Here at Blacknight we are passionate about the internet and technology and we love being able to share that passion with you, our clients and partners.

Over the last year there has been a lot of "buzz" surrounding a new scripting language - Ruby On Rails.

RoR describes itself as being aimed at providing "programmer happiness" so we'd like to know what you think.

We are currently beta testing Ruby On Rails on our linux hosting platform, so if you would like to give it a go please contact our sales team. We'll be giving away (yes - for free!) a number of hosting accounts and domain names to let people get "down and dirty" with this new language.

EDIT:

Just to clarify what we are giving away:

• Hosting - SoHo linux


• Domains - Choice of .com or .eu or co.uk

EDIT

We've had a tremendous response to the offer and have given away a number of .eu and .com domains throughout the day.

Posted by Michele Neylon at 10:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

For a limited period we're dropping the price on .eu domains to a mere 15 euro.

That's right, for only 15 euro you can get a .eu domain.

Why would you register a .eu?

• .eu domains are only available to Europeans
• Wide variety of names still available in .eu
• Brand protection

So what are you waiting for?

Why not register your domains today?

Posted by Michele Neylon at 12:58 PM | Permalink

As part of our ongoing upgrades and improvements we are delighted to announce support for two new technologies:

Php 5 (version 5.1.4) on Windows Server 2003

and

ColdFusion 7 on Windows Server 2003 also.

Both of these new options are available via the Helm hosting control panel for our Windows 2003 server clients.

With php, for example, it works in a similar fashion to the asp.net settings - you simply choose which version you want to use and off you go

Posted by Michele Neylon at 9:55 AM | Permalink

We are currently hiring for a number of roles both technical and non-technical.

Our CTO has posted details of the senior unix position.

All jobs are based in our offices in Carlow.

Posted by Michele Neylon at 12:38 PM | Permalink

When you signup to buy hosting or domain names from a provider you should take a minute or two to read over the terms and conditions (the small print that most of us try to avoid!)

Most hosting providers and / or domain registrars will provide a standard set of terms and conditions on their website ie. you can expect to see references to network abuse, non-payment etc.,
These may seem a little daunting, but there is nothing strange in most of them and the service providers' terms are usually there to protect both parties.

However, some providers may have conditions specifically governing domain transfers out ie. for those clients who either wish to move their domain's dns or want to actually transfer their domain to another provider.

Most reputable companies do not charge an "unlock" or "release" fee. If you do not have any outstanding bills you should be able to move provider.

Some UK providers, however, will charge anything from € 25 to €70 to "allow" you to move your own domain.
In the case of .ie domains this charge cannot be levied, as the listed admin contact of the domain name (ie. the registrant) can contact the IEDR directly to get the domain's dns repointed.
With co.uk domains it is possible to sidestep the tag holder (registrar) and go direct to Nominet. The cost of this process is Stg£25, so it can work out a lot cheaper than paying the "randsom" fees that some providers try to levy.

With regard to .com domains you may have no choice but to pay the fees or seek legal advice if the domain's whois details are not accurate.

The best advice is to check that the domain's details are correct and that you are listed as the admin contact.

Posted by Michele Neylon at 10:44 AM | Permalink