I think it depends on what you're target audience is...
Free web hosting - Your target would be people looking for free hosting
Paid Hosting - Your target audience would likely be the host's themselves.
While I agree that free hosting is in decline, it's not entirely dead, and removing the spam of offers from the otherwise relatively inactive forums might actually help in the long run. I still think you need to offer something "else" other than the forums, not only to give more people looking for hosting a reason to join in, but also a reason for hosts to join in.
The one problem I see with this forum (and other web hosting forums) is that when you ask for hosting - Unless you research every offer, you get very limited information about the reliability of that offer - This can cause people to look at the cheapest option, then blame the forum when it all goes wrong - not returning or trying a different forum. Now NamePros / eBay have the system down; a special group is setup for registered "hosts" that can post offers - These hosts have extra details added to their profile block - Work email, telephone number, company, URL, reviews (for the company), personal recommendations (reviews based on feedback on this site... EG: Helping someone with a problem). This could give hosts a reason to be more active, help out more, but also should allow users to see when a host is bad, how long that host has been established, etc. and can then make an informed decision, and rather than blame the forum, they can blame the host.
The information I want to know when I look at a hosting offer;
- Company Name
- Representatives Name
- Time at this Company
- Company Established
- 5 Star Review Rating (+ Number of Reviews), of Company
- 5 Star Community Reputation (+ link to view, like ebays review system or NP's)
- Address Verified (Tick or Cross - Has FWS checked their address) (*1)
- Phone Verified (Has their phone been verified by FWS) (*1)
- Hosts Country of Operation
(*1) This is easily achievable via web API's now, you can send snail mail with authentication codes and automated phonecalls. Very cheap - Hey - charge the host for it, its going to help them to sell hosting!
I would also love to see a hosts only section of the site - Locked to verified hosts - EG: ones that have completed ALL checks, phone mail, etc.
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To add, you could even make a section (first reply) be a "Recommended" offer. This could be a host that pays for the slot and posts in the thread, or if not, the representative that has the best feedback - This would give hosts a better reason to employ people of respect here and also give people a better reason to stick around - Plus with the first option, you can make a little money
![Big Grin :D :D](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)