Suggestions for advert / hosting request forums

[Living Media]

This suggestion is mostly slated at Chicken, but it would be nice to see others' feedback.

It sometimes seems that the more prevalent hosting requests over on WHT include free or sponsored hosting and ultra-low-cost hosting - what someone (I forget whom) called "give me the world" hosting requests. What about capping some types of hosting requests on HostHideout? Examples:

* floor of $50 a year for paid hosting
* requests for free or sponsored hosting may not be for packages with more than 50mb / disk space and / or 5 gb / bandwidth

Guidelines like these would still allow people to post for free or ultra-inexpensive hosting packages, but would put a limit on what people could request. I am of two minds on putting floors on what hosts can offer - if hosts want to lowball, that's their business; but restricting what people can request, to at least keep things within reasonable limits, may keep these forums from becoming crowded with outrageous hosting requests.

What do people think? Is this a good idea for the community, or a bit off the wall?

[Chicken]

Well, my feeling is that people can request whatever they'd like, however they just might not get it. If someone wants to request free hosting (sponsored), and a host wants to sponsor them, well then, I don't see a problem with that.

I understand the :banghead: of some hosts when it comes to request forums. I understand that it drives them :crazy: and they want to :cry: when they see requests for 1 GB of space and 10 GB of transfer for free, however I've always felt that a lack of replies to requests like that will send a clear message that this isn't going to fly.

You really can't fault people for asking (hey, worth a shot), nor hosts who are willing to drop their price that low to satisfy the offer. It isn't what I'd do, but...

The good news:

The good news is that I don't anticipate the majority of the people posting here to be the typical $10/yr. hosting crowd that you all love. I anticipate the majority of the people to be higher end clients, those who are looking mainly for servers and colocation, and those who come here looking for serious hosting and not just $10/yr. packages.