Does anyone know if there is an organization of hostel owners anywhere along the AT -- any way that some kind of minimum standards might be developed by the owners themselves? The various guidebooks perform a kind of screening function by listing or not listing specific hostels, but that depends on feedback from hikers and can take one or two years to get published. Seems to me that hikers currently have to take pot luck; some experiences are good and others less so. WhiteBlaze is performing a very useful service in airing all of our experiences. But the only hostel owner I have seen posting here is Miss Janet (bless you).