & SOA records.

If you have custom DNS records that need to be retained, or need to update a number of domains, submit a  Support Ticket Request and the GreenGeeks’ Support Team will be glad to assist you with updating the backend DNS zone’s NS & SOA records to match the new nameservers. 

Are existing customers being forced to switch to Anycast DNS?

Although GreenGeeks recommends switching existing domains over the GreenGeeks Anycast DNS cluster, it is not required, and you can continue to use the Legacy DNS cluster.

Can I create my own Private Nameservers for the GreenGeeks Anycast DNS platform?

You can configure Private Nameservers under your domain that refers to the GreenGeeks Anycast DNS cluster and provide all the same benefits.

For more information refer to our support article on Setting up Private Nameservers.

The post New Global Anycast DNS Service from GreenGeeks appeared first on GreenGeeks Blog.

]]>
WordCamp Phoenix, AZ 2023 https://www.greengeeks.com/blog/wordcamp-phoenix-az-2023/ Mon, 13 Mar 2023 16:08:57 +0000 https://www.greengeeks.com/blog/?p=38748 GreenGeeks will be at WordCamp Phoenix in 2023 at the On Jackson event space on March 24th and 25th. And if you’re not able to […]

The post WordCamp Phoenix, AZ 2023 appeared first on GreenGeeks Blog.

]]>
GreenGeeks will be at WordCamp Phoenix in 2023 at the On Jackson event space on March 24th and 25th. And if you’re not able to attend in person, both tracks of the talks will be streamed and recorded to watch online.

Personally, I love the idea of being able to watch the talks remotely. Not all of us have the time or money to travel across the country to participate in some of these amazing sessions.

What’s Available at WordCamp Phoenix 2023?

Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced developer, WordCamps always has something for everyone. The best part is that WordCamp isn’t strictly about WordPress.

In fact, there are a lot of talks that can expand your knowledge about everything from marketing to understanding Core Web Vitals in Search Console.

This year, you can find talks such as:

  • Content UX: How to Create a Great Reader Experience – In this presentation, Maddy Osman goes over how to improve the user experience of your content. This includes understanding Google’s algorithms and ways you can adapt quickly.
  • The Block Editor and Full Site Editing Crash Course for Freelancers and Agencies – One of the newest additions to WordPress was the Full Site Editing feature for customizing websites. Here, Keanan Koppenhaver helps you understand what it is and how to use it.
  • How to Scale WordPress/WooCommerce – If you’re interested in setting up an online store, Robert Windisch can help. In this talk, you’ll learn the best methods of scaling WordPress and WooCommerce to better suit your business needs.
  • Social Media & Growing Your Audience – Social media plays a crucial role in success nowadays. And Darreyl Davis can help with this talk about creating engaging content and attracting more followers and subscribers.
  • Blogging in the Age of AI: How to Stay Relevant and Competitive – There’s no doubt that artificial intelligence is here to stay. In this talk, Cheryl Marquez goes over how to make sure you’re still relevant while competing against AI-written content.

This is just a handful of what you can find at this year’s WordCamp in Phoenix. There are really too many interesting ones to name in a quick blog post. And many of them I am ear-marking to watch remotely.

Facts About Phoenix AZ During WordCamp

Over the years, we’ve attended or sponsored the WordCamp in Phoenix several times. And if there is one thing you can count on, it is the warm sunlight, even in the middle of winter.

The desert landscape isn’t the only interesting thing about Phoenix, though.

  1. Phoenix only has one native palm tree (California Fan Palm). All of the other types you see in the area were imported throughout the 1900s for design aesthetics.
  2. The original 1,000+ miles of canals and ditches currently used for irrigation in Phoenix were dug between 570 and 1400 years ago.
  3. Over the past 73 years, Phoenix grew from the 100th largest city to the 5th largest in the United States.

See You at WordCamp Phoenix in 2023!

This year, our very own Anna Gargioni and Ericka Barboza will be attending WordCamp Phoenix. Feel free to stop by and say hello before attending any of the amazing talks that are featured this year.

I’d like to take a moment to thank all of the organizers, speakers, volunteers, sponsors, and attendees who make these camps successful. Your contributions are what make these WordCamps an amazing experience.

The post WordCamp Phoenix, AZ 2023 appeared first on GreenGeeks Blog.

]]>
Cloudflare Integration Deprecation – What it Means for GreenGeeks https://www.greengeeks.com/blog/cloudflare-integration-deprecation-greengeeks/ Mon, 16 Jan 2023 16:56:33 +0000 https://www.greengeeks.com/blog/?p=30461 Cloudflare has deprecated the necessary Cloudflare partner APIs required to manage domains through cPanel. The removal of the cPanel plugin doesn’t mean you cannot use […]

The post Cloudflare Integration Deprecation – What it Means for GreenGeeks appeared first on GreenGeeks Blog.

]]>
Cloudflare has deprecated the necessary Cloudflare partner APIs required to manage domains through cPanel. The removal of the cPanel plugin doesn’t mean you cannot use the service, though.

It just means you’ll no longer be able to manage your Cloudflare integrations within the GreenGeeks cPanel dashboard, or any other cPanel host, for that matter.

This doesn’t mean your websites will stop working on the popular CDN. It merely means you’ll no longer be able to add, manage, or configure the domains on Cloudflare directly from your cPanel.

To help ease the transition process, we’ve outlined what you need to know and how this may impact your GreenGeeks website.

Customers with Existing Cloudflare Configurations

There will be no impact on existing Cloudflare configurations. The records that are currently configured to point to Cloudflare will continue to resolve as normal.

This means you won’t need to make any adjustments to the configurations you already have in place.

To make modifications to a domain previously configured with Cloudflare through GreenGeeks, you’ll need to access the Cloudflare Dashboard.

Customers Without Previous Cloudflare Configuration

As the feature has been deprecated, you’ll no longer be able to configure new domains for Cloudflare through your GreenGeeks cPanel.

This means you’ll need to log directly into the Cloudflare Dashboard to configure and manage your domains.

For additional information on how this change may impact your sites, please refer to our Support article outlining the Cloudflare deprecation.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

In a Nutshell…

Even though the API integration for Cloudflare has been deprecated from the cPanel, you’ll still be able to manage your domains through Cloudflare’s dashboard. Any domains that were added prior to this change will still be active on Cloudflare.

The bottom line is that the function has simply been removed from cPanel.

The post Cloudflare Integration Deprecation – What it Means for GreenGeeks appeared first on GreenGeeks Blog.

]]>
GreenGeeks launches new data center location in Singapore https://www.greengeeks.com/blog/greengeeks-singapore-web-hosting/ Wed, 28 Dec 2022 16:03:31 +0000 https://www.greengeeks.com/blog/?p=29200 GreenGeeks is excited to announce that we’ve launched a new data center location in Singapore! This means our Asia-Pacific customers will reap the benefits of […]

The post GreenGeeks launches new data center location in Singapore appeared first on GreenGeeks Blog.

]]>
GreenGeeks is excited to announce that we’ve launched a new data center location in Singapore! This means our Asia-Pacific customers will reap the benefits of a data center closer to their local market.

Although the inclusion of our Amsterdam data center has been helpful for our Asian customers, we felt having web hosting closer could be of great benefit to them. In other words, there are fewer hops for visitors to access those pages. The end result is a streamlined experience when viewing content centered near the south-Asian regions.

Customers will enjoy all of the same services and features they do in our other data centers, such as Shared Hosting, WordPress Hosting, Reseller Hosting & VPS Hosting, along with domain name registration and other add-on services we offer as part of our web hosting platform.

Some of the benefits to Asia-Pacific customers:

  • Faster Local Page Loads
    Visitors accessing your content from the Asia-Pacific region will have fewer hops, which means your sites will load faster for your visitors within the region. This directly impacts the visitor experience which has many benefits such as improved rankings and conversions.
  • Maintenance During Non-Peak Hours
    The data center will be maintained during non-peak hours according to Singapore Standard Time (SST), which is UTC+8:00. This provides fewer interruptions as opposed to severs in other time zones.
  • Improved SEO Rankings
    Searches for local content will improve due to geographic location. For those operating businesses in the area, this can boost visibility in search engines.
  • Best Green Web Hosting Around
    In addition to following SS-564 Part 1: 2013 SG Standards for Green Data Centers, our commitment to renewable energy still applies in that 300% of the power used to host your website is fed back into the grid from renewable sources. We will also plant a tree for every hosting account provisioned.

Ready to Migrate to Singapore?

If you have web hosting through GreenGeeks and are looking to move your service to our Singapore data center, make sure you open a support ticket from inside of the account manager requesting migration options. There is so much to gain, especially if you’re focusing your content on local consumers.

The post GreenGeeks launches new data center location in Singapore appeared first on GreenGeeks Blog.

]]>
MariaDB Upgrade – What You Need To Know https://www.greengeeks.com/blog/december-mariadb-upgrade/ Tue, 20 Dec 2022 21:11:37 +0000 https://www.greengeeks.com/blog/?p=30139 GreenGeeks is updating the MariaDB database management system from version 10.3 to 10.5 across our Shared and Reseller platform. This database server upgrade is necessary […]

The post MariaDB Upgrade – What You Need To Know appeared first on GreenGeeks Blog.

]]>
GreenGeeks is updating the MariaDB database management system from version 10.3 to 10.5 across our Shared and Reseller platform.

This database server upgrade is necessary to ensure the continued stability and security of the GreenGeeks network and your hosting account.

What will the upgrade process entail?

The MariaDB upgrade process will upgrade all instances of MariaDB on our network from version 10.3 to 10.5.

This update includes required security updates and releases necessary for the security and stability of databases.

How long will the upgrade process take?

We expect the software upgrade to be no more than 20 minutes per server.

During the upgrade period, the MariaDB/MySQL server will be inaccessible to ensure the continuity of the data.

Since the upgrade is at the server level, there won’t be any alternations to your existing databases or the data contained within.

When will the upgrade be complete?

All servers are scheduled to be upgraded by December 26, 2022.

Are there any significant changes from MariaDB 10.3 to 10.5?

MariaDB 10.5 includes some significant enhancements, including the addition of the ColumnStore storage engine and upgrades to overall InnoDB performance.

The majority of these changes are at the back-end server level and will not impact end-user websites.

More information on the new features, along with other changes and improvements, for MariaDB 10.5 can be on the MariaDB website.

MariaDB 10.4 Changes
MariaDB 10.5 Changes

How do I check the MySQL/MariaDB version?

To see the current MySQL/MariaDB version, access the Server Information page under the General Information section of your GreenGeeks cPanel.

The version information will be displayed next to the line for MySQL Version.

Can I opt out of this upgrade or request a specific MariaDB version?

Unfortunately not; unlike PHP versions, the MariaDB/MySQL version is a globally shared resource at the server level, and we cannot run different versions for each hosting account.

If you require a specific MariaDB or MySQL version for your websites, we invite you to consider the GreenGeeks Managed VPS platform. With a GreenGeeks Managed VPS, you have full administrative access to control your server to suit your needs, including custom MariaDB/MySQL versions and other software options otherwise unavailable in a shared environment.

Our Support team can assist with any questions about upgrading to a Managed VPS.

The post MariaDB Upgrade – What You Need To Know appeared first on GreenGeeks Blog.

]]>
External Email Forwarders: The End of an Era https://www.greengeeks.com/blog/external-email-forwarders/ Mon, 31 Oct 2022 14:58:46 +0000 https://www.greengeeks.com/blog/?p=29435 For the longest time, its been a convenience to use email forwarders to send messages to free, online services. However, that ability is coming to […]

The post External Email Forwarders: The End of an Era appeared first on GreenGeeks Blog.

]]>
For the longest time, its been a convenience to use email forwarders to send messages to free, online services. However, that ability is coming to an end. The evolution of the Internet often prompts change, and this is merely one of them.

The Problem

Like most other shared hosting providers, GreenGeeks has offered email forwarders within cPanel. This lets customers automatically forward email from one address to another.

Oftentimes, forwarders are created to forward email to external providers, such as Gmail. This would allow users to collect all of their messages in one location. But that’s not where the problem lies.

This labels GreenGeeks as the server sending spam and inadvertently causes our IP addresses to get blacklisted. In turn, this causes normal mail to be rejected by other providers and damages our overall network reputation.

If you’ve ever had an email or IP address blacklisted, it can cause all kinds of trouble. Especially from a professional or business standpoint.

It can result in your email interactions coming to a screeching halt.

The Solution

GreenGeeks is always trying to improve the service we provide to our customers. As the world’s #1 Green hosting provider, our goal is to not only be the best but provide the best service we possibly can.

Sometimes, this requires us to “go against the grain” in our approach to reach this goal.

To help stop forwarded spam from causing more problems with mail delivery, GreenGeeks will soon begin blocking the ability to add new forwarders to known free providers.

This includes, but is not limited to, Gmail, Yahoo, and Outlook.

How You Can Help Improve Your GreenGeeks Email Experience (And still get your emails)

Thankfully, there is an easy solution to this, and that’s to set your Gmail, Yahoo, or Outlook account to connect directly to your GreenGeeks email account and transfer the emails via a POP3 or IMAP connection.

This stops any spam you may receive from being forwarded and damaging your IP reputation, while still allowing your emails to be sent to another account.

Gmail, Yahoo, and Outlook all provide easy methods to connect your account(s). Customers who wish to keep a copy of the original message on the server when forwarding can still continue to do so if configured properly.

Essentially, this provides the same functionality as a standard email forwarder. Only in this case, it’s done from your Gmail, Yahoo, or Outlook accounts.

Conclusion

cPanel email forwarders are not a suitable solution for forwarding mail to an external email account on another server. While this appears to be a quick and simple solution up front, this can lead to severe consequences for your mail reputation and overall email deliverability. 

Customers who require assistance with configuring their GreenGeeks email with another provider are encouraged to open a Support ticket via their GreenGeeks dashboard.

Our friendly staff is available 24/7 to assist you with making the necessary changes.

The post External Email Forwarders: The End of an Era appeared first on GreenGeeks Blog.

]]>