Many seem to have taken an interest in dedicated servers, is it a smart move or a bad move?

It all come down to one thing, the administrator responsible for the system. A dedicated server offer an extra level of flexibility, because you can install whatever you want on it. But that also bring an element of security. You have to keep what you install updated at all time, in order for it not to be exploited.

This is also one area where a dedicated server offer more security than a shared hosting solution, as if another customer has vulnerable applications installed it won't directly give access to your data as well.

Say you want to host a small shopping cart for your business, exampli gratia www.oscommerce.com to mention an Open Source alternative. In order to stay protected you should install as few applications as possible and only those necessary.

If you haven't administrated a system before you should seek help configuring it. If you think competence costs - try incompetence (-Johan Stael von Holstein). A simple setup intended for email domain hosting is often a target for spammers wanting to use your computer, as well as others for their own purpose, bulk email marketing, also known as unconsolidated emails, or simply as SPAM.

In the words of Mr. Albert Einstein: “Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former.”

To conclude my little rant, a result of getting too many SPAM emails myself today, if you're not up for the task, hire someone who is.