Serious web site--how to host?
I am in the process of setting up a social netowkring site with a fairly extensive amount of user generated content, emails, and a very small amount of commerce.
I am currently hosting at IX web hosting... the response times don't seem great, and there are also issues with certain services (for example, they claim that Yahoo! "throttles" their emails and doesn't accept emails sent from the IX server). In short, I am ready for a change.
Is it possible for me to set up an industry-strength web server with Linux and MYSQL at home? If so, where do I start? Or should I switch to a dedicated hosting service (in which case I would like to keep it somewhat cost effective).
Thanks for your advice.