I know I promised a couple open letters in my next posts, but those are going to have to wait. I have a question/topic of much greater importance to me and the industry as a whole.
Almost a year ago, I blogged about the formation of a hosting association, a noble endeavor for which I was witness to both the waxing and waning of inertia that went into and eventually left the project. I'm sure it came as no surprise that the effort was being made; apparently it's been made more than a few times in the past. It's probably no surprise the efforts came up short. So far, the formation of a comprehensive hosting organization has a 0% success rate.
The fact that it hasn't happened doesn't make it any less important a pursuit. The hosting industry has a very weak voice (consumer media, mainstream business, government, etc.) and has very little means of providing support to the businesses and individuals of whom it is comprised. Outside of some (thankfully very active) online communities and vendors who typically satisfy very channel-specific hosting company needs, there's not much in the way of collective activity. What's missing is the right platform for that activity to take place.
At HostingCon 2007, a group of us were lamenting the lack of a unifying body in the industry. Indeed, the Web hosting industry is one of very few large industries that lacks this, and conversations arose over what such a body could accomplish if given the opportunity. So, a small group of us set forth to discover why given so much anecdotal support, the formation of a hosting association has yet to be achieved.
We've been quietly researching the industry, asking a lot of people and companies a lot of questions, essentially in an effort to assess the feasibility of pursuing this endeavor again. The assessment is complete. The research is done, and without getting into too many details, we are moving forward.
During the course of exploratory research, we compiled a lengthy list of holes in the industry where an association could have real impact on hosting businesses, individuals and suppliers. We held our own brainstorming sessions. We also asked a whole lot of tough questions to hosts and hosting vendors, shut our mouths, listened and took notes.
The purpose of this blog post isn't necessarily to drum up publicity for the association (though I suppose it inherently has this effect). We'll make official statements about it when the time is right, explaining what it is, why it exists, its name, etc. I'm posting this because I want you to be aware an effort is underway, so you can speak up about ways an association could help fill needs and gaps in your professional life.
If you'd like to respond here, please do so! If you'd like to email me privately, use the link to my personal site below and fill out the form. If you wish to post encouraging comments, thanks, we'll take 'em! If you wish to post disparaging comments, think of ways you can voice concerns constructively so they can be taken into account as we move forward.
The best type of response to this post would be your own personal wish list. For example, "I'm a small host, and I wish I had easy access to affordable benefits, legal services and a comprehensive vendor directory," or "I'm a larger host, and I wish I had a thorough library of research available to me, hosting industry-specific binding arbitration services and a voice in the Net Neutrality debates happening in congress."
What's on your wish list? What keeps you up at night? What would get you more excited about hosting if it existed?
(P.S. The organization will be entirely non-profit, and the principles involved in its formation will derive no additional benefits from its formation. This is an altruistic effort in its purest form.)
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About Paul Hirsch
Paul Hirsch is a moderator on WebHostingTalk.com, the largest Web hosting community on the Internet, and he is a founder and Core Team member of the International Web Developers Network (IWDN). He is co-owner of Studio1337, a Web design and development company located in Akron/Canton, Ohio, West. Hartford, Conn. and Teesside, U.K. Paul received his bachelors degree from Kent State University in Electronic Media Production, with minors in Computer Information Systems and Sociology. He earned a masters degree in Media Management from Kent as well. Through his theWHIR blog, he will offer perspectives on developments in design technology for the people who create what Web hosts host.
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