I don't think it's that no one's interested in boards with smd prototyping areas (or in free boards for that matter). I think there's a few other factors, you're also looking for people who:
want to solder and not just use breadboards/jumpers
are up for trying a non-official board
don't need something wireless (Gordon's last three boards were all Wi-Fi/Bluetooth)
are comfortable with flashing firmware
don't want something tiny
don't already have a preferred board for prototyping
browse this forum frequently
There are probably few people fulfilling all of the above. :/
Espruino is a JavaScript interpreter for low-power Microcontrollers. This site is both a support community for Espruino and a place to share what you are working on.
I don't think it's that no one's interested in boards with smd prototyping areas (or in free boards for that matter). I think there's a few other factors, you're also looking for people who:
There are probably few people fulfilling all of the above. :/