After running into hosting companies that are run by little kids I feel like there should be a central website where everyone can list hosting companies that are run by 14 year olds and younger. What does everyone feel about this? In my opinion if you base your company solely on the money that you are able to save then you are in big trouble, but many people ask what happens when there wonderful kiddie host decides to go down for the summer because they want to go outside and play!

I'll admit that I am young (over 14 though ), and you can call me a "Kiddie Host" all you want. However, I take business very seriously. While I may be young, I got into this business after buying off many hosts (that were adults) that provided horrible support and service. So I decided to start a hosting business that would change all that. Comparing myself to these other kiddie hosts, I feel that I take this much more responsibly. Most of my profits go back into the company for addons to improve service. I also make sure that when I use something on my website that it is 100% legal. You can check everything on my site: the template, PHPLive, Kayako eSupport, vBulletin, everything. It's all legal. I think that, combined with my decent support, puts me above the "kiddie hosts" despite my age.

When you base your decision based soley on how old the administrator of the server is, you could find yourself in trouble

-- HW

Totally agreed.

Or if you are not 18 yrs old you have to have mommy and daddy sign off everything, or anything you are doing is void

Technically there are certain things a 14 year old can not do legally business wise. There is a reason why you have to be a certain age to work in retail. Go figure, I would not put my business in the hands of a admin that is under a certain age.

I started doing small admin work back when I was 13-14 But that was a long time ago and I have only kept learning the entire time.

To tell you the truth, this is the same sort of discrimination as saying all gay people have AIDS or that women can't hold a job at a construction site: it's simply not true.

How would you feel if your host was "blacklisted" in a directory because you did not speak proper English? Or because you were disabled? Or because you weren't white?

Face it, the quality of a hosting service is reflected by the amount of time, effort and dedication the owner(s) is willing to put in it - not by the age of the company head. If a "kiddie" host is of low quality, word WILL get around and the "company" WILL receive negative reviews (official or word-of-mouth) (not to mention the customer should be doing adequate research before signing any sort of contract).

I credit any young entrepreneur for their hard work and devotion to running their own business. You don't necessarily have to run a lemonade stand these days to make a few pennies and get a real world experience. With that, support from a mentor (and yes, parents) would be very important to make sure you know what you are getting in to. I am very up front with my clients, most of them know I am 18 years old who is currently planning a 4-year college education at Belmont University.

A "Kiddie Host" directory would be a great way for potential customers to know who they are working with. I don't think ithe concept should be "Here are the Kiddie Hosts, watch out!," but rather a listing of young entrepreneurs who happen to be running a small or medium sized hosting venture, where people can also find out which ones are reputable.

I have to disagree. It is called wait a while into you jump into the ocean and learn how to swim with the sharks. The truth is you would think twice about getting help from a kid in a store, the comfort level will never be there. Yes a kid may know what he is doing but the lack of experience can be a problem, this is not discrimination this is called doing business with people you feel have the mental capacity to make your projects successful.

I agree with some of the points raised here. You should never base a host on the age of the owner! I've been hosted by one of the greastest webhosting companies i've ever had the privilage of being with and the owner started running it out of his bedroom at 15.

Age really shouldn't be a factor, just because your over 18 doesn't mean you're any the wiser or more dedicated to the job. On the other hand if you're not an adult and you don't follow the rules (pay tax etc) then issues can arise. I don't agree with the idea of a central place to list websites, morally wrong imo.

i think there should be some kind of list for people to see who they are giving their money to, would you give 20 dollars a month to a 10 year old?

anyway i think its a good idea.


i agree completly robson great point.

Zemo,

I agree! Unless someone is mature beyond their ages they have no business running a company. The truth is companies run by kids are not true companies. I would respect a 15 year old who has worked for someone then one that jumps right into the river.

This can go on forever, but I and most of the people I know stand behind this.

I have been working in computers and host based systems for the last 12 years. I was running my own Galacticomm BBS out of my parents house when I was 14-15. I had 7 phone lines comming in the house a comm server, I even had a phone number relay on the south side of town to make it local for people who lived south of there.

I am 26 now, and one thing I can tell you the difference in is the "experience" in dealing with customers. I am much more aware of the market and what customers demand and expect from companies such as ours. Especially after had been a consultant for a large Software company, and working in corporate America the last 7 years.

I am not saying a 16 year old is not capable of handling customer issues, however, the "experience and knowledge" is lacking at that age. It's not to say they aren't smart or technical enough, just that the Customer can pick up on it. But lets be honest, at the same time, there are plenty of adults my age and older who don't have the sense of a 10 year old either, so it can go either way

So I think what I am trying to say, is more power to the younger guys ( and gals) trying to pursue a life in business. I commend them. Just don't lose track of your commitments.

very good point, that is exactly right in my opinion. http://www.talkwebhosts.com/images/icons/icon14.gif