Frank's Cyber Cafe

Important Server Log File

If your server is accessed at anytime, there is usually a log file that can be enabled in such cases. The purpose of the log file is to produce results of the server activity.
When your website goes down or you're hacked into..... the log file will tell you the IP address of the intruder or possibly what exactly happened at that particular event.

You have the option to enable this facility in your control panel, it is not a default action! More often than not you can control the log files as to when they start and finish... also for how long the logs should be enabled for. Usually it's a monthly option, whereas your logs are kept on your server for a specified period of time allotted by you. I normally enable mine to be kept on the server a month at a time. (Clearing the last months logs and starting afresh)
When something goes wrong or an anomoly occures I download the log to see if anyone else had been on my server besides me! This is just an added security precaution. You are probably saying "What happens if I do find an IP address?" Well in such cases you can find out where the IP address is located, report it to the hosting company as being a suspect "Hacker" In the Cpanel again you can also ban the IP address from ever visiting your website again!

Auto - Responders

Having your own hosting company and all it's facilties is something users never use to it's full extent! Auto - responders for your own personal emails can be great on one hand but annoying on the other! Businesses use this facility quite a lot and usually a customer automatically thinks they have replied within minutes of contacting the business concerned.
For the small business it could be the difference between gaining or losing a potential customer! Most websites actually inform the customer that it is an automatic reply service and give them information of when they will be available to contact them next. Saying there is no one to read your message at that moment is like going to a high street shop only to find they'll be back in a few days time!!
So obviously you go elsewhere! I am sure if I had a business my customer would be very happy with the auto - responder that I would create.... as I would give them more offers and probably introduce a bit of humor in my reply.

Below is an example of a HTML auto - responder email message which you could probably adapt to suit your own reply:

Hi %USER% <br>
My chimpanzee is poorly at the moment and<br>
he cannot reply to you. His conjuntivitis is playing<br>
up so it's impossible for him to see your message let alone reply.<br>
Hopefully he'll reply within 24 hrs if not sooner! <br><br>
Many Thanks for being patient<br>
Frank<br>
<a href="http://www.example.com"><img src="http://www.example.com/logo.jpg"></img></a>

Notice at the beginning of the message I used the %USER% this is just one of the facilities you can use to make it more personal. (Check to see if this option is available) This actually inserts the contacts name they are using in their own email. You can send text only or HTML email messages the choice is yours.

I have inserted my logo image below my name and made it clickable to send them back to visit my website if they so wished.