two-tiered user privileges

[bigsnowdog]

I am in the final stages of adding vBulletin forums to my previously static website. This site is in support of a small, monthly automotive hobbyist's magazine.

The reason I want to add the forum capability is to provide a means of communication to subscribers and others interested in the subject, and more importantly, to stimulate circulation of the magazine.

Initially I am extending full privilege to all registered users. After some time (six or eight months), I would like to introduce a two tiered privilege system, to offer incentive to users to subscribe to the magazine.

Some sites do this by having search and post be functions available only to subscribers. My question is this.... if a person chose only one of those, in the observed progression of forum participants, would you first have search be a privilege, or the posting function? Is there any other feature you see as fitting into that kind of scheme?

I consider having a single banner space on forum pages, and wonder just how offensive users find that feature. I also consider the donation approach, but that seems inappropriate and possibly offensive if done by a business. it seems better to me to have any revenue generation be invisible.

I would be interested in any thoughts you may have with regard to these matters.

thank you...