@ralphberger and anyone wanting the business model to change from open-source to paid...
I understand where you are coming from with a web development mindset, however - doesn't this put you in line to make more money from your customers by keeping them out of the loop - as well as taking potential revenue streams away from the NopCommerce team that is putting all of the hard work in to provide solutions that you're charging big money for?
Also, the comment about asking to remove tested and approved hosting provider suggestions defeats two very important purposes - one for the NopCommerce team, and one for end-user (web store owner) transparency: 1) it takes away a potentially rewarding revenue stream from the Nop team as these are probably paid referrals, and 2) it takes away an option for the end-user to know that they are getting screwed for paying "$300 a month" for hosting that they could have purchased for $5+ per month from a reputable source instead of paying (in my opinion) a greedy shyster $100 a month or more for the same service.
In Summary - as an end-user (store owner) and possible developer as I learn more about the NopCommerce solution, I happily support it and will continue to do so as long as it keeps me empowered, and doesn't require a paid user privilege to gain access to the products and services.
Just a side-note: I will continue to support reputable developers such as 7-Spikes, GetYourNet.ch and others that charge a responsible price for their themes and extensions, but it's the over-the-top expensive solutions that make me mad enough to do a quick google search to find out how to develop the solution myself. I guess this means that I'm a developer in a pinch.