A Point/Counterpoint worthy of Aykroyd and Curtin
There are some exceptions, but generally speaking I am very much in favor of registration. It has benefits that far outweigh the costs, both to the consumer and company.
Topix.net saw the number of posts grow while the proportion of bad posts shrunk after taking down registration for comments on their site. I believe that this is either an exception to the rule, or as I suspect, it is too early to see the true impact of their decision.
In the end, the value of the registration data to the business should not be underestimated. For those looking for a volume model, I suggest TV.
Point:
A List Apart: Anonymity and Online Community: Identity Matters
Anonymity Can Wreak Havoc in a Community
Anonymity allows people to hide behind their computers while saying whatever they want with little ramification. Pair (online) disinhibition with anonymity and you have a recipe for potential disaster.
Freedom to the Masses
Free, but registered = higher quality. See: Wikipedia.
Member versus Visitor
When you establish a relationship with members, you’re more likely to get valuable, useful information and responsible behavior from them.
Membership, Old School
Membership systems are pretty well understood in the old-fashioned Web world. Most are three-tiered: Visitor, Registered user (or "member"), Administrator or moderator ("privileged user").
Membership is a Filter
If membership systems were so onerous to complete, no one would do it. People happily and willingly engage in such a registration when they readily understand the value given to them for registering.
Six Steps to Better Online Community Through Membership
1. Know thy users
2. Simple registration is not a burden
3. Segment your registration system
4. To verify or not?
5. Provide a rating or reputation system
6. Keep the communication flowing
Counterpoint:
Topix.net and Shiichan Anonymous BBS
Registration keeps out good posters.
Imagine someone with an involving job related to your forum comes across it. This person is an expert in her field, and therefore would be a great source of knowledge for your forum; but if a registration, complete with e-mail and password, is necessary before posting, she might just give up on posting and do something more important. People with lives will tend to ignore forums with a registration process.
Registration lets in bad posters.
On the other hand, people with no lives will thrive on your forum. Children and Internet addicts tend to have free time to go register an account and check their e-mail for the confirmation message. They will generally make your forum a waste of bandwidth.
Registration attracts trolls.
If someone is interested in destroying a forum, a registration process only adds to the excitement of a challenge. One might argue that a lack of registration will just let "anyone" post, but in reality anyone can post on old-type forum software; registration is merely a useless hassle. Quoting a 4channeler:
Trolls are not out to protect their own reputation. They seek to destroy other peoples' "reputation" ... Fora with only registered accounts are like a garden full of flowers of vanity a troll would just love to pick.
Anonymity counters vanity.
On a forum where registration is required, or even where people give themselves names, a clique is developed of the elite users, and posts deal as much with who you are as what you are posting. On an anonymous forum, if you can't tell who posts what, logic will overrule vanity.
Thanks for the links, Jeff.
And remember, the best thing to say about any Point/Counterpoint is, "Jane, you ignorant slut."
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
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