https://www.myccr.com/phpbbforum/viewto ... 98&t=49523

No. Just, no. It's not about the dollar amount.

I considered sending you a private note, emberym, but I really do think this warrants the opportunity for public comment. Please grant me license to be blunt, but I think this is a stupid idea.

Nobody, and I mean nobody, will ever sign up here if a credit card is required. If we implement this, it will be the start of a slow death spiral. We already suffer from a dearth of new and younger members, and this will only exacerbate the problem. Whoever thought this would be a good idea is clearly not aware that there are other, very good paddling sites. And they are also very clearly unaware of the friction that a credit card payment precipitates.

Five years ago, if I was presented with this "friction" of demanding payment, I would have simply moved to another site. And it will be likewise with everyone who finds themselves the position I did - wanting some advice from those more experienced than I, but anonymously and freely (as in beer, not freedom) on the Internet. (In my case, it was portaging the Pig, with a bum knee)

It will be a mistake to do this. Rather than a credit card, look at implementing some kind of phone number verification, if you deem it necessary. I am more than willing to help in making that happen and I have 20 years of tangentially related computer experience under my belt that may be useful in that regard.

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If you ate today, thank a farmer.

i agree with packet on the effect.
i think it would be a turn off for many, especially when there are alternative sites with no such requirement.

how many fake signups occur per day?

there has to be other methods to combat fake signups. what are sites like AA doing (algonquin)?
do what the other guys are doing (not twitter but paddling forums).

i could be wrong but i bet twitter gets nailed by some highly sophisticated bots, bots that get constantly re-programmed to outsmart twitter's registration process.

i doubt ccr suffers that same kind of bot-dedication. maybe a 2 step registration would suffice? i also vote to accept help from packet. he has offered help a few times to this site.

site's strength (i think it was said by admin previously) is its route database, not forum. this came up during photo-sharing-improvement ideas. as such, doesn't seem like good move to require $ for using the part of the site that isn't its strength.

then again, if the forum isn't much its strength, then losing it isn't much a problem.

eberlym posted: Post subject: Re: Changes to the CAPTCHA settings used to block bot traffic Posted: Wed Dec 21, 2022 11:04 am
"At the moment the website is receiving approximately 150 bot generated new user applications per day."

Link to the original post (that includes the "considering that new user applications be charged a nominal fee.") https://www.myccr.com/phpbbforum/viewto ... 98&t=49523

I'm all for keeping the site (forum and routes database) free. Hopefully there is another way to block bot traffic.

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Brian
http://www.JohnstonPursuits.ca

 

Thanks Paddle, I edited my post to include the link to what I was referring to.

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If you ate today, thank a farmer.

Once you start accepting credit card information you set yourself up to be hacked and the liability that goes along with that. It just doesn't seem to be a good solution for all the stated reasons.

That risk can actually be largely mitigated (or rather, transferred to someone else) by hiring a 3rd party to process transactions, whose security would presumably be far better than our own. Square offers this service, for example. It's far safer this way than doing it ourselves, but even safer would be not taking payments in the first place.

Mind you, the perception of the risk alone will discourage a lot of signups, and that's what maters. So I still agree with lostndazed's point.

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If you ate today, thank a farmer.

We have contracted the hosting company, to make some changes to the new user registration form.

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For he today that sheds his blood with me. Shall be my brother;

https://www.myccr.com/phpbbforum/viewtopic.php?f=98&t=49523#p446871

Thank you. Your efforts are very much appreciated.

Launch a fundraiser. I would contribute.

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If you ate today, thank a farmer.

In the interest of transparency, it makes sense to remind everyone that legally this website is a for-profit corporation. Therefore I doubt it is feasible to accept monetary donations. The bills are paid by those advertisements on the right sidebar and at the top. This website is profitable. Generally speaking it has returned the purchase price back to the Wilderness Canoe Association already. It is not obvious what would be done with any new revenues.

However, the WCA itself is a charity, and the topic of raising more money has come up many times. I expect to make this issue a topic of discussion at the annual general meeting which is in a few weeks.

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For he today that sheds his blood with me. Shall be my brother;

Fellow Adventurers (and Eberlym),

I guess it's important (from the standpoint of mindfulness) to realize that behind this friendly meeting place is a sponsor who finances it -- and even makes money -- by way of the ads. I don't find them any more disruptive than the signs along the boards are to a hockey game. Compared with most of the marketing on the Web, they're almost friendly.

In any case, you're doing a fine job, Eberlym.

- JF =