[HCoop-Discuss] Domtool & .htaccess files

[Philip Neustrom]

For me, the biggest thing preventing me from using HCoop's resources
for more projects is that whenever I want to set up a simple website I
have to go to the wiki and tear through a boatload of documentation on
domtool.  Ultimately I end up copying/pasting one of the preset
configurations.

Most other shared hosting providers allow people to have their own
.htaccess file which does about 90% of what domtool does.  It's
straightforward and even semi-technically literate folks are familiar
with it.

How are these providers allowing people to use .htacess files in this
fashion?  Is there a security concern here?  If so, what could we do
to mediate it?  How do these providers deal with it?

If somehow possible, I'd really like it if we allowed people to use
.htaccess files to direct apache.

.htaccess envy,
Philip