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[Jeff Taylor <shdwdrgn AT sourpuss.net>]

Sorry I didn't touch on these subjects in my original email.  I was also 
pressed for time, and didn't want to throw out too much at one time...

Two things I want to specifically comment on, because it has already 
been discussed on IRC as well.  First, the subject of what happens when 
the number of available servers drop.  I believe, along with others, 
that no servers should *ever* be removed from the pool due to such 
circumstances.  If your servers were allowed due to the established 
formula, you would not have them removed just because the formula now 
dictates you should have a lower number of servers. It *would* mean that 
you could not add any new servers again until the overall numbers came 
back up to a point where the formula allowed it.  Does that make sense?

The second item is that of personal versus sponsored servers.  An idea 
that was suggested would be that one of the tier0 admins (Julian, 
Brianko, Purrdeta, and/or myself) could receive a letter of intent for 
sponsorship of a server, and we could consider that as confirmation that 
a third party also has a vested interest in keeping the server running.  
Regardless of how proof is obtained, sponsored servers would have to 
figure differently into the formula, or perhaps not have any weight at 
all towards the calculation for personal server limitations.  My own 
feeling towards this would be a requirement that the person collecting 
sponsors to have shown some set time with the opennic project, showing 
their own good faith in sticking around.  Once that condition has been 
met, then I see no reason to place any limitation on sponsored servers.  
The only caveat I can see as a potential consideration might be that the 
tier0 admins also be provided with access to the sponsored servers, or 
something similar to provide a buffer for worst-case scenarios -- 
basically with the intent being that if the person who got the 
sponsorship were to suddenly leave opennic, or in the unfortunate event 
that something were to happen to them, the sponsors would have 
assurances that their server would continue to function and their 
investment would not be lost.

Just to clarify, some of this is from discussions on IRC, but most of it 
is just my own musings.  Basically what it boils down to is: we 
shouldn't limit sponsored servers, but it would be nice to have a way to 
give assurances to the sponsors.