Why doesn't Esper Hosting offer "Unlimited" Disk Storage & RAM?
There are many times when a shared resource provides greater utility to its users than a dedicated
one, simply because it lets the users share the cost. This is true of of a lot of things - for example,
if everyone had their own, personal road system, not only would there be asphault everywhere, but it
would be terribly expensive and tragically underused. The same can be said of computing resources in
many respects. A good example of this is bandwidth: if you have a dedicated pipe, you can get better
use out of it by sharing it with others to maximize utilization and minimize cost. The same is also
true to a certain degree of CPUs, which generally run idle for a particular user most of the time.
However, other resources really only come at the expense of others. For example, RAM and disk storage
tend to be in perpetual use by one user or another. These resources cannot effectively be shared in the
same way a CPU or network connection can. The truth is, many for-profit hosting companies will promise
customers the world - unlimited disk storage, RAM usage, maybe even CPU time - but the truth is, these
resources are always shared by the entire user base, and ultimately some users end up subsidizing others.
At Esper Hosting, we take great care to make sure we are being honest with our members - and the simple
truth is that offering "unlimited" Disk Storage or RAM is just plain dishonest. As a non-profit, we
have no motive but to serve our members - and as such there is no benefit to being misleading.
Practically speaking, members will generally overuse RAM before transfer or CPU usage begin to effect
the service of others sharing these resources. Nonetheless, if CPU does become an issue, rest assured
we will contact the users in question.
So, to sum it up:
1) We share some resources (bandwidth, CPU time) to maximize utility and minimize cost;
2) For others, we're honest about what each member may fairly use (storage, RAM);
3) If a member is over-using a shared resource to the detriment of other members (or is overusing
his / her allocated resources), the member will be contacted so that arrangements can be made to
correct the problem.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us!