>>How about a model that credits members when they contribute and that contribution is acknowledged by other members. For example (nb: you might need to analyze and tweak the numbers):
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>It is a very high end level of subscription recognition and would be a little bit too difficult to maintain. It would also not fit among new lines of services. But, thanks for sharing it. It gives more ideas into the entire concept.

I think other forums such as Stack Overflow and various MS boards have reputation or points systems. Personally I'm not super keen about those, you can end up with people squabbling about how points are awarded and it starts to take on the feel of Kissinger's comment about university politics.

OTOH with some well-established communities some sort of system like that can be a valuable asset e.g. someone can say they have XX,XXX Stack Overflow points.

One area where some sort of system like this might help would be internationally, in countries with lower C$ purchasing power. Maybe XXX points can be traded for creation of a new technical thread, rather than having to pay cash. Perhaps not great for your business model but might encourage international participation.