I would like to strangle the living shit out of whoever decided that the server functions file_get_contents() and allow_url_fopen() are not important over at Top Hosting Center.

Ever since they turned these features off, I have had to deactivate several plug-ins. At least the ones I’ve notice barf up error code when they try to do their things. So far Socialite, Slickr, lolcats, and even Google XML Sitemap Generator all had to be deactivated.

The tech people keep saying that the scripts need to use ‘curl’ in place of the for-mentioned server features. But if it’s a script using an API like the ones I had to deactivate, that’s not an option, as I’m told by one of the plug-in developers.

The thing that pisses me off the most is that the Google XML Sitemap Generator had to be deactivated. That happens to be a plug-in that pretty much every Wordpress user uses. It properly indexes your entire site so Google can index it better on the search engine.

I wrote a few angry messages to their ticketing center and they said they will be sending them up the ladder to whoever has made this terrible decision.

I don’t think it’s right to start removing things that were there when I gave them my money. Although it a priced for life package, I feel that when I paid my money, that was a contract, and by removing shit that was working great, is a breach of that contract.

The saying, “If it ain’t broken then don’t fix it.” obviously has never made it to these people I think. Seems they’re always doing something to fuck things up. They say they removed the features for security reasons, but I find that a load of crap.

It’s using CPU usage, so they cut it off to save CPU usage instead of facing the fact that they might need to boost it instead.

They keep taking these steps backward, they will soon find themselves only able to host basic HTML sites. Then out of business because nobody makes basic HTML web sites anymore.

This has got to be one of the dumbest decisions I have ever seen yet.

So far I can’t say I would recommend, Top Hosting Center, I’m only with them because I can’t afford to pay for anything so I’m on their Rudolf Priced for life plan.

UPDATE:

After much debate and constant back and forth troubleshooting ticket sending. Top Hosting Center has reinstated the file_get_contents() and allow_url_fopen() functions again. I believe they come to realize their mistake and how much of an impact it had on their users. I saw on several other users that use their service were effected by this poor decision and they must have been complaining also.

So the good thing is they put it back the way it was and everything is just peechy again. It’s a new hosting company, I’m hoping that there arent many other lessons to be learned on my account. Got my site looking the way it was, and everything is fine now.

You got to admit though, the support is there when you need them and with a little bit of common sense and reasoning, they make the right decisions, and you can’t beat the speed of their servers, they’re nice and fast!