"any experience hosting a node"
No, and when NEM nodes were started I thought it required Linux, and that's why I skipped it.
I concentrated more to study the importance in the network 
Please describe what you mean by this statement. And what were your conclusions ? What did you find out in your studies?
thx
It was here:
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=654845.msg36237054#msg36237054In the doc's page 27 is the outcome, but there may be some inaccuracy as discussed with the Devs then 5 yrs ago;
the importance was not taken at the time when the account harvested the block.
I dont know if that inaccuracy had a significant effect. Also I dont know, if that study affected to the NEM / Symbol development