Danger Will Robinson!

I'm new, but have been a Web Site Designer since 1995. Doing an article for wannabie web designers I did a search for "FREE HTML EDITORS" and came across a really great and robust program, easy to use for noobs and xperts alike. I was hyped, it was gr8... easy, WYSIWYG environment, CSS and all. Cool, right? Wrong!

Until I tried to save that document I was working on and it wanted to save it in some strange format (NOT *.htm / *.html) with something like a *.dlx extension. Perusing the web site I realized why... You can't use the page anywhere else but on their server, so you are hosting with them or with nobody!

I just don't like being held for ransome. I check hosting prices and they're dirt cheap. OK, then I check (you have to CALL, hint) pricing for SSL, Domain, Shopping cart, you know, all the stuff you need to actually DO something with the site, and everything is ONLY through them (no outside providers) and expensive as heck. The reason is that their server (and thus the "freeware page editor) is encrypted...for "my protection" of course!

I just don't like it and wanted to warn everyone. It may be more expensive to set up a web site without limitations such as these but you don't get freedom with these types of deals. You can be effectively held for ransome (Sopranos marketing) because you can't just "take your site and go to other hosting."

By the time you have days, weeks, months into building a successful site you won't be able to trash it and redo everything. You DONT own the database, You DONT own the pages, You DONT own anything, they do. SO if you leave, you leave with NOTHING. Start all over.

Just be aware of these types of scams going on. It's geurilla marketing or worse, "Sporanos marketing."

Thxs for the heads up! JerDon&Sara