If you are like me, you do not manage your own server but rather pay a hosting fee each month (OK, this is not entirely true, I do, in fact, manage several servers, but go with me here).
It is rather easy to install if you have one of those wonders of technology called One-Click Installs or Simple Scripts. But, what if you don’t. Since I have clients that manage their own servers (think Rackspace), any software that needs to be installed has to go through me first. While this is the tried and true method of server management, there is much to be said for having someone else handle these tasks. Yes, you give up control of the machine, but if you are using off the shelf software or open source tools that can be installed via ftp or ssh, this is really the way to go. Most virtual hosting environments know their customers want the software to run without problems and that’s what they get paid to do. So, if someone tries to convince you to setup a machine that you will manage without much help from the hosting company, make sure they understand the limitations and cost.
For a small ministry on a budget, ten bucks a month sure beats having a beast of a server you barely use.