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So many Guests on MR

D

dcv

macrumors G3
Original poster
May 24, 2005
8,021
1
I think it's great that MacRumors is open to unregistered users to browse, since many people will find the answer to a Mac related problem just by reading the hardware/software sections, but I've often wondered why the Mac Community sections aren't restricted to registered users only.

I took this screenshot from the Picture Gallery forum a few mins ago and I find the statistics quite disturbing... 129 people viewing, of which only 12 were registered users and 117 GUESTS. Perhaps I'm just overreacting, but I find this a tad creepy. This is why I haven't posted any personal pics in this section of the forum, though many people have, some including photos of friends and family... there are also many photos of the insides of people's houses showing their Mac setups, or holiday/car photos etc... why should the 'outside world' be looking at all of this?

I'm just wondering what the reasons are for having the Community sections open to all and sundry (i mean specifically the Community Discussion and Picture Gallery forums) and how other registered users feel about this? What do the site administrators feel about the possibility of making the Community forums for registered users only?

Sorry if this sounds a bit melodramatic... I just find those numbers somewhat unsettling
dogeyes_s.gif


if you're not registered you shouldn't be reading this
 
It's all the same to me. Look at all the gazillions of registered users who have never, ever posted. Are they really any less anonymous?
 
I can't speak for everyone, but there's plenty of times when I don't "log in" just to follow a conversation/thread, look up a tip, or see what's going on. Presumably, if I'm not logged in as a registered user, my thread viewing shows up as guest or anonymous.
 
FoxyKaye said:
I can't speak for everyone, but there's plenty of times when I don't "log in" just to follow a conversation/thread, look up a tip, or see what's going on. Presumably, if I'm not logged in as a registered user, my thread viewing shows up as guest or anonymous.
Click to expand...
You don't always stay logged in until you log out? What do most people do? I love that remember me box.
 
I've often wondered why the community section isn't restricted to members only. Other forums have this in force.

I suppose it has never been a problem for Macrumors. It might have something to do with the run up to Macworld. I wonder how many people will log on to MR this Monday!

You might get annoying people hanging around if they feel they need to sign up. :p
 
FoxyKaye said:
I think the only computer on which I've used the "remember me" box is my iMac at home. Everywhere else, I'm looking at MR on public, work or computers used by more than one person.
Click to expand...
Ah...That makes sense. I forget I'm spoiled to be able to bring my PB with me to work. I probably would do the same thing from a public computer.
 
i do understand what is being said about the MR members pictures and etc... it is kinda scary when u think about it...all those people looking And knowing your car and stuffs...some place should be viewed for the members only and theres alot of personal convo going on at MR.


Bless
 
i think this may be a good idea to implement seeing that MacRumors is a rather growing community. keep the Community section a as a bonus for those who register? i like the idea. be interesting to see if it goes into effect though.

the only reason i do advocate this is because the community section doesn't have anything to neccissarily do with the Mac part of the site.
 
PlaceofDis said:
i think this may be a good idea to implement seeing that MacRumors is a rather growing community. keep the Community section a as a bonus for those who register? i like the idea. be interesting to see if it goes into effect though.

the only reason i do advocate this is because the community section doesn't have anything to neccissarily do with the Mac part of the site.
Click to expand...

A nice idea, but doesn't that really just mean people will sign up to get access to Community and Photo areas, but never post? We already have plenty of those folks here (or not here, as the case may be).
 
dietcokevanilla said:
I think it's great that MacRumors is open to unregistered users to browse, since many people will find the answer to a Mac related problem just by reading the hardware/software sections, but I've often wondered why the Mac Community sections aren't restricted to registered users only.

I took this screenshot from the Picture Gallery forum a few mins ago and I find the statistics quite disturbing... 129 people viewing, of which only 12 were registered users and 117 GUESTS. Perhaps I'm just overreacting, but I find this a tad creepy. This is why I haven't posted any personal pics in this section of the forum, though many people have, some including photos of friends and family... there are also many photos of the insides of people's houses showing their Mac setups, or holiday/car photos etc... why should the 'outside world' be looking at all of this?

I'm just wondering what the reasons are for having the Community sections open to all and sundry (i mean specifically the Community Discussion and Picture Gallery forums) and how other registered users feel about this? What do the site administrators feel about the possibility of making the Community forums for registered users only?

Sorry if this sounds a bit melodramatic... I just find those numbers somewhat unsettling
dogeyes_s.gif


if you're not registered you shouldn't be reading this
Click to expand...

there is an option to hide whether your online, so registered users may have chosen this option, so there could have been more than that online.
 
zelmo said:
A nice idea, but doesn't that really just mean people will sign up to get access to Community and Photo areas, but never post? We already have plenty of those folks here (or not here, as the case may be).
Click to expand...

could put a post amount for viewing the community threads like 500post for avatar.


Bless
 
zelmo said:
A nice idea, but doesn't that really just mean people will sign up to get access to Community and Photo areas, but never post? We already have plenty of those folks here (or not here, as the case may be).
Click to expand...

One might not register for something they don't know is there.
 
SilentPanda said:
One might not register for something they don't know is there.
Click to expand...

exactly. and by making someone register for the Community section also promotes them becoming active in the whole forums instead of just the community area.

its just an idea.

i don't mind that its not a member's only section, but i think it would be something worthwhile to consider. given that this is a Mac-centric forum, i think it would help keep the focus on the Mac area of the site as well.

i don't think a post count is necissary. unless we made it something ridiculously low. like one or five. this way at least one post has been made to show that they are/were active once.

its a nice idea. but i doubt we'll see anything come of it to be truthful.
 
Wow.

I actually got an e-mail the other day from an MR guest who'd read my thread about ripping video for iPods... she had some problems and had some questions for me. I advised her to post her problem in the thread (Handbrake Lite did Bad Things to her Mac), and that's when I learned that she was not registered at MR.

Good news, though: She registered and posted her problem when I recommended that she get the word out about the problem she'd had.

As far as being concerned about strangers reading about you... I'm sure that varies from person to person. If you've seen my web site, though, you'll know that I'm not overly concerned about it myself. I don't post my address anywhere, although anyone with rudimenary knowledge of how the Internet works can find that out in 5 minutes.

But that's why I have a security system and insurance. ;)
 
The simple answer of course, is to remain mysterious to the world at large. ;)

Right, maya? :)
 
I think the idea of keeping the Mac Community section for members only is a good one. Sure, it may keep a few people out who "deserve" to be in, such as those who simply don't log in, but all in all this should be a Mac reference spot for those who haven't become members.

Besides, it's just not in my nature to be too mysterious, unlike BV :p I'd like to open up a little bit to my online "friends" and not feel that everyone else is here checking it out.

Which reminds me - I better go alter my location :eek: :D
 
Yeah I'd be nice to have the community forums just for registered users. Though I am even inclined to say I'd like it to be for people with over 10 posts. What use is it getting people to register if they will never post?
Maybe have some parts of the community open to everyone, like the new member's thread, etc. but keep the rest to 10+ (10 shouldn't be that hard to reach without needing to spam)
 
A lot more posters from other forums are linking directly to macrumors.com, more so than I have seen in the past. We'll be seeing more guests. I doubt most will visit the community forums.

Isn't there already a secret forum for paid members? I wouldn't know, but from my travels in MR, I think one does exist and it's pretty active.

hmmm.gif
Here's to the Crazy Ones ​
 
Lacero said:
Isn't there already a secret forum for paid members? I wouldn't know, but from my travels in MR, I think one does exist and it's pretty active.
Click to expand...

I pay and I don't have this (;) ). You must be thinking of some other site. MacRumors does not give us Demi's a secret place where we can contrive devious plots. :p
 
I'm not a fan of excluding people from the community and other discussions.

I think the unregistered users or even the registered users with no posts are very welcome to browse. It's a community site. (And you shouldn't post things on the internet if you don't want it to be viewed by the general public.)

Many of these people become active members over time.

arn
 
Blue Velvet said:
The simple answer of course, is to remain mysterious to the world at large. ;)
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Ah, but Lacero does this, and that only makes her(?) more intriguing. :p

As Arn said, I just try not to post anything I wouldn't want anybody knowing. Of course, I'm pretty open about my life anyway. But that's just me.
 
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