Can't read anything without logging in

[rexde]

Brandon,

Did you change something recently? In the past few weeks? I get emails about new posts, and when I click on them, I am taken to the page, but no posts are displayed until I log in. It didn't used to work this way. I used to be able to click on my email link and go straight to the post. Sometimes, it would ask me to log in if it was one of your special private section posts, but for most things, I could read new posts anonymously. I am using Firefox 3.0.5
Logging in is a PITA when all I want to do is check some new posts.

[brandondrury]

Yeah, I experimented with a new mod that only displays anything after the first post to people who are logged in.

My per / day memberships have doubled. For a web dude this is unheard of. So basically, the mod is staying.

The solution is simple. Just click the "Remember Me?" button when you log in. I think it keeps you logged in for 30 days (maybe more) so you'll never have to deal with the problem again.

Brandon

[rexde]

It's your forum, you can do what you want. But you've just made it more difficult for people to read. I know I'll participate much less. I think its kind of a nazi move.

[richiebee]

Forums are communities. It doesn't matter how much you do or don't know, you still have opinions and should voice them.

Does it really hurt to log in? You can even set your computer to automatically log you in. Your contribution, no matter how big or small is valuable. It's not free for Brandon to be running this forum you know. So its not unfair for us to help him achieve advertising revenues from his site to recover his costs.

Do your bit.

[rexde]

Perhaps I was a little harsh (I'm not known for subtlety). I appreciate all that Brandon has done. However, the "remember me" won't work if I clear my cookies (which is my default setting), or if I'm at a different computer. If I'm at a public computer or somebody else's computer, I don't want to be 'remembered' there. Also, the login requirement just puts up a barrier to people to just want to browse. I know I never would have joined originally if I couldn't browser around for a while just looking. I realize the memberships have doubled, but how does that compare to what anonymous traffic used to be (which is now zero)?
It's a barrier, and I liked the old system better. That's my opinion.

[superpete]

i dont mind logging in i usally get caught up for a while once i log in and that gives me something to do before and after work since im still saving for some new gear

[brandondrury]

Well, there are different ways of looking at it.

The only downside I see is a person needs to join / login. This doesn't strike me as being all that much to ask. When necessary, they log out. I have only inconvenienced the member for the time it takes to type their username and password. I type fast, but I'd say this is 4 seconds for the average user. I think the quality of the site warrants a login.

The benefits for me personally are outrageous. If you are willing to be bold enough to call this a Nazi move, I'll be bold enough to be honest. I suspect that you get paid at your job. RecordingReview.com has been an enormous project for me. I can't count how many hours I've put into this site and to helping people when I can expect zero financial or personal gain from them. Thoroughly answer 10 questions in "Solve Technical Issues" and multiply that by 1,600 and you'll get an idea of the hours I've put into just the forum (let alone designing the Soundcard Wizard, promotion, etc).

My income is low. My income is very low for a United States citizen. Odds are great that my income is lower than yours. Last fall I was 99% sure I was having a heart attack (I'm 28). If I could afford health insurance I would have it. If I had health insurance I would have went to the emergency room. Being a person who is 100% against entitlement, I decided that if I was going to die I was just going to die. My finanicial status in a capitalist society doesn't grant me such luxuries.

So for you to ask me to cripple my income, cut the growth of my business in half, and continue to expect me to live without health insurance so you don't have to type a username and password seems crazy to me.

The truth is I could make 10x the money as a web marketer / programmer without much effort. I turned down a web gig for $4k recently for about 1.5 weeks of work so I could focus on RecordingReview.com. I choose to do RecordingReview.com because it's my little way of making the world a better place.

I have to admit that it does sadden me to hear that long hours I've put into RecordingReview.com over the past 3.5 years are of little value to you. While many have graciously donated their time and money into making RecordingReview.com the best place on the web to get help for recording problems, I wish you believed in what we are doing enough to pay the tiny price of logging in.

I don't mean to be rude, but this is the reality of the situation. Blunt people (I'm one of them) generally prefer blunt answers.

Your feedback is important. I don't want you to feel insulted by my response. I do realize there are some potential downsides to this decision. The downsides to not implementing this new feature would be devestating to me, however, and that is what I'm trying to get across.

Brandon

[guitargod09]

Originally Posted by rexde

Perhaps I was a little harsh (I'm not known for subtlety). I appreciate all that Brandon has done. However, the "remember me" won't work if I clear my cookies (which is my default setting), or if I'm at a different computer. If I'm at a public computer or somebody else's computer, I don't want to be 'remembered' there. Also, the login requirement just puts up a barrier to people to just want to browse. I know I never would have joined originally if I couldn't browser around for a while just looking. I realize the memberships have doubled, but how does that compare to what anonymous traffic used to be (which is now zero)?
It's a barrier, and I liked the old system better. That's my opinion.

sounds like porn... jk