If the .htaccess file keeps on disappearing, causing huge chunks of a site to disappear with it, even though the web master keeps on uploading it each time it disappears, whose fault is it... the hosting company or the web master?

If the site remains untouched by the developer for a whole year and comes back to find that the site is down due to mysql connection error which took place during that year (the result of which was for the site to be de-indexed by search engines), whose fault is it... the hosting company or the web master?

Since you asked multiple questions let me try to help you with them separately. On the .htaccess file disappearing, is it actually being removed or just not displaying in your FTP program? Some FTP clients won't display .htaccess files, even though they are still there. You can check if this is the case simply by putting a special rule in the .htaccess and then checking if the rule is still enforced after it seems to have disappeared.

On the mysql connection error, that's a bit tricky as it depends on whether the error was server level or just for the one client. From a hosting perspective, when there's a connection break for any reason you want to address it right away. However, on a shared hosting server there can be hundreds or even thousands of customer sites setup, so once you correct the problem at the server level you are somewhat depending on customers to alert you as to any individual problems which may still exist. If mysql was functioning properly at the server level but for some reason became unavailable or misconfigured for an individual customer the host needs to be told of the issue in order to correct it. If, as in your example, the customer doesn't bother looking at their own site for over a year then they haven't told the host there was a problem, so how are they to know?

You could argue that the host should have checked the client's site, but even that idea has a problem. Again, from the host's perspective, what if you visit a client's site while that client is upgrading/updating/changing their database or software? You're likely to see any number of errors or issues, but they're phantom problems that don't even exist. They just appear to because the client was working on something.

No host that I'm aware of would ever want a customer's site to be offline (and deindexed by search engines) like you described, and they'd likely be ready and willing to address this as soon as they were made aware of it, but when an issue isn't server-wide there's a reasonable expectation on the customer to bring any individual problems or issues they're having to the host's attention.

Thanks for the descriptive answer..

1) I'm talking about the .htaccess file disappearing completely (not out of view) and with it all the rules that it contains, thereby causing huge chunks (more than 95% of the site to go down).

2) I agree that the problem is somewhat my fault for not having checked on the site, but there are certain expectations. We've had other sites hosted elsewhere that have remained perfectly fine for years. Furthermore, as you've said, the host should be "ready and willing to address this as soon as they were made aware of it", but this host wanted to
"prepare a quote" which, in my opinion, is to fix a problem which they created.

alot off hosting compaines do not allow access to .htaccess so you need to make sure the hosting company has give you the correct permissions.

If you're feeling the lack of confidence in your web host that would precipitate you asking these questions, perhaps the deeper question is whether or not you should be with them.

Who is your host?

scottm - this host did allow access to htaccess and the entire site was based on its rules.

ADAM - indeed you are right... we've cancelled our account with them and are now begging them on a daily basis to zip up our content and send it over to us.

I won't yet mention who the hosting company is... i just want to make sure i'm not going crazy for being angry with errors that are obviously not mine (as a developer)'s fault and that it is totally inappropriate for the host to "prepare a quote" to fix a problem which they made.

I requested them to find out why/how the error took place, but they preferred "an angry customer with all of its consequences."

(On a side note, although i can't find the relevant receipts, they claim that this issue has helped them realise our account is overdue. If that's the case, at least we weren't paying for such miserable hosting).