Does SEO need access to site to give a quote??

michstar01 · #1 (**permalink**) 01-29-2008, 05:47 PM

I am considering changing from my current SEO to a new one. I have contacted one firm and they say that they need my password from my hosting company so that they can access my website and review it. They say that they cannot give me a quote without this.

Is this reasonable?

Thank you for any help!

bobitza · #2 (**permalink**) 01-29-2008, 07:07 PM

Care to share the link to your website?

If your site is not "static" (.htm files) the content is generated dynamically either from database or with the help of templates. Internal SEO (as part of the overall SEO) deals with web pages content (pages titles, text, etc.) they will need to see how the web pages are built. This can be the reason why they need access to the "raw" files ... or maybe they just wanna hijack your site, lol!

Just by visiting your website and looking at the web page source doesn't help as it displays the "finished product" ... they need to see how the page was constructed.

michstar01 · #3 (**permalink**) 01-29-2008, 08:27 PM

Thanks very much for the reply.

Can't they just look at the page source to see those things?

bobitza · #4 (**permalink**) 01-29-2008, 11:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by michstar01

Can't they just look at the page source to see those things?

Quote:

Originally Posted by bobitza

Just by visiting your website and looking at the web page source doesn't help as it displays the "finished product" ... they need to see how the page was constructed.

Example: A page can be "constructed" from multiple pages; page.php calls header.php, then template.php and then footer.php. In header.php you call a header.tpl.html which gives the page's title ... and so on.

If you look at the page source you won't see those things. You will see a complete page from <html> to </html>

kruser · #5 (**permalink**) 01-31-2008, 10:05 AM

I can certainly understand the need to see the server side script.

As with personal and business relationships I think trust is one of the most important qualities.

I would not give my account information to someone unless I have qualified them as trustful.

Best Regards,
Randy
www.FreeAdvertiser.com

Zombie Master · #6 (**permalink**) 01-31-2008, 11:14 AM

I can certainly understand your reluctance and would object also. Most SEO quotes can be determined by the source code, imo.

To underscore my opinion, send me the url and your email and I'll send you a pdf file of what would need to be done to improve SERP's.

I normally charge upwards of $500 for this initial report and take on very few clients because of time restraints.

mawells · #7 (**permalink**) 01-31-2008, 11:59 AM

As an SEO firm, we've been fooled more than once by HTML extensions only to find that a site was done completely in PHP and draws from a database.

If you want an accurate quote, the person needs to see what they're going to have to work with. A database driven site may need much more work than one would think to create dynamically generated title tags and meta tags.

With that said, they should be able to give you a "ball park" quote based on whether the site is considered to be static HTML or drawing from a database and they should be able to reserve the right to turn down the job if they are hit with a surprise and a database that they can't work with or get access to.

Source code, as stated earlier, only shows the completed HTML code after the browser compiles it. The SEO firm needs to work on the raw coding.

arbpen · #8 (**permalink**) 01-31-2008, 12:44 PM

This is what I do:
A. I look that site's source first. I validate it, see what's going on with the CSS, etc. All I need to know is in the source. Even if the content is generated server side, the client has no knowledge of that fact, whether the client is a browser, bot, phone of fridge.

B. If the source needs a lot of help, then I go back to the client and ask how the content is generated. I also tell the client WHAT I found that needs to be fixed. At this point, we know what needs to be fixed, and just need to know how to fix it. Now, if the client does not know how the content is generated, then I ask for the developer's contact information, and talk to the developer. See, I still have had no need to access the client's site.

At this point, once I know what's wrong, and how to go about fixing it, I can give a quote - but I never needed to have access to the client's site.

My suggestion to you is to Google for the company who is offering you services (NOT by using their company name). If they do not appear quickly, then I would wonder what kind of services they are REALLY offering.

sph001 · #9 (**permalink**) 01-31-2008, 02:38 PM

Perhaps offer to take the homepage or another page of their choosing - and send them code (ie in a text file for instance). then they can see what is up without having to access your site.

it is better than giving someone access to your host - which I would not do until there was trust.

alhefner · #10 (**permalink**) 01-31-2008, 02:42 PM

I would not give my root access info to any contractor. It would be much safer to setup an account that would allow that contractor access to the website files. Check with your hosting company if you are not familiar with doing this.

If you have problems with the contractor, you can delete thier account as well as gather any evidence of wrongdoing if you need to take legal action.

ash · #11 (**permalink**) 01-31-2008, 03:58 PM

I have to agree partly with the original poster's SEO. You do need to see the code, like others have said, but you don't need to see it in-situ, that is, on the very website. I would ask the prospect to zip up a few relevant files, e.g. header, footer, index, sidebar, anything that makes up product pages and other distinctive page layouts.

Now most website owners wouldn't know where to begin, so they could be asked to zip up the whole collection of php/asp files. But most people wouldn't know where to find them, or how to zip them up, so the thought of giving the original site's login is looking like the best option.

The quoting SEO also needs to protect themselves, so I would recommend that a simple contract be drawn up just for the quote. It should state that the SEO will not damage or change anything on the site and that the owner will immediately change the password after the SEO has taken a copy. The SEO will treat this knowledge as commercial-in-confidence and destroy the code if the SEO contract does not eventuate.

hemumlbx · #12 (**permalink**) 01-31-2008, 05:21 PM

YES THEY HAVE TO SEE TO GIVE YOU CORRECT QUOTE

THERE IS NO QUESTION IF THEY ASK YOU.

THEY CAN START GIVING YOU $100 AND THEN THEY CAN END UP LOSING $1000 WITH THE CRAPPY BUILT BY UR X.DEVELOPER

BUT AS MENTIONED ON TOP YOU HAVE TO TRUST THEM

DONT GO TO SINGLE GUYS WHO DOES NOT HAVE INC. OR RUN OF INDIVIDUALS IN THIS CASE

DOES NOT MEAN THEY CANT, DOES NOT HAVE ANY SECURITY

TRY FINDING SOMEONE IN UR OFFICE

OR U CAN ARRANGE A VNC OR DESKTOP SHARING AND GIVE THEM DEMO AND NOT LET THEM EDIT THE SITE SO ITS EASY THAT WAY

IF YOU NEED SOME HELP I CAN HELP FOR NO MONEY BUT NOT MORE THAN 1 HOUR OF TIME

CALL ME IF YOU WANT 15195842700

Cool Site Creator - Free web hosting and design for select sites, cheap hosting and design for others
Ontario Registry For Online Business Directory - Ontario Registry

bobitza · #13 (**permalink**) 01-31-2008, 10:01 PM

@hemumlbx
wrong keyboard mate, go back to the store and change it.

@OP
If you decide to give the SEO company access, I reckon a FTP read-only access is enough for them to give a quote. The worse it can happen is they get a copy of your files and do what? Clone it? They would have to create the database anyway ...

If you hire them, there's another story, they might need full access. But once again, not much damage they can do.

**incrediblehelp** · #14 (**permalink**) 01-31-2008, 11:33 PM

I must say I have never needed to the FTP info before signing a client. I simply ask them the questions that I need answers to. Why do I have to log into the server myself first, when i can simply ask the client what I need to know.

bobitza · #15 (**permalink**) 02-01-2008, 09:19 AM

True, but if the client is not familiar with the web technologies used, he/she might not know the answer or give you a wrong one. Anyways, yes, first ask and then shoot, lol !

blitzen · #16 (**permalink**) 02-02-2008, 03:34 PM

Don't do it. If they know what they're doing, they can give a quote without getting into the code. AlHefner and IncredibleHelp are right on the dime.

The SEO company should be knowledgeable enough to figure out how much work is needed if they know the software brand that generates your pages (name of third party software) and they can research it from there.

If they don't know the software, then they should be able to come up to speed right away with learning how to optimize your pages. If it's custom software, you don't want it jeopardized.

Besides, as I understand it from reading this forum, what the user sees is what's important. And that is usually a simple interface that's used.

As a last resort, make another server account - read only - for them. And monitor their activities.
Accidental deletes do happen.

CONTACT MORE SEO specialists, then make your decision. This company can't be the only one that can do the job.

danlefree · #17 (**permalink**) 02-02-2008, 08:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by michstar01

... they say that they need my password from my hosting company so that they can access my website and review it. They say that they cannot give me a quote without this.

. . .

Is this reasonable?

It is not reasonable.

Would you give a painter your house key so he can give you a quote on painting the exterior of your house?

Server response codes, files being served, and page content are the realm of SEO - all easily accessible without specialized access.

Insofar as your SEO should be concerned, the inner workings of the site are irrelevant (that's why you have a developer, right?). If Google can't see it, your SEO doesn't need to, either.

It sounds like the people you are dealing with are unaware of the scope of what they need to be doing: providing the site is serving content correctly and the content and navigation are well-crafted, the most important SEO work will be taking place off-site.

bobitza · #18 (**permalink**) 02-02-2008, 09:17 PM

While I do agree that is a little bit odd to ask for hosting account details to give a seo quote (a FTP account will suffice), I do NOT agree with the people saying it's unreasonable or if they are pros they can give a quote without knowing how the website is constructed.

Come on guys, there's no way of telling how a page is put together just by visiting it.

davidweb · #19 (**permalink**) 02-03-2008, 07:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by michstar01

I am considering changing from my current SEO to a new one. I have contacted one firm and they say that they need my password from my hosting company so that they can access my website and review it. They say that they cannot give me a quote without this.

Is this reasonable?

Thank you for any help!

David web to the rescue

It is quite strange that seo company is demanding to access hosting password. It probably shows something is wrong.

As far as any SEO project is concerned, an SEO company might ask for following things like

a) Url of your website which you wish to promote on search engines.
b) Your targeted search engines ( Google, Yahoo), further (regional or global)
c) Your targeted geo location, and some sample list of keywords.

Other than these details, I do not see any plausible reason why they are hunting for your web hosting password

davidweb · #20 (**permalink**) 02-03-2008, 08:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bobitza

Care to share the link to your website?

If your site is not "static" (.htm files) the content is generated dynamically either from database or with the help of templates. Internal SEO (as part of the overall SEO) deals with web pages content (pages titles, text, etc.) they will need to see how the web pages are built. This can be the reason why they need access to the "raw" files ... or maybe they just wanna hijack your site, lol!

Just by visiting your website and looking at the web page source doesn't help as it displays the "finished product" ... they need to see how the page was constructed.

Good point there bobitza, but here the company is supposed to handle SEO and not Web Development.

It doesnt matter whether my site with link www . mysite . com/page

uses ASP, ASP.NET, JSP OR PHP. If you can provide all that information through emails, I do not see any plausible reason why they are hunting for your website passwords.

Its more like a plumber asking for keys to inspect your bank locker before fixing leakage

Tech Manager · #21 (**permalink**) 02-03-2008, 08:14 AM

I think it is unreasonable for an SEO company to require access to your server prior to providing a quote. It makes more sense to provide them with copies of your code, but even then they can see most of the end product on your website.

The only reason an SEO would have to access your site internally is if they were going to be ineracting with the code, i.e., providing coding/site design.

bobitza · #22 (**permalink**) 02-03-2008, 12:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tech Manager

The only reason an SEO would have to access your site internally is if they were going to be ineracting with the code, i.e., providing coding/site design.

Well, I guess that's why they were asking for access to the files. Let's say you need to add relevant titles to the pages:

- If the web pages are static html, you need to go to every page and modify the code by adding or modifying the title tags.

- If the web pages are dynamically generated, you might need to go to every page and modify the code or if the web pages are built on templates (i.e each page parses the header.php template, then you just need to modify once). If titles are different you might need to modify the database as well and enter an additional field called "title" + the values for every page.

See, there are two different quotes that you can give. If you don't know php/sql you might as well say "pass".

texxs · #23 (**permalink**) 02-04-2008, 03:26 AM

They don't need this to do a price quote ever period!

You may just wish not ever even speak to this company again. They are lying to you or inept.

If they can't tell wheter the site is written in ASP or PHP without loggin into to your web host they suck! Do not even think about hiring them!

Everything they need to know they can get by looking at the site in a web browser and by communicating with search engines.

I've dealt with one SEO thatwas basiclly honest but the client wanted them to write content so he just gave them the password to the web host and you guessed it, they promptly "broke" the web site.

It's really much better if they just forward new content to your web developer and let him turn it into web pages.

DO NOT give them FTP access - nothing!

Yes there IS tons of damage they can do!

No they don't need to log in to your server to see title tags, alt tags, meta tags, headings etc. You can do that with any web browser by right clicking on the page and choosing "view source" even if it's dynamically generated.

It's very suspious they want this info.

fernimac · #24 (**permalink**) 02-04-2008, 04:42 AM

I agree only partially with the opinions here. As IncredibleHelp states, it should be enough asking the right questions and getting the right answers. Unfortunately, this is not the usual scenario. Most clients don't know how their site is generated and can give very optimistic answers. The SEO company might end up with a very complicated, sometimes impossible, work to do for which the quote simply is not realistic. Back in 2005, we gained a contract to make the SEO of a big institutional site in 4 different languages and we crawled the site to make an estimation of the content. We estimated that there were 10.000 pages in each language in what seemed like a normal database driven site. We agreed on producing a unique title and metas for each page. Actually, the site was produced with an XML architecture, no database, and there were 100.000 pages in each language, most of them were hidden behind search forms. So it was a big indexability work and we had to figure out how to generate 400.000 unique, relevant titles and metas and insert them into their code. Nothing close to what we had been able to forecast from seeing the code only.

So, although there are some workarounds, the asking to see the code on the server seems to me pretty reasonable or, at least, justified.

inertia · #25 (**permalink**) 02-04-2008, 05:05 AM

I don't think giving them ftp is that dangerous a thing as long as you setup their own ftp account. What are they going to do? Delete your site?! What motivation have they got for that? Are they going to hide loads of OBL everywhere? STEAL your site/database, maybe? But if any wrong doing took place wouldn't they be the number one suspect? It would be like committing a robbery and leaving your passport behind!

It WOULD be the best way to give a thorough quote. Many times a salesman at my company sells a client seo only for me to find its a content managed system which needs a lot more work than the quote was for.

Why cant you upload the site to a temporary location and give them access to that?

mark.smith · #26 (**permalink**) 02-04-2008, 08:05 AM

Hi,

If your site is simply a static site ..then there is no much need to share your FTP details with other firm or any one else, but if your site is a dynamic one then for better analysis you should have to trust upon them certain level...
nyway plz check orgnization's history little bit if you have......

Hope you get.....

Thanks

----------------------------
----------------------------
Mark Smith
Web design wales Employee Communication UK
Activity Breaks Wales Saturday Night Fever Tribute

bobitza · #27 (**permalink**) 02-04-2008, 01:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by texxs

...
Everything they need to know they can get by looking at the site in a web browser and by communicating with search engines....

Do you know what PHP Pear is?

Tech Manager · #28 (**permalink**) 02-04-2008, 07:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bobitza

Do you know what PHP Pear is?

What's your point?

Search engines are interested in content and properly formatted code. All of which are visible (for the most part) without giving access through ftp.

If the SEO is going to be working on improving the page rank and search results does it matter whether they even know you are using PEAR? They can just as easily make suggestions on changing the headers, contents, links, etc., without ever having to see your SSI coding. The only reason for letting them have further access is if they will need direct access to your code for the purpose of improving the code or restructuring the website for some reason.

If they are going to rebuild your website...fine. Otherwise, I still fail to see why they need access.

bobitza · #29 (**permalink**) 02-04-2008, 11:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tech Manager

If they are going to rebuild your website...fine. Otherwise, I still fail to see why they need access.

You are contradicting yourself. Isn't the point of SEOptimization to actually optimize the website? Unless the web site is already 100% optimized you will need to modify part of the code. So how come you fail to see the need to see the code?

And since you mentioned PEAR, with PEAR and tpl.htm templates you can modify 1 line and have the modification applied to all of the website's pages. If as a SEO you're charging per hour, wouldn't that make a difference in your quote?

Tech Manager · #30 (**permalink**) 02-05-2008, 07:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bobitza

You are contradicting yourself. Isn't the point of SEOptimization to actually optimize the website? Unless the web site is already 100% optimized you will need to modify part of the code. So how come you fail to see the need to see the code?

And since you mentioned PEAR, with PEAR and tpl.htm templates you can modify 1 line and have the modification applied to all of the website's pages. If as a SEO you're charging per hour, wouldn't that make a difference in your quote?

I'm not contradicting myself at all and I was not the one who initially mentioned PEAR, you were. As a professional PHP programmer of course I know what PEAR is. BUt PEAR still has nothing to do with this conversation unless the SEO company os actually going to be involved in the actual site programming (as also mentioned previously).

As for failing to see the need to see the code...I am beginning to think you are failing to read my entire comments. At the risk of sounding rude (not my intention to be rude), I will repeat myself one last time: Unless the SEO company is going to be involved in the site redesign or modification of the code itself, they do not need access to the code. PERIOD. I don't think I can make the point any simpler than that.

As a professional PHP programmer I do not need an SEO to do any coding for me whatsoever. And contrary to your comments on the "PEAR" package, I don't need to concern myself with PEAR in order to cascade content/code changes throughout a website (though I can take advantage of certain capabilities within PEAR if I choose to do so).

Here's the bottom line: If you own a website and you are a competent programmer you don't need any SEO guru to make physical changes to your code. They can make suggestions and the competent programmer can implement those changes themselves. If you are not a competent programmer or do not understand markup then by all means invest your funds in any manner you choose. Purchase a full SEO package, give them carte blanche to your code, your HTML, your ftp, your dedicated server. The choice is yours.

It's beginning to sound like you have a bit of a conflict of interest. No offense intended.

Birmingham · #31 (**permalink**) 02-05-2008, 09:40 AM

a good seo should not need access to the client's site for giving a quote.

sheena · #32 (**permalink**) 02-05-2008, 09:50 AM

It is depends on your agreement, it is usual for the seo company to get the password from the hosting company as for optimization or for the on-page optimization of your site. But if it is just starting analyzing your site for your seo, you don't need a password.

Quote:

Originally Posted by michstar01

I am considering changing from my current SEO to a new one. I have contacted one firm and they say that they need my password from my hosting company so that they can access my website and review it. They say that they cannot give me a quote without this.

Is this reasonable?

Thank you for any help!

texxs · #33 (**permalink**) 02-05-2008, 05:32 PM

Again there's no need to see the source code behind even a dynamically generated site. Anyone can tell that if it ends in .php or.apsx that it's a dynamically generated site.

All that matters when giving a SEO bid is seeing what PHP or ASP outputs, not how it is outputted.

In dynamic sites, SEO gives the content to the programmers and the programmers turn it into web pages. Some new CMS's will even let certain levels of users edit metatags of pages right through the browser so that is a possible a time saver.

You never want your SEO in your code because they are SEO guys, not programmers. They will screw it up, it's almost guaranteed. Heck in most sites, even having a new programmer come in and tinker unfettered with the code will almost guarantee to break the site. It's just foolish to let anyone new tinker around in there don't ya think?

It kinda sounds like some of you are the guys that go around tinkering in other peoples code and screwing it up and are trying to say that's ok somehow...

dburdon · #34 (**permalink**) 02-05-2008, 05:50 PM

I might come across as an SEO dinosaur but it seems strange that the coding - or otherwise - of a site should be a critical component of the price element in an optimisation deal.

The key issue is getting the site into the top 2 or 3 rankings for the most critical, i.e. business generating, phrases. I'm not sure how the source code - .php, asp, CSS, uncle tom cobbly - has any real influence.

Nobody's mentioned the quality of the site's content. Nobody's mentioned the competitive nature of the market category. Nobody has mentioned the quality of the top half a dozen sites in the category.

carbonize · #35 (**permalink**) 02-05-2008, 06:12 PM

I'm with dburdon on this one. SEO is mainly to do with key phrases and the layout of your websites HTML. You can look at any site, no matter how it is generated, and be able to say how it could be improved (better use of header tags, more repetition of desired phrases, etc).

There are many SEO companies/people out there and several on this forum. Get several quotes first and see how many others ask for that level of access. I bet it won't be many. The only legitimate reason I could see for them needing access is if they are going to go in and change your code/text for you but this seems unlikely. Surely a good SEO first shows the client what changes they would make and explain how it works before making any changes.

My main worry about giving anybody access is what they would upload whilst they have access and not what they could read.

bobitza · #36 (**permalink**) 02-06-2008, 12:10 AM

I guess I misunderstood the OP's situation then. I thought that his new SEO agency will not only give him a quote for the keywords, content, links etc., but also for the actual work on the website.

fernimac · #37 (**permalink**) 02-06-2008, 03:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tech Manager

If you own a website and you are a competent programmer you don't need any SEO guru to make physical changes to your code.

If you own a website and you are a competent programmer you don't have pages without unique titles, unique metatags, proper use of hierarchy tags, etc. The point here is that most SEO companies will have to implement the changes they propose somehow. Or, at least, help the programmers to implement the reccomendations. If you hire a SEO company that can screw up your site, that is no SEO company, but a complete bunch of incompetents. What usually happens is that incompetent programmers don't want the SEO people to see their code then tell the client that the programmers made a complete mess of a work and that the implementation of the SEO reccomendations is going to cost thousands more thanks to their "competent" programmers' work. So there are two points here. If you want your SEO company to actually implement their optimization reccomendations, then yes, they need to see how your code is generated before they can quote. And second, you can always put a mirror site apart and give them access to this one just to check what they do before actually uploading it to the real site. What is the risk here?

inertia · #38 (**permalink**) 02-06-2008, 04:38 AM

Surely this is pure paranoia!? Say you did buy an seo package from this company wouldn't you give them ftp then? Whats the difference in giving them ftp after you've also given them loads of money? I have lots of problems with companies not wanting to give out ftp even after they've paid for an seo package. I have to send all work/requests to a design agency who always do things slightly different to how you told them to and it involves twice as much work to get it right! Its drives me insane! (rant over)

What about elements such as mod_rewrite and htaccess? What about elements such as meta/title generation, are these global or unique to each page?

Quote:

Originally Posted by texxs

Again there's no need to see the source code behind even a dynamically generated site. Anyone can tell that if it ends in .php or.apsx that it's a dynamically generated site.

What if the site is built in a site.com/directory/index fashion?

I regularly bump into sites (as i said before - CMS are the worst!) which involve more work than was first thought.

kruser · #39 (**permalink**) 02-06-2008, 09:03 AM

Since static pages created by PHP script can end in .html, .htm or whatever, I don't think a person can identify from looking at the html if it is a static page or was just created for your request.

As an SEO I would ask: Is this a static page?

If a static page has better ranking - seeing the script matters.

...Randy

holyhttp · #40 (**permalink**) 02-06-2008, 11:39 AM

As far a the SEO is concerned the job is mainly on the front-end not the server-side.
Take a look at the content, the HTML code that's enough to give your client a quote: it's just an estimate.
You just need to let the client know that the final price may change if some unexpected server-side work is needed.

Let's face it: you cannot ask a web site owner to give full access to your web site root to anyone who show's up with an SEO ID. NO WAY!!

kruser · #41 (**permalink**) 02-06-2008, 01:41 PM

hollyhttp,

I like your suggestion, it reminds me of a saying "Keep it simple silly" or something like that...

Best Regards,
Randy

nottheusual1 · #42 (**permalink**) 02-06-2008, 04:57 PM

They should never need access to your site to do a quote. They should be asking some very pointed questions to understand how your pages are RENDERED, and from what SOURCES.

We've had every SEO our customers work with ask for the same thing and then never be able to **really** explain why. We don't give people we don't know access to our servers. That is asking for a security failure somewhere.

We don't let them upload things, either - they send it to us, we check it and then upload it.

Why add the potential for security issues?

Webnauts · #43 (**permalink**) 02-06-2008, 09:28 PM

I never ask for FTP access for an analysis/consulting quote, as that it is absolutely not necessary. At least not for an experienced professional SEO. I probably would ask for that, if the service required would involve server configurations or server side programming. Though, in most cases that is not necessary.

If the SEO asked for a FTP access and your site is static, you better run away, because then I can see one of those "SCAM" flags.

Tubby · #44 (**permalink**) 02-06-2008, 10:06 PM

I think the question is misleading. I think it instantly reflects a lack of trust.

For example. If I were to choose someone to SEO my site. I would have done enough research to have total trust.

To me the question itself asks questions. If for instance the previous poster asked for access, I would simply give it - to him. (I trust him)

My thinking is - never select an SEO that you have not researched enough to have TOTAL trust in.

then you have no need to ask the question in the original post..

texxs · #45 (**permalink**) 02-07-2008, 07:35 AM

Good advice Tubby!

the rest of us have been burned too many times before by companies we've trusted and have learned to tint our business deals with a little paranoia. It's a good thing.

A lot of people don't see to be able to see the harm that could happen by giving a strange company FTP access.

They are three fold:

1- If it's a web application we're talking about, It's highly likely they'll screw it up.

2- If you don't know copyright law, and unscrupulous company can lay claim to your entire site, saying that since they've created the content, it belongs to them, even though they've already been paid for it, or haven't finished the job or whatever.

3- They can use the servers e-mail capabilities to have a temporary haven to spam from, ruining your domain's electronic "reputation" with ISP and other e-mail providers.

Here's an abstract of current copyright law, it's probably going to be quite the scary wake up call for a lot of people, maybe not those here because most of us are service providers, not end clients. . .

Work For Hire

I never knew I had so much rights until I read this article, and have only had to use it once to get paid by a delinquent account holder.


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hi could anyone please give feedback on my site	sangramganguly	Submit Your Site For Review	1	11-24-2005 09:25 PM
PHP needed for site - Need Quote	voasi	Services for Sale/Hire	5	11-02-2004 04:10 AM
Access weblog on another site from separate site?	DocPete	Web Programming Discussion Forum	0	11-13-2003 06:59 PM