We don't have a hosting package. The site is hosted on the main webspace of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tokyo. All we have access to is our little subdomain. We can't even use a proper FTP client to upload - we have to use this totally retarded set up which apparently won't work with IE7. At least, not in our office. We've been in contact with their "tech" people trying to get that sorted and i'm not too impressed with how that's going so trying to argue the case for getting access to other stuff (like SSI) doesn't appeal. Mostly because i first have to explain it in English to a diplomat who knows nothing about this stuff and has no idea what i'm talking about and have them relay the request in Japanese.

Not fun.

mail('you@domain','Test','Test');

<?php
echo "php is active";
?>

Right... i'm thinking the server doesn't support php:

http://www.montreal.ca.emb-japan.go.jp/test/test.php

I can understand why they do it this way - if other missions are like our office, the people in charge of the websites are totally clueless. I'm the most knowledgeable person in our office when it comes to this stuff, and that's not saying much! Prior to me being handed this stuff, it was the JET programme coordinator who took care of teh website and i use that phrase loosely. They were never hired because they knew anything about websites - they were only informed after being hired that they had to also do the website.

So yeah, the ministry is probably right to severely limit what can be uploaded. The irony is that every year they ask us to provide stats about how the site is used - we can't generate any of those reports! Their own tech people could, however...