[Ted S]

Originally Posted by AzzidReign

But then why make people register if they are just going to be an empty account?

I have over 1000 guests on and 200 members on at almost all points during the day. If I come to a site that makes me register...I click the back button and find another site with the same information. I guess some of you guys don't realize, but the internet is full of free information...and most of the time they can find that same info elsewhere.

I would rather have people register because they want to, not because they are forced to. That creates a more quality based forum, rather than quantity with a bunch of empty accounts filling up the database.

But hey, what do I know...alexa rank: 15k, ~90k members, 40k uniques daily...

Please don't use your statistics to get into whether or not this mod is good, everything is dependant on what works best for the individual site/ community and one can find sites far bigger using this mod, or non-forums using the same type of approach but that's meaningless if it's not right for your site.

In any event, this mod exists because people requested it, use it and keep using it. Why?

Because while you're correct that it may get empty users, many sites, including the largest communities on the web, have found that when you get someone to sign up you can get them active much more easily than if they simply visit and disappear. Whether it's through email or simply not having a barrier for the user down the road, a member is able to participate and many do. In the few a/b test I've run on this that's been supported -- not in ratios that change the world but enough to be statistically valid and prove that there's a conversion benefit to registration and overall growth.

Initially this mod didn't allow people to block threads from being viewed entirely but that was requested, and added for those that want it. I've never recommended blocking threads at 0 views as I agree, few people will register without seeing any content. Instead I suggest that people allow guests to view many threads targeting just the most active guests who have a much better reason to join. Similarly the register bug message which was the original point of this mod does nothing to stop viewing of content but instead reminds people that they can register -- if you survey forum visitors you discover many don't immediately see the ability to participate or get the value, being able to message them helps.

Of course no one should expect 100% of their members to participate as an active contributor nor would that necessarily be a good thing. Lurkers are a part of the online space but for every person you bring in you have many opportunities to engage them and whether they post down the road or simply return to visit it's adding to the utility of the community.

If this mod doesn't need your forum's needs I certainly wouldn't suggest using it, as with everything here, it's an option for those that want it.