AN URGENT MESSAGE: IS END OF LINE NEARING FOR MOTOR CITY RADIO FLASHBACKS?

A Most Urgent and Important Message to Friends of Motor City Radio Flashbacks

 

 

 

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Is the End Nearing for Motor City Radio Flashbacks?

Over 40 days ago, on October 8, I renewed the Motor City Radio Flashbacks website for another three-year term with Bluehost, our hosting provider. Bluehost, known for its user-friendly WordPress hosting, has supported our site since we launched on January 27, 2012—nearly 13 years ago. One of the main reasons we’ve stayed with Bluehost over the years is their reasonably priced services, although, like most companies, their rates and offerings have increased gradually, especially in the past six years. The plan I renewed, and always has been, is the Basic+Plus plan package offered and supported through Bluehost (see our paid renewal, Basic+Plus plan by clicking on the link as highlighted in the first line above).

I Am Not Able to Upload New Media Content . . . Please Read On

For the past 12 years, Bluehost has provided this site with unlimited file uploads (photos and audio files) with our hosting plan, at no additional cost. However, following my recent renewal, Bluehost informed me that a “50 gigabyte upload cap” is now been applied with our Basic-Plus plan.

My Dilemma After Renewal

When I renewed our Basic-Plus plan for another three years (this is our fifth paid renewal in 12 years) I, apparently after the fact I assumed the 50 GB cap only applied to new data uploads, and I accepted this limitation without further question, or inquiry. However, I attempted to upload new content for a post for October 12, the day after renewal. I then was unable to upload new audio files and images. After several failed attempts, I reached out to Bluehost. The support host informed me that our account had already exceeded the 50 GB limit following the renewal and that the site has over 140 GB of data already stored on the website (which, by the way, we never paid extra for in the past 12 years).

No More New Posts

While I can still write and publish new blog posts (like I’m doing now and recently, over here), I can no longer upload new JPEG photos, including any images I create for the site, or upload audio files.

I can still access and use all existing files that have already been uploaded to the media library, meaning I can reuse content from old posts. For example, I repurposed (or I can recycle) our site’s older posts as I recently have, here, and over here.

“You Need to Delete Some Files”

According to Bluehost, the only solution would be to is to delete a lot of files from our site’s media library to free up space. This would require me to remove nearly everything we’ve uploaded over the past 12 years—essentially all the images and audio files we’ve accumulated during that time. (There are 9,118 audio files and 18,040 jpg images and photos in site’s media library there, as to date, and I will not removed them).

To address this, I have already deleted 40 gigabytes of files on October 12, trying to free up for more space. This brought my storage usage down from 181 gigabytes to 141 gigabytes. However, I stopped there.

The files I removed were from 2012 through 2015, and I deleted all images and audio from those years. Those files are gone. While the written blog posts may still remain, those older posts no longer include the images or audio attached to those pages. Even after all those deletions, in freeing up for more space in storage I am still unable to upload any new content, not even one single image.

The Aircheck Library, which is a major part of the site, contains over 30 gigabytes of audio content. Essentially, Bluehost (without actually having said) is asking me to delete virtually everything we’ve accumulated over the years and start from scratch.

The Situation Has Worsened

On top of the 50 GB storage cap, I’m now also unable to update the site’s plugins. Plugins are crucial for maintaining the smooth functionality of the website and enhancing the user experience.

Because I’ve exceeded the storage limit, I’m unable to update WordPress to the latest version (6.7), despite trying to perform a manual update. Had I known about this limitation before renewing, I would have explored other hosting providers that could better support my WordPress site, as there are many alternatives available.

Now with updates not even longer allowed, I’m seriously concerned that the website won’t be able to function properly without these essential updates over the next three years. I just checked the site’s dashboard. Six plugins are now in need of updating, including the site’s WordPress 2015 theme (the site’s layout), and, more critically, WordPress itself (which powers the site) I can not update it at all.

Given the current limitations and Bluehost’s restrictive storage plans, it’s clear that I need to migrate the Motor City Radio Flashbacks website to another new hosting provider. Even Bluehost’s top-tier PRO plan (which costs $972 for a three-year term) only offers 100 GB of SSD storage, which is still way below the 141 GB I’ve accumulated over the past 12 years. To meet the site’s needs, I need at least 200 GB of storage.

Request for Assistance Regarding Full Refund and Site Survival

Request a full refund? The 30-day money-back guarantee issued by Bluehost for the cancellation of my site renewal expired on November 11, and I only discovered this yesterday. Even if they were to approve a refund today, it would mean that Motor City Radio Flashbacks would no longer be available online. Refunding also makes it impossible to migrate this WordPress site to another hosting provider, once the site has been removed or deleted. And should I find a new host server, in all consideration, that will bring with it more additional costs.

The Donation Page

The donation page has been live since April 2022 and has accumulated 4,069 views to date. I have never asked visitors for donations in any of my daily posts, but I created the page in case anyone wished to support the site voluntarily. To date, I received three donations. And to those donors, however the amount, I am sincerely grateful always for their individual contributions. [The donation button is on the left-side of the main page, just below the Calendar].

While Motor City Radio Flashbacks is technically renewed until October 2027, the site is currently not operational. No new content can be added, and no updates can be made. If you’ve noticed the recent lack of activity, this is the reason.

Site Security Alarms Going Off

The site’s functionality has been severely limited, and without necessary updates, it may eventually become unviable. [Update: I received a verification email to my email associated with the site’s account, yesterday, Friday November 22. Someone, or hackers, has already attempted to sign in. They were not able to proceed because I received a 2-step 6 number security code by Bluehost, they would need the provided security numbers I received to get in. So that attempt failed].

Can Motor City Radio Flashbacks Still Survive?

All told, I’ve hesitated whether to post this update at all, days ago, having turned into weeks. However, the situation has become critical, and I no longer know what steps to take. I’ve never directly asked for help with this site before, but now I’m seeking advice on how to move forward.

The survival of Motor City Radio Flashbacks depends on finding a solution quickly. Without the ability to make essential plugin updates and changes, the site may fade into obsolescence. If I remain with Bluehost under these circumstances, the site’s future looks grim. I need guidance on what to do next and would deeply appreciate any form of help or any advice you can offer.

[Note: Please consider helping out, and whatever the amount, if you can. Thank you, so kindly, for the received donations, to date. Rest assure, any new updates will be forthcoming when I am able to share them with you, here, on this site].

 

Sincerely,

Jim Feliciano, Curator

Friday, November 22, 2024

site email: motorcityradioflashbacks65@gmail.com

Motor City Radio Radio Flashbacks

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