Style Change - From Competition to Promotion
Times are changing at FWS. We're seeing forces developing which are making the flimsier startups think twice before launching, which is a Good Thing. I added my own 1% to that movement.
Based on that, my official competition is over. Competitions are designed to separate smiling hopefuls from undiscovered talents. I am proud of my four selected winners IsMyWebsite, cWahi, Seraphim Labs and new wildcard Decker Services. The Alumni are doing different things - some are on their second generation efforts, some have moved elsewhere.
This means the quality of current hosts posting ads has climbed by some unclear but definite amount. My new round will be my own selections perusing ads attempting to see if I can detect elements of the ads combined with some quick heuristics to see if I can pick good hosts. These selections will not be required to post the events required of the prior winners, so there then becomes some small risk of greater fragility, but I hope to still prove "better than average" in my picks.
Put another way, the prior round hosts *chose themselves*. These will be Hosts I Like. If they fail, well, then that becomes the data for the new round. It will me I Chose Poorly, to quote Indiana Jones. The first Host I Like is RLS Hosting. In this round, such as with RLS Hosting, I have already acquired a limited-edition coupon for a free account which may not be available to all users. I will probably indicate Paid Hosts on coupon vs Free Hosts to keep the divisions fair. (Free Hosts offer a standard plan to all users.)
If any hosts wish to apply, they may, but they will be added at the Like level and won't be held to the reporting rules. The twist is, if something goes wrong and they show stellar bravery reporting in with the trouble, the FWS gang will notice and so will I!
