First step. Don't use the default Server. It's good for small whitelists, but doesn't lend itself to public servers.
Preferred? Bukkit. Why? Plugins.
Case and point:
Grief Prevention. I've always liked the functionality of this plugin, and more recently the Author transferred the Project to Tux2 (Who is a member here as well) and he suggested I could help with the project and added me, and I've been refactoring and adding features like mad for the last few weeks, responding to tickets, etc. Primarily the plugin basically makes it possible for players to lay claim to pieces of land- essentially define a area as "theirs"; of course the number of blocks you can claim is limited. As you play on the server you get more and more claim blocks. Other players cannot mess with your claims unless you give them "trust".
There are also other options in the plugin to help prevent players from building giant phallic structures in the middle of the wilderness, and many others.
Tux2 (who is a member here as well) runs a Minecraft Hosting Company at Tux2MC.com. If there was interest in the idea here, I'm sure Nathan could work something out with him.
For what it's worth, However, Tux2 also runs a Server at
EpicMinecrafter.com. It can always use more players. He used to run a small whitelist server, but then went public, and then merged with This one which he eventually got sole ownership of when the other owner backed out.
There are quite a few builds. I myself spend my time in the PvP World, waiting for visitors who dare to encounter me. As you
Can see I've been rather busy. And that is just my above ground. It features various farms and animal pens as well. All built almost entirely by me.
TBH I don't think Minecraft really fits in as a sort of thing to be 'sponsored' as a "CH Minecraft Server" type thing; if nothing else, it would have to be run by somebody else, just as the Chat is, simply because Nathan's time is already so divided. So I thought I'd drop the server I play on.
