This is definitely a very interesting idea for how to run a message board in general. Having one well-known forum that is invite only. But, specifically having the monkey cage as an elitist organization just doesn't seem right. It's possible I'm just responding out of my fear that I won't get an invite.

If you had posted this a week ago when it was first clear that Monkey was really gone for at least awhile I would have possibly tried to back you. At that time I would have figured the Cage has nothing to lose. But, it seems like the Cage has recovered from the Monkey loss and there's some decent action here. Possibly even more diverse when we had the monkey? I'm wondering if it isn't kind of like the Detroit Lions losing Barry Sanders. You lose the guy that towers over everybody in talent, and all the sudden everybody else starts stepping up?

And, besides, if you gave Monkey the power to do the invites. Getting in would require an obnoxious period where the poster wanting an invite would have to intentionally make posts to feed Monkey's ego. Monkey would sit on that for all it was worth.