Take a look here: 1&1 Webhosting (http://order.1and1.com/xml/static/Home;jsessionid=E9D442F55DA490835DFE543FD7E0D5FD.TC61b?__frame=_top)
They are offering 3 years of free hosting, with no ads, hidden fees, etc. It appears to be a legitimate offer. I skimmed through the long license agreement, but did not find anything of special concern. Of course, you should read it for yourself to ensure that you agree to the terms.
After the initial application, you receive an email with instructions on setting up your account. You will have to fill out an online form to enter your phone number. You then receive an automated phone call to receive a PIN to complete the application.
See what you think. On the surface, it looks good. Here's what the package offers: Summary of Features (http://order.1and1.com/xml/static/HostingProfFeatures;jsessionid=0B4748C899B7AC4B3842EB256A1B2514.TC61b?__frame=_top)
Well, I signed up and sorta got a site up and running. The control panel took a little getting used to, but I'm starting to figure it out. So far, it pretty much works as promised with no surprises. The content manager isn't blistering fast, but it seems to get the job done.
Since we also own poasters.net and poasters.org, I'm using one of them to experiment with. Check out the page here: Poasters.net (http://www.poasters.net). Nothing fancy yet, but kinda neat.
What I like:
It's free.
No ads.
Seems to work well.
What I don't like:
Kinda confusing setup - I've seen better.
Online email can only be accessed through the control panel. But - POP3 can be downloaded to your email program, such as Outlook.
Considering the price (free), I can so far recommend 1&1 hosting. The more I play with it, the more I like it. I am strongly considering moving my personal domain there.
DISCUSS HERE (http://www.poasters.com/forum/index.php?board=21;action=display;threadid=6742;start=0)