Recently I answered a message regarding the free and paid membership levels:

Quotehow can you reconcile the two different groups?

It's mostly a matter of conscience. We aren't making difference in the treatments to each group other than content access. You have most certainly already interacted with both types of members.

Should we treat paying users differently? In the interactions with people we all should be treated the same.

If you would, we currently have not two, but several categories of members:

- Guests: only gets teaser posts and can't access certain areas (i.e. can't even know or see such areas as the private general board and soon the extra software by Ophis or me).

- Registered non-paying member: Can post around but still can't access private sections in full.

- Paying member: access to everything earned by means of the provided financial support.

- Full free member: a member that we'd be honored to have in our ranks offering their quality interactions and bringing activity that pushes the forum forward.

So, there is space for all in our forum. There are no special stars or distinctions under their name for paying or full members. I know for a fact that when such distinctions are in place there are immediate cracks in the group's cohesion and this is why we avoid them, in order to not even have a need to reconcile, because we all understand the most important thing is to support the place together. Technically (features/software), with financial support (subscription price) or with the quality interactions (that keep the forum in good flow).

Receive a big, heartfelt hug.

Victor

Great idea.  Even if a free registered member contributes, he should be elevated and even if a well known one doesn't offer anything valuable, he should be downgraded too. Make it: either perform or pay or roam around teasers.