I think I can safely say that both the quantity and quality of applications surpassed all expectations. They came, we saw, we filtered, chewed over, prioritized, re-prioritized and finally came to a decision. In the end, we just had too many applications for the available spots, even though we added a third SnakeByter, and spun off, as I'll get to shortly, a fourth position. I did toy with the idea of giving everyone a position, and heading off for the summer to build a mountain cabin or something: really, the quality was good enough that you probably wouldn't have noticed the difference! But, in the end, decisions were made.
One thing that became clear in the process, was that we did take applicants previous contributions to the 'Pit into more consideration than we expected. I think it's because we can get a better idea of someone's personality and temperament from their comments, Fanposts, etc. and gauge how they'd mesh with the current writers. Where we had a good handle on that, because they were a "known quantity", that tended to give them the edge when all other factors were more or less equal. It's something those applicants not selected this time, and anyone else interested, should probably bear in mind for future: preference is likely given to active existing members.
So, without further ado. The new Keepers of the SnakeBytes are, in no particular order, blank_38, TolkienBard and JuanBobo666. I've emailed them their introductory pack, so should currently getting up to speed on the tools and widgets,. They begin their regularly scheduled morning posts next week, so we can get any queries or issues sorted out before Opening Day. Additionally, Rockkstarr12 will begin taking care of our Facebook page, which has been sadly neglected for about the past nine months! They'll be along in the comments to introduce themselves formally, but please join us in welcoming them to the team.
Commiseration to those who didn't make it. Genuinely, there were a lot of extremely good applications, and it's very comforting to know that there's a good pool of talented and interested people, from whom we can potentially draw in future [trust me, email addresses have been kept!]. Many thanks to everyone who applied for their time and interest, and we look forward to making 2013 the biggest and best year ever for the SnakePit.