Why do more forums now require registration merely for viewing messages? Bladeforums just put such restrictions into effect.

May I say that TOTALLY BLOWS.

The Web was built to offer free and unfettered access. So much for that lofty ideal.

Groan.

-- Craig

Don't know for sure. But I was guessing it was either "Prove your readership to advertiser", "Security", or "Desire to encourage participation".

The security reason is becoming more common, but yet again, it's the appearance of security. Furnishing an email address does NOTHING to enhance security. Don't think so? Ok, time me... watch how long it takes for me to create a temporary account somewhere, register for your silly board, then never use that address again. And there's no way to link the address back to me.

When a board requires registration to read, I usually move on. Internet's a big place... usually the same content is available elsewhere.

I totally agree, it blows bigtime... I will not register there.

The problem with that is, it is a really good forum, second only to this one. I joined Equipped first, and Bladeforums second.

I don't know why they've restricted the free membership. That's one step on the slippery slope toward pay-only access, in my opinion. That's a shame, but servers and memory cost money in the real world.

Despite the new restrictions, and my misgivings about them, I still highly recommend bladeforums. Just my two cents.

That still leaves the problem of how to post a link to a cool thread if such a link won't function for everyone. I'm stumped.

-- Craig

As a Mod on another major internet forum, I can understand the registration requirement. The number of trolls looking for nothing but a flame war makes it difficult (but not impossible) to remove or restrict them from a forum without registration...

M

I want to say, Can't we all just get along?

To answer my own question, the answer is, Of course we can't.

That's why, to quote another website, sometimes "happiness is a belt-fed weapon."

-- Craig

So don't allow users who aren't logged in to post. Most boards are that way, and that's fine. But I don't see any reason to be logged in just to read. No moderation issues, at all, if someone is only allowed to read.

Lurkers of the World, UNITE! <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Yes, I totally agree with Groo (both posts).
And I still don't understand why you have to register, just to READ posts on some forums.

Is this a way to create secrete societies, groups, gangs or what ??

<img src="/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

I've got to agree with Groo on this one, Mike- if you don't let people lurk, they won't know what the board in question is really about, and they won't sign up. That's great for secret clubs that meet in tree houses and don't allow girls, but for this kind of place, it doesn't work. I was probably going to sign up with a couple of forums in a few weeks, but if I can't lurk, I'm not interested.

Hey, that's what I wanted to say, but didn't find the correct wording... <img src="/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

Well, then a co-author's credit to Frenchy <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Agree with the others? sentiment. IMO, allowing folks to lurk before registering helps to create a more simpatico group. Unquestionably, many folks here ? myself included ? lurked before registering. And as was mentioned, mandatory registration does little to control trolls ? they?re most effectively dealt with by forum participants and moderators.

Even academia supports lurking. <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> One of several studies, published in the journal Computers in Human Behavior: "The Top Five Reasons for Lurking: Improving Community Experiences for Everyone."

My real issue is not so much I don't like having to register...groo points out
why there is no security in that, but rather lack of accessibility.
Meaning I rather use google to search all forums then have to go
register with all relevant website then use their crappy search engine
To maybe find what I am looking for. If anyone can
read the forum then Google can index it,
which means I can quickly search them all.
Also in some work environments you cannot register or sign up to hobby sites
(for a variety of reasons), but quickly viewing them for
a bit of information is ok. Folks will vote with their feet. Ultimately I
guess the thinking is by the site ops is that lurkers don't really make
the site more valuable, and having a nice long list of valid email
addresses is as good as money in the bank.

Ooooh. Good point. There's a popular web site for cataloging open source software That Shall Remain Nameless, who's search feature just plain sucks. I think it's funny that I can find stuff on that site easier with Google than I can the site's own search function.

But you may have hit on another reason for registering to read. If I find what I'm looking for using Google, I may not have to visit your site AT ALL (Google's cache). And if I do find something, I only view the desired page, and not all of their intermediate pages, which probably affects their ad revenue.


When a place gets crowded enough to require ID's, social collapse
is not far away. It is time to go elsewhere. The best thing about space travel
is that it made it possible to go elsewhere.

-- Lazarus Long (Robert Heinlein, "Time Enough for Love")

Point taken. Good thinking.