"Bonny Lau explains the reasoning behind theWindows 8user experience and urges developers to leveragedesign templatesas a starting point"

http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/Bytes+by+MSDN/Bytes-by-MSDN-Windows-8-User-Experience

Have you been hit?

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Dear Ian G Walker,
Thankyou for your interest in the Windows Phone SDK 8.0 Developer Preview program, designed to help our active Windows Phone developers ready their apps for Windows Phone 8. Unfortunately, you were not selected for participation at this time; however, we will continue to invite applicants to participate as space permits.
Aspreviously mentioned on the Windows Phone Dev Blog, we are limited in the number of developers that we can support via thisprogram,so applicants are being prioritized and selected based on a range of criteria including theranking andratings of theirapps.
WindowsPhone 8 is designed to run Windows Phone 7.5apps, so your existing apps will be available to Windows Phone 8 devices at launch. If you would like to better prepare your app for Windows Phone 8, you can evaluate your app for some degree of optimization to ensure the best possible experience when running on the new kernel.To help you out,we'verecently provided initialguidance in theFuture-proofingYour Apps  blog post.

Thankyou again for your support of Windows Phone,
Windows Phone Apps Team

NB When I mailed back msftconn@microsoft.com to let them know I got a nasty message back saying that their mailbox was full (which also rings a few alarm bells)

Why are they widely broadcasting for such a narrow resultant "ranking and ratings"? They know whose numbers are copascetic and could use a subtle approach of contacting "qualified" SDK testers directly. What a gaff. I'm sorry for their narcissistic pedantry. I will apologize for them now in case they never realize how offacious and offensive their bait & switch is to their loyal and worthy community.

Ian, you are a valuable member of this community. Please do not let this bad handling sour your genuine enthusiasm and contribution to us all. Great apps you deliver and great cheer you bring.

Thank you.

Might be fun to paraphrase that response though, if I was mischievous (maybe I am a little) although in reality the immediate and lasting impression could be summed up with a lot fewer words

"Sorry, your apps aren't good enough, we might get to you later,   ... thanks for trying though"

Still wondering if those two seemingly separate formatting incidents are in someway linked?