I started this Server in 1995 as an experiment in providing online application services. This was mostly for my own education. It started when I was dissatisfied with current email stability. By that I mean, I had a email address as long as I stayed with a certain provider, but as soon as I changed service, I would have to change my email address. I could of course use one of the numerous web based email services which would solve that problem, but it created another. I liked to use my own MUA to access email and you just couldn't use that MUA with the online mail services.
With the advent of DSL technology, home systems could get a steady, all the time connection to the Internet, and also get a fixed IP address. This was an opportunity for me to set up my own email service. With a fixed IP, I could register a mail server to that IP and the server would collect mail all the time. This provided the perfect solution for what I wanted to do.
Building a personal mail service was the drive behind the creation of QuartzValley.com, but it was only the beginning. Once I had established an online server, the availability of different server technologies began to manifest.
Soon, I was able to provide web services for my site, Database services, file storage and transfer, and online collaboration technologies. This platform also became the tool I used to develop online applications and provide service for many different usages.
The machine and system proved stable, and as time went on, I started giving out system accounts to friends and family so they could realize this same benefit. This started out as about six users. Today this systems is host to hundreds of users, accessing many different sites and services, and it is growing.
