From the best I can tell this node shell has been here for a long time, and I'm not entirely sure how it got here, or why it has been linked to things like "ghetto". Because I'm actually directly related to this "UpNIX", I figured I'd write a little something here.
Plain and simple, UpNIX is a web and shell account hosting company run by 2 people at the most, that exclusively uses OpenBSD. Because this is bordering fantastically close on flat out advertising, I'll fill you in on how UpNIX came to be.
UpNIX is what happens when you finally follow through on one of those "good" ideas you always have, but never have the balls/money/time to follow through on. Using all the tools at my disposal (nepotism, knowing the "right" people) I bought a server with money that wasn't mine, and got it colocated at AT&T in Calgary. It is here that UpNIX began, hosting clients for a small web development group in Edmonton.
From these beginnings, UpNIX has grown into a decent little company that, thanks to OpenBSD, is able to pay for itself among other things.