The heyday of OB as a business is now. They heyday of OB as a community was the early to mid '00s. The reality is it's nearly impossible to prevent the degradation of the community feel on OB as it grows. That's the nature of anything, cities, businesses, and even message boards. The more people you stick in one place, the more you're going to find people who drive you crazy, and the less you're going to like the place. Have you met anybody who likes Austin better now than when it was half its current size? Also, keep in mind, Ketch has charged the same rate for over 11 years. You could get rid of a lot of people by raising rates to where they probably should be $15/mo. But, the smaller your customer base, the more at risk you are.
One thing Warchant does that I like is they have a "Club Level" board that is for annual subscribers only (not month to month). It's very much the Alamo Drafthouse of boards. Much like Alamo Drafthouse has a zero tolerance policy for talking or cell phone usage during movies, they have ZERO tolerance on the Club Level for name calling, hate speech, etc. Fans of other teams are not allowed on it. Those that violate the strict policies of the board are banned from it permanently. They still can post on the Tribal Council board, which is their version of the 40 Acres. B/c of the stricter rules and admission requirements, it's a much smaller and more docile community. And, for the most part, everyone gets along well. It reminds me a lot of the early OB board. That might be a solution for guys like Hornbacker who prefer a different scene, but want to remain active posters.
One thing Warchant does that I like is they have a "Club Level" board that is for annual subscribers only (not month to month). It's very much the Alamo Drafthouse of boards. Much like Alamo Drafthouse has a zero tolerance policy for talking or cell phone usage during movies, they have ZERO tolerance on the Club Level for name calling, hate speech, etc. Fans of other teams are not allowed on it. Those that violate the strict policies of the board are banned from it permanently. They still can post on the Tribal Council board, which is their version of the 40 Acres. B/c of the stricter rules and admission requirements, it's a much smaller and more docile community. And, for the most part, everyone gets along well. It reminds me a lot of the early OB board. That might be a solution for guys like Hornbacker who prefer a different scene, but want to remain active posters.