Propose a forum for non members to post in and ask questions.

I think it would be a good idea to open a forum for non members who find their way to this site to post in. This I think would lead to alot more joining if they could ask questions prior to joining. I know that it is very easy to join ats but I am sure some people don't know that. This would make people more interested in it when they first come to this site I think.

I came up with this when I could not log in for a few days for some reason and noticed that there was no way to post without being logged in. What does everyone else think?

Boards that allow anyonmous posting tend to have an enormous amount of spam. The price of ATS admission is well enough, in my opinon.

Why? It's not that hard to register.

I don't think it should be allowed all over ats. Just on one section of ats. Make a place just for them to post or chat or something. I am sure there would be a way to contain it to where they couldn't post in other forums. That way members wouldn't be subjected to spam unless they went into that specific forum. Also you could do like the really above top secret forum and make it where those topics in it would not show up using search engines. That way ats is not linked with spam in searches using major search engines.

Originally posted by HowardRoark
Why? It's not that hard to register.

How many websites do you avoid registering to because you think your gonna have to fill out some huge form. If they had a place to go when they first get to the site it would help. ATS is awesome but we need new people with new views.

Registering for ATS was quite a bit of work for me since I had to set up a new email address because they wouldn't accept free ones.

Why did I go to all that trouble after only lurking for a few hours?

I knew this site was definitely something special that wasn't found very often at all.

I think if people are lurking and seeing the content of this site, there's not much reason they wouldn't join unless they absolutely could not get an acceptable email address.

Have you seen how many people are joining. It's incredible. We have loads of new people with loads of new views.

Anyway less people would join if they could talk and have their questions commented on without registering.

There are legitmate reasons for making it more difficult to register. In the past we have had banned members causing trouble by just using new nicks, attacks from hackers using massed free email addresses, members choosing nicks that were offensive "skeptic-is-an-idiot" type nicks, etc, etc, It seems the bigger you are the more crazies try to take you out.

The removal of free email addresses and all the hoops people are made to jump through are a direct result of trying to get legitmate members only on the board.

No one is FORCED to become a member, you can access 90% of the forums by just being a guest (unlike other sites I can mention where you have to be a member to even view the site). Its a choice you make if you feel you want to contribute to the board, or just before the adverts drive you nuts.

So those timid souls who are afraid to take the plunge are not missing out on anything much, except the neat colors, etc and the chance to voice their views.

As over 60 people a DAY seem to be couragous enough to take the plunge, there doesn't seem to be a need to allow guests to post. Can you imagine the potential for chaos and crap that would generate if people didn't have to identify themselves before posting? It would turn into an abuse fest and be a nightmere to mod.

In my view nice idea, but not feasable.

[edit on 30-8-2004 by Netchicken]

What? When I registered all I needed was an email address and a name. What do they have now?

Originally posted by James the Lesser
What? When I registered all I needed was an email address and a name. What do they have now?

I think that is still all that's required. I think the point here is that you need to suck people in quickly because most people can't be bothered to spend much time on a site they've never seen before.

You've got to impress them quick or they'll go.

I think that might be the case but people who really care about denying ignorance and serious posting will be bothered to take a minute or two to join like the 19345 (and counting) members here did.

What sucks about having zero places to post before you join is you have no idea what it's like. You could contain the post to avoid spam. Making people have a legitimate email account is good it avoids trouble makers. I think it is bad that there is no place to immediatly go if you are a new user. You can read and everything but pop ups will drive people away. I was bombared with aol ads (thankfully I read it was a glitch) for a few days when I couldn't log in.

Maybe a forum that is specifically designed to suck in a new user and get them interested. Sure a lot of people are joining but how many are staying?
I have topics I have posted months ago that haven't received any activity still lingering around on the 2nd page of certain forums. This is a sign of low participation in posting. Meaning alot of people don't come back or post altogether maybe bacause they are intimidated by it.

Registering is easy, yes. I think we should let them know how easy. This board looks intimidating from the outside when you first see it. And maybe someone can think of ways to get people to post new interesting topics. I myself have slacked alot on posting new subjects, but do from time to time.

Well not trying to be a pain. I just enjoy the site and enjoy new ideas of others. The more the merrier!

bad idea. Reason?? spam and trolls. Just think of all the trolls that would start posting meanless crap like "I am the leader of the NWO", "I am Jesus" and "I see dead people"...just think of the endless crap that will happen if we allow this.

Originally posted by infinite
bad idea. Reason?? spam and trolls. Just think of all the trolls that would start posting meanless crap like "I am the leader of the NWO", "I am Jesus" and "I see dead people"...just think of the endless crap that will happen if we allow this.

Isn't there a forum for that out there now? Yahoo chat?

Originally posted by intrepid
Isn't there a forum for that out there now? Yahoo chat?

LMFAO
Yahoo is the holy land of trolls and spam

Not and never have been talking about complete posting freedom. Just one tiny locked away area similar to the really above top secret area. An area that reaches out and grabs new people coming to this site. Then sucks them in and keeps them here with interesting info.

Originally posted by Hoppinmad1
What sucks about having zero places to post before you join is you have no idea what it's like.

People can read people's posts can't they? Why do they need to post in a Chit Chat type forum to know what it's like here?

Originally posted by Hoppinmad1
You can read and everything but pop ups will drive people away. I was bombared with aol ads (thankfully I read it was a glitch) for a few days when I couldn't log in.

The popups aren't that bad. It's not like loads of new windows are opening. Anyway they have to stay to pay for the huge costs of running this site.

Originally posted by Hoppinmad1
Maybe a forum that is specifically designed to suck in a new user and get them interested. Sure a lot of people are joining but how many are staying?

Why would we need one of them. If they have bothered to use a good email address in a world where people should be scared to give out their 'proper' email addresses, doesn't it show they really want to be a part of ATS?

Originally posted by Hoppinmad1
I have topics I have posted months ago that haven't received any activity still lingering around on the 2nd page of certain forums. This is a sign of low participation in posting.

Happens to everyone now and again but low participation in posting? 1773 posts in the last 24 hours on ATS (not including BTS).

Originally posted by Hoppinmad1
Meaning alot of people don't come back or post altogether maybe bacause they are intimidated by it.

I agree - looking at the huge amount of stuff on ATS can be daunting even if you've been here years but what more can be done for new users?

There is an Introductions forum, A Board Questions & Business forum, a place to get adopted and the users here are very friendly and helpful.

Emphatically, HELL NO.

This should not and must not become a land of "Hi I'm Britney check out me and my friends playing on www.whatever.com"

No thanks. If you're too lazy to take the minute or two to register to preserve the community's integrity then you're probably not going to say anything of value anyways.

Anyone who is interested in the agenda and purpose of this site understands.

[edit on 8-30-2004 by Djarums]

Originally posted by Djarums
This should not and must not become a land of "Hi I'm Britney check out me and my friends playing on www.whatever.com"

HEY!!! Theres no girl named Britney or her friends on Whatever.com.

Happens to everyone now and again but low participation in posting? 1773 posts in the last 24 hours on ATS (not including BTS).

Certain areas of ats are seriously lacking is participation. Only certain areas are getting heavily posted in. These are the ones racking up 2000 posts a day. Some areas got tumble weeds blowing thru and everyone knows this. New opinions are key to keeping things interesting.

Everyone fears spam and b.s. topics. If this was regulated to one area then no one else would have to worry about it. Sure you can read all the posts but if you find nothing to interest you and you can't post your more than likely just gonna click the close button and be done with it. Sure it's not hard to join but it's not hard to brush your teeth either but people still don't do that.

As far as the good email address it may not be as easy as it seems. Think of all the people who don't have one. Many youths may only have a free email service and when they see they need a permanent one they may just quit the registration process. It's the parents who have the permanent address and I am sure they don't want to be sharing theirs at all. Also I don't have a permanent email address through my internet service provider. I only have one through work that works as permanet.

I belive with more people there are more ideas to be shared. I would like to know how many members are actually active members. I see on the first page that out of 19,000 members 1,000 have actually posted within the week. Sure these are people who took the time to register but probably never came back but on occasion because they never got interested. Could you imagine what it would be like with all these people posting. Everybody knows something interesting that is worth sharing. Sure some people will post ignorance but they happens regardless. I feel a way to keep these people interested would be a great help to keeping members here and posting.

Go look up how much The ATS has grown in just the last 8 or 9 months. It is doing just fine. We are almost to a millon post. We just past 500,000 not to long ago.


This place is great, if people want to be apart of it they can join. Its not hard.

Well I admit defeat. No one wants it that has posted so far which means basically that no one stinking wants it. What makes this site awesome is the fact that its for the users and by the users. Now to do my part I am going to the far reaches of the web to bring back some interesting and speculative material to post about. I beg everyone to do the same at least once a day! Especially new people!