>Coming in late, a few thoughts:
>I am most in line with Dragan, doubting that you can extrapolate cash flows from previous model / non-paying customers, as the pricing will change behaviour.
>
>As most threads evoke answers, perhaps only counting threads that receive at least 1 answer should be counted. Benefit on the asking side: no cost is incurred if no one tries to answer. Benefit on the answering side: with the effort of answering technical questions we help in a more "countable" way.
>
>For Chatter, it should be either free or answers should be counted as well (perhaps dividing the count of msgs by 100 or more in relation to starting a technical thread). Perhaps Chatter would be damped too much, but my very personal take is that at least 20% answers not written would be a benefit. Hard to forecast.
>
>Personally I am not offended by the current level (style and frequency) of "marketing" posts seen sometimes when a vendor has reached a new milestone or created a new product at the information level usually found here. Marking such posts as "marketing", giving a filter option for Dragan and others with similar allergy level should be doable. The "read" counter should inform originator how often his marketing post was downloaded and such a model should be worth some hightened price: between 3x or 12x the price of a technical thread start. A special link on the signature line of "normal" answers from vendors having payed to a list of their marketing posts might sweeten the deal for them even more at the cost of probably minimal coding for you and ease the path if Dragan wanted to look something up in a marketing blurb ;-))
>
>Kevins idea of free linking to an interesting article clearly has merit (as long it is not used to circumvent the cost of a marketing post)
>
>Seeing pros and cons for a points system,but - if used at all - only as a refinement after new model has been in effect and found to be working.

Again, some very interesting and highly detailed thoughts on the topic.

Thanks again