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If the goal is to bring in revenue to replace the banners with paid-member ads, etc., a monthly fee is a great idea.
If it's a matter of keeping newbs out, a monthly fee isn't going to stop the newbs from desecrating the space (as m0rtal said above). After all, there are plenty of newbs with money to burn. $25 a month isn't going to keep them out.
Ironically, one danger is that "playuhs" may be willing to leave rather than pay up, whether based on principle or price. Some may say, "Well, fuck 'em then. Let 'em leave..." but I can think of a few members where it'd be a real loss if they bailed.
Then, there's the issue of identifying newbs. How the fuck do you do that?!
If someone has 3 posts to their name (which is a shitload more than me at the moment), that obviously doesn't mean they're idiots or unwilling to help. They might know their shit and be right on the cusp of jumping in to beat on people with kick-ass tactics. Then, there are some knuckleheads with 1,000 posts who don't know much but sure want to share it all with everyone every chance they get.
How about implementing a paid system and a timed test. In other words, yeah... someone can whip out a credit card but, as soon as they're about to pony up the $25 or whatever for access, their IP is logged and a timed test starts. It's timed so that they can't look around for the answers. They either know their shit or they don't (whether it's SEO, PPC, mailing, media buys, etc.). If they score well, they get access plus perks. If they don't, they get to give you money, but...
But, shit... what do I know? I only have 1 post so far.
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