Disclaimer: I have never run a message board, though I have used about a dozen since the late 90s.
Going to ads if the motivation isn’t to quit your day job is always the wrong move. It always costs as least some traffic, and if the mobile experience sucks some subscriber traffic, and that ultimately harms the product. I’m not a Texas fan (though do live in Austin)...I spend so much time here, because it’s among the best off-topic forum ties to sports on the internet. The fact that I live in the town and my team shares a conference helps, but I’d frequent the non-sports boards here regardless. So, ads feel (historical experience) like a damage to the product and an unnecessary one if the goal is covering expenses and throwing a righteous tailgate every year, targeting the Kansas game in odd numbered years no doubt...you don’t schedule fucking homecoming in a game you could lose.
In for subscription if we go that route. I do think it should be 3.49 or 3.51 a month to carry forward “about tree fiddy”.
If somebody is serious about trying to meaningfully help BL get whole, I’m in for that too.