Ripples New Platform, Solar-Charged!
Welcome to the New Ripples!
After dozens of hours of effort, the new-and-we-hope-improved Ripples is here! If you’re actually on our web page, let me tell you a bit about where you are.
Most other “renewable” web hosts achieve their green status by purchasing “renewable energy credits.” They still use coal or gas power, but they buy credits that fund the production and distribution of renewable energy sources.
Solar panels powering AISO’s data center, where information from Ripples blog gets stored.
We didn’t feel that went far enough. These web hosts make grand claims like “join us and get unlimited online storage space, unlimited bandwidth, unlimited everything!!!” As anyone who digs into resource-management literature quickly discovers, the earth is not an infinite resource. Things, even crazily abundant things (like passenger pigeons), run out. There’s a whole freaking lot of space out there, but ultimately it is limited. Giving the illusion of infinity is a fundamentally flawed approach to resources. This perspective demonstrates the kind of mentality that guides the business model of these hosts.
Thus, we chose AISO.net as our website host. They are based out of the US southwest, and have created and maintain 100% solar-powered data centers, from which they serve up web space to people ’round the globe. In simpler terms, you have planted your digital feet on a website that pulls all of the power that makes its existence possible straight from the sun!
Though we have limitations on how much information we can store on our website, we strongly believe this is the most responsible place for Ripples to live. Well, at least that we’re currently aware of. If some enterprising inventor hooks a website up to a wave-motion generator and finds a way to craft the hardware and transmit the information via purely organic, non-industrial means, we’d probably go with that solution. But until that day, we’ll free our soul to soar with solar.
We would love to have company. 🙂
~Ryan
Awesome! I was wondering because you guys hadn’t posted in a few days! Glad to hear about AISO!
Yeah, Lisa actually recommended AISO about a year back. So far, their hosting has been flawless; I think this will be a lovely relationship. 🙂 We’ll be getting back into consistent posts (mostly Amanda), and improving a bunch of other things around here (mostly me). Stage two of Ripples has begun!
~Ryan
Ah! So glad to see you guys made the move and that AISO is working well for you. It looks absolutely beautiful!
Thanks so much Lisa! It has been quite a journey developing this. And there’s still so much we have left to do! I hope we can make it everything we dream it can be. 🙂
Glad you found a good way to get Ripples up and running smoothly. I so enjoy reading your blog every chance I get Great job you too!
Thanks, Debbie! We’re really having a wonderful time crafting this experience.
Thanks for pushing the edge on simple sustainable practices. And thanks for visiting my blog. Brad
Thanks Brad! I’ve been checking your blog several times a week, and love the content – especially the photos and that music video by Haya! Great for morning Tai Chi!