I'm not saying it's a modern day equivalent, but MetaFilter has kept its relatively high bar of a $5 one-time membership fee: http://www.metafilter.com/newuser.

I'm not saying it's a modern day equivalent, but MetaFilter has kept its relatively high bar of a $5 one-time membership fee: http://www.metafilter.com/newuser.mefi http://www.metafilter.com/newuser.mefi I find that enlightening discussions happen there with a surprisingly high frequency, even today.