Once a membership fee is charged, the site now becomes a business for the owner.

That opens up a whole new set of beauracracy that will need to be reported to the IRS.

That question should be up to Don to answer.

Of course it could open up new revenue streams by selling ad space, etc. like ProSoundWeb and AudioKarma....but would the revenue be sufficient to warrant the PITA of keeping detailed business records, filing fictitious business statements, paying business taxes and fees....et.al?

There are something like 20 or less active posters.

The forum would disappear if a fee were charged. The best way to kill a hobbyist forum is to charge a membership fee.

It would lose the battle for discretionary income.