Possible Mandatory Registration???

[MattRose]

Hey guys I'm not really sure where to put this but I though I would drop the idea to the mods and GTRC head honchos.

I just looked at the amount of online people and it said 77....then I saw:
Members: 24
Guests: 53

I think it would benefit not only us, but the Skyline owner community as a whole if this board had a mandatory sign up before you could read any of its material. I know I was one of those people for a while, and I freeloaded bad, but it feels a lot better being able to give back to the community. Especially one of which supplies you with all your skyline knowledge (When your a newbie of course).

Maybe I'm over reacting, maybe not. I'd like to hear your guys' opinion on it?

My $0.02

Matt

[archaeic_bloke]

we probably all feel the same way.. but consider for a second that most people only sign up to something once they its worth signing up for.

the forum is funded by advertisement and donations (i think>??>??) so if we force everyone to be come a member before they can look around, then a lot fewer ppl will be looking around, and the site won't get as much traffic.

also we'll have fewer ppl in the long run because members will leave, and not as many will join, u see for most ppl, (including you and I admittedly), we like to browse things first, usually once, twice, maybe even 20 times, THEN once we feel its worth signing up for, we sign up! with out the initial look through ability less ppl will sign up

[Murchie]

we probably all feel the same way.. but consider for a second that most people only sign up to something once they its worth signing up for.

the forum is funded by advertisement and donations (i think>??>??) so if we force everyone to be come a member before they can look around, then a lot fewer ppl will be looking around, and the site won't get as much traffic.

also we'll have fewer ppl in the long run because members will leave, and not as many will join, u see for most ppl, (including you and I admittedly), we like to browse things first, usually once, twice, maybe even 20 times, THEN once we feel its worth signing up for, we sign up! with out the initial look through ability less ppl will sign up

+1

I looked around and visited the site a few times..before signing up

[Turbo_Crazy]

+1

I looked around and visited the site a few times..before signing up

Mee Too

[bellis_GTR]

I think I was on here for a year, before signing up. I was just collecting so much info from here so when I got my GTR, I would already know the basics. I think being able to look around first helps the site more.

[Snake556]

Yeah, I don't mind visitors. It's nice to be able to read up on the info and see how great of a site this is before signing up

[DarkCaporaL]

Especially one of which supplies you with all your skyline knowledge (When your a newbie of course).

You hit the nail with that one line. It's a source of KNOWLEDGE, and this knowledge should be freely accessible to anyone. Restricting it to members only (although membership si free) will only make these boards less attractive.

[MR666]

I think it is better to be an open forum. I go to other sites and "Free load" for the once or twice I need some info. If I had to sign up, I would only take up hard drive space and not contribute as I have nothing to give them except to say how shitty Chrysler products are and how unbelievabley fast new cars need very expensive parts and expensive labour bills for those parts on things that should last 300,000 km or much more but instead last 30 or 50 or 60,000 km.

People need to have acess to our information and data base but really don't need to be forced to contribute. If they were forced to contribute? What kind of contribution would it be ?

[Snake556]

If they were forced to contribute? What kind of contribution would it be ?

Not much of one. Agreed with what you and DarkCaporal said!

[Spencer87]

dont have to force any one but after so many pages (5-10?), redirect them to a friendly note asking them to sign up and some of the benefits of joining the community etc but mainly so we can find out a little more about who they are etc.

Wont prevent them from viewing the site and hopefully drive up members.

[Nismoist]

Those guest numbers may be artificially inflated. Often I am on here without signing in and only sign in when I have something to post/want to search, many other members may do the same.

[Shadao]

i think people who want to just veiw information dont need to sign up... however...

if people want to download information then they should be a member

[klys]

it was discussed a while back to make it a private forum, but like most people here mentioned, the lurkers usually don't hurt the skyline community, AND they don't have acces to the GTRC OT section.

[GTRC Admin]

GTRC will always be an open forum.

This site is about forming a community of Skyline and RB26 enthusiasts, sharing information, and helping each other out, whether registered or not. People often browse the site for awhile before signing up. Preventing people from seeing the site would only hurt the community and sign-ups would plummet.
I wouldn't sign up for a site that is members only if I couldn't see what I was signing up for, would you?

I really do not see the benefit of making it a "members only" site.
We are open for the world to see and browse.
Last month we had over 20,000 unique visitors to the site, thats pretty impressive!

As for guest numbers being artificially inflated, that is an odd comment. They are not inflated. Even if we could do that, what would be the point in inflating them?

[RHDskyline]

I know when i google a car problem, or a car part, or something of the like. And google links me a car forum. Usually it links me to a forum where i can free roam and it suggests that i sign up.

But i hate when google finds a good hit, links me, and the site wants me to sign up. I just want to read one little thing, not sign up.

Funny story is.

Google kept leading me to GTRC for all my skyline questions, and because it was an open forum i could just read and leave. But after a while i was thinking, If google keeps bringing me here, it must be a good site. Then once i signed up i was able to reply to threads with my input and ask questions


+1 for Open forum