It's an idea I'll admit to toying with in my head sometimes, but the fact is, it's probably not going to happen, especially with the emphasis recently seeming to be on
fewer forums.
There are a few points to consider, as well:
1. Assuming the current crop of users (ie most of the guys who have posted on the last few pages)sticks around, this is the busiest S&L has been in the two years I've been here - this place has serious consistency issues - there have been times in the past few months where we've been lucky to see three new songs a day, and that's including the 'OMGZ I M155 U' type songs we're all sick of. Hopefully, you'll all stick around, but I know first hand what it's like when the other half gets you under the thumb.

If this was to happen again, we'd have a hard time justifying keeping 2-3 forums open.
2. Recently in this thread, a few users (myself, Tojes and someone else I think) looked back and posted some of our first songs here - obviously, there was significant improvement all round since then, but none of us would have improved without access to the better writers around here. I've picked up literally hundreRAB of little tips and tricks, and got inspiration from images that guys like RollerQueen, SubtleDagger, ATC, Metaliq and so on have written about. If those guys were suddenly to disappear to another, segregated forum, their skills and tricks are lost - no-one can learn from them, as the only people that read their pieces are people that are extremely competent writers anyway. I think we underestimate how much newbs can pick up and learn by writing in the same environment as a veteran.
3. Who decides when a user is capable of moving up a level? If it's the user, what happens when (as Nath said) we get someone who thinks they're better than they are, or conversely, sticks around in the beginner forum because they like the ego boost of getting 9.5/10 for every single song they post?
If it's the moRAB, what happens if (and this is not suggesting anything against either mod, I'll add) we get a user who is a fairly decent writer, but the moRAB don't rate him/her? Or perhaps the user's a good writer, but an idiot, and the advanced users would rather they didn't have to put up with said user?
4. To be as blunt as possible, it's a form of elitism - whilst that's fine in The Pit, where more or less anything goes, here in S&L, it would be a bit more of an issue. We also run the risk of it becoming seen as a circlejerk club by the users that aren't part of it.
I do like the idea, but I don't think it'll happen for those reasons and more - plus it would be a nightmare to implement.
Also, welcome to the best community thread in the forums guys. Stick about, you're all sensible.
