It's a massive slippery slope; KF suffers with elitism as it is and the second you create ranks to that elitism it will go further down. I tend to only stick to a few threads nowadays just because so many are dead or no one wants to converse.
The dip in the Alexa ratings is of absolutely no surprise the last few months in certain boards I have seen them become echo chambers, in any forum culture especially that is a writing on the wall moment. I also see a lot more resistance against josh too the fanaticism is fewer and farther between.
It will be very interesting to see what happens because the danger of more slap fights gives the detractors more ire but also alienates your audience. When you start paywalling too people can vote with their wallets and leave and when you have already limited revenue streams, you have to put your "business" first.
I am quite adamant that this is the beginning of the end at this point even friends personally that know of the farms in conversations have said how it going would lighten the space. I will admit this though its nowhere toxic even than it used to be a few months back but it feels like it is shambling along at this point.
I get Josh's vision the problem is HE became the farms and is incredibly inapproachable and burdened by neuroses.