I did something recently along these lines. Partly in frustration. Partly because I wanted to experiment with something different.
There's an idea of community debt that I'm exploring too — the idea that in community there are all these things that negatively impact the community, the community user experience, the admin, the processes, etc.
Members who are unable to participate can add to the debt. It adds to the workload of the community, though members don't always see it from that perspective.
Anyhows, this is my experiment: a community for indie founders where there is a small one off fee + the requirement to participate once within a 30 day period.
We have 35 people, not kicked anyone yet, though a couple are probably due. Best thing is that I turn up every day to people chatting. It's been a long time since 'engagement' has been so easy.
