@FrailLeaf

> Am I in for a painful experience just jumping and learning as I discover things?

Yeah, but I don't think of it as painful.

For my own part, I don't think it's really worth it to buy a dedicated server. You're basically renting hardware and it's not worth it in my opinion. You can get a refurbished box for not much, set it up, carry it to a datacenter. (Or just run a bigger pipe to your house.) This stuff turns out cheaper, plus it's your hardware that you own.