<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by ozstamps:
All the above replies seem to overlook one small reality.
The more users and vistors to FT, the better for Randy.
Paying even 1c to register would deter a pretty large slab of lurkers and new sign ups - IMHO.
www.MoreMiles.org for instance has strict entry criteria for new posters. However it is a tiny board. For Randy's staff to duplicate that on a board this size would require him to employ several staff simply to verify it all, at a scary real $$$$ cost.
A real email address (no Yahoo/Hotmail) would be a positive start I agree, but the trolls would surely work around that one too?
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I agree. I just don't think you are going to have the same quality of information here if you require any kind of fee or Veri-Check/credit card verification system. Most of those who post now and enjoy FT may be all for it. How enthusiastic will new sign-ups be? So you'd have a certain size membership, which would then naturally diminish over time, and departing members would not be replaced at the same rate by new sign-ups.
As nice as they sound, a fee system or positive ID check are just not the right solutions for FT. I'm not even sure that FT,
per se, has a problem. As I said before, there are one or two problem posters who are trying to create a scandal here, and they need to be dealt with.
Also being overlooked is that instituting a fee/credit card check system does NOT reduce trolling or flaming. There are other IBB's which have subscription fees, and they STILL have to deal with trolling and flaming.