11 replies to this topic

[Normal Dan]

When registering to become even a basic member of this forum, imminst asks some personal questions. (full name, address, etc) I think this may be driving away many potential members. I know I was hesitant to provide that information. I'm proposing we make most of the information optional, and only require a username, password and email.

There are some pros and cons to doing this.
pros:
potentially more members

cons:
potentially more trouble makers
the packet I received by mail was nice, and new members won't be able to get it.

What are your thoughts?
Discuss!

[Bruce Klein]

Hi Dan,

I vote for no because joining members are free not to include this information and having addresses of members is helpful in announcing future conferences.

[Normal Dan]

Hi Dan,

I vote for no because joining members are free not to include this information and having addresses of members is helpful in announcing future conferences.

I agree having member address info is useful, and should be kept optional, but when when I tried to join using only an email, name and password, I got in bright red letters:

Please enter your First Name
Please enter your Last Name
Please enter street address
Please etc.

Perhaps there is a way to join without providing this information, but I haven't found it. When it comes to the web, things should be kept as simple as possible. And although it's simple, it's not as simple as it could be. I believe simplicity is the key to achieving maximum membership.

[Live Forever]

I think it is fine as is. If you simplify it too much, you will have a bunch of people registering to just bump polls in their favor, leave anonymous one time comments, etc.

If that was what we wanted, it would be best to just enable anonymous comments, but I don't think that is what most of the membership would want.


(By the way, dan, you need to do some more cryonics experiments, that was some interesting reading when you were experimenting with the slugs. I live in the city, but I need to head down to the park and see if I can find some bugs to experiment on.)

[Shepard]

I don't really understand people having issues with providing their name & address.

[Live Forever]

I don't really understand people having issues with providing their name & address.

Your mom provided me with her name and address.

[Shepard]

I'll be sure to schedule kicking your ass into my next 'Six Flags weekend'.

[jaydfox]

The address, etc., are useful for a variety of reasons, including mailing postcards, etc., for announcing ImmInst events (such as the conference).

However, I'm not against making it more obvious that the information is optional, and informing the users of what the information will and won't be used for.

[jaydfox]

I chose other, signifying that I don't think we shouldn't ask for that information, only that it needs to be clearer. So rather than vote Yes or No for "simplifying" the registration process, I vote Other for "clarifying" the registration process.

[Infernity]

Vote: No


It is indeed optional, you could try and fill the first and last name and leave blank the add, if a problem evolved, you could contact the inst.

I know the first and last name are needed for few applications, eventhough not necessary, but I am not in fav. to change that. I mere see no reason. One can not write his true name, simply.

This also makes it a longer process for spammer


-Infernity

[Normal Dan]

I vote for no because joining members are free not to include this information

I think I would be fine with just changing the wording from "ADDRESS INFO" to "ADDRESS INFO (optional)", that is, if it really was optional. I've just recently tried to create an account without providing an address and it wouldn't let me. People often don't like to provide that information (they don't want to get junk mail, etc). Am I missing something?

[Live Forever]

I vote for no because joining members are free not to include this information

I think I would be fine with just changing the wording from "ADDRESS INFO" to "ADDRESS INFO (optional)", that is, if it really was optional. I've just recently tried to create an account without providing an address and it wouldn't let me. People often don't like to provide that information (they don't want to get junk mail, etc). Am I missing something?

That sounds reasonable to me. I don't know if it really is optional, but if so, I don't think there should be a problem with putting that it is in parentheses.