Registration Questions Too Hard or even Gatekeeping?

[Loon]

So, I saw this post on Facebook:

It made me wonder if these questions are too difficult or even necessary. If these questions are to insure that the userbase is knowledgeable that's one thing; but this would block quite a few people from entry. I mean, I wouldn't have known a few of these answers when I first joined, and I could have Googled them, but then what's the point?

In that post's comments, someone even said that this like gatekeeping;


So, what do you all think?

[ceratopsian]

I saw the same post and thought the writer was somewhat impatient.

I think the questions as they stand are perfectly reasonable. Anyone with an interest in prehistoric life will either know the answers or will know how to find them without difficulty. It would take only a handful of minutes to complete the list. I wouldn't say it was an onerous test.

The forum has been pretty successful at weeding out people who might be joining with a view to disrupting the forum rather than pursuing a legitimate interest. I assume that this form of "gatekeeping", if we wish to call it that, is an aid to this end.

But this is my personal view. Perhaps our leader or a moderator would give an authoritative response.

[indohyus]

To be fair, it isn't hard to look up the answers. Think the post is a bit rash, but maybe could knock a question or two off, just to be easier to add members.

[Martwad]

To be fair, it isn't hard to look up the answers.

I assume that is the point of Loon's post.  Why bother, then?

[stargatedalek]

This is in no way gatekeeping.

Yes a fewer number of questions might be enough to keep out bots, but it also weeds out people who are only making accounts to make one-off low effort posts.

Someone finds a thread through Google images or facebook or whatever, and they want to jump in and rant about something. They need to make an account which requires at most a few minutes of your time. The point is that people who were only interested in posting one-off remarks or jabs aren't going to bother with the process and instead just get angry and go somewhere else.

If you actually care about coming here to engage with the community you are more than likely willing to check a few things on Wikipedia.

Frankly this facebook freakout to me just indicates the questions are working.

[Loon]

Thanks everyone for the replies, I want to clarify that I don't agree with this guy's attitude (but, coming from that Facebook group, it's frankly not too shocking). I just wanted to see what people thought about this.

[Kapitaenosavrvs]

I was suprised, when i made an account here, but i kind of liked it, tbh. The best thing for me here is the overall calmness. Most of the time. Forums do not have a good reputation overall, but i think this one does.

I assume that is the point of Loon's post.  Why bother, then?

@Martwad

The other view would be: If Someone is too impatient to look up a few Dionsaur related things, how will someone behave in a Discussion. Googeling the Answers will also teach you stuff. Its not that these are the most difficult Questions in the World. I absolutely get the Point, but if i wanted to read impatient People or screaming at each other, i would create an Facebookaccount. Its all there. This is the easy way i walk, but i am okay with that.

EDIT: Everything i wrote was said before. In better Words

[DinoToyForum]

Nice to see the system working, looks like we dodged a bullet there guys!

Just kidding, that list of questions is an absolute necessity to keep out ever-more sophisticated bots. The image captcha alone is next to useless. The difficulty and number of questions has grown in direct response to bot attacks over the years. I still change the questions periodically as and when the bots figure them out. It only needs one bot to learn the answers (probably manually with the unknowing or knowing help of a real person) and then the flood gates open. And bots are not stupid so if I used questions with obvious answers the bots would work it out quickly. I have learned this from experience. So, the questions are devised to be simple enough for an actual human to answer with a little effort, but difficult enough to stump the bots (and, presumably, their databases of answered security questions).

The questions are not to test the knowledge of new registrants. I wouldn't have known the answers to many myself. However, the questions have the added bonus of helping to weed out manual spammers, trolls, and other inauthentic members. I decided to give the questions a palaeontology slant so they are at least relevant and hopefully even a little fun, and I know that has been the case for some authentic members. Edit - see @Kapitaenosavrvs comment above!

What Facebook Group was that, by the way?

[Loon]

@dinotoyforum that makes perfect sense, honestly. That's a very good form of quality control.

Also, the group is "Dinosaur Model Collectors".

[DinoToyForum]

@dinotoyforum that makes perfect sense, honestly.

Also, the group is "Dinosaur Model Collectors", where almost every comment is "Nice detail, very realistic".

I tried to take a look but you have to request to join and answer some personal questions in the process to help them decide whether or not to let you in. No irony lost. 

Facebook has never been a great place for meaningful discussions, it is generally fleeting 'in the moment' stuff. That has its place but I much prefer the traditional forum format where you can easily look through the older posts and discussions. Facebook groups are like a forum with one single never-ending thread.

[Tyto_Theropod]

I dislike how freely that accusation of gatekeeping has been thrown out there.  I supposed it makes sense given these peoples' argument, as broadly speaking it's a term used when a niche demographic attempts to prevent a community of fandom from becoming more inclusive, as they feel this would lower its quality.  However, it's specifically applied to some very unpleasant people who are doing this on the grounds of intolerance - racism, sexism, homophobia, etc.  I profoundly hope that DTF is not such a group, and, thank goodness, I have seen zero evidence of this!  So it's a strong word to use and feels very inflammatory.

Anyway, thanks for clearing this up, Dr Admin.  Your points are very reasonable considering how scarily flimsy online security is.  I can see these peoples' point, but I can't help but feel they're being very impatient and, as is sadly often the case on the internet, are making a bigger fuss and creating more drama than is needed relative to the actual significance of the issue.  I suppose that's just my point of view, though, and to some it might seem more upsetting.

On a less serious note, I just realised that I knew the answers to most of those without much thought.  I am a sad person who needs to get a life, LOL! 

[DinoToyForum]

I dislike how freely that accusation of gatekeeping has been thrown out there.  I supposed it makes sense given these peoples' argument, as broadly speaking it's a term used when a niche demographic attempts to prevent a community of fandom from becoming more inclusive, as they feel this would lower its quality.  However, it's specifically applied to some very unpleasant people who are doing this on the grounds of intolerance - racism, sexism, homophobia, etc.  I profoundly hope that DTF is not such a group, and, thank goodness, I have seen zero evidence of this!  So it's a strong word to use and feels very inflammatory.

Anyway, thanks for clearing this up, Dr Admin.  Your points are very reasonable considering how scarily flimsy online security is.  I can see these peoples' point, but I can't help but feel they're being very impatient and, as is sadly often the case on the internet, are making a bigger fuss and creating more drama than is needed relative to the actual significance of the issue.  I suppose that's just my point of view, though, and to some it might seem more upsetting.

On a less serious note, I just realised that I knew the answers to most of those without much thought.  I am a sad person who needs to get a life, LOL! 

I just joined the Facebook group (they let me in after I answered the questions) and most of the responses to that post are along the lines of "fair enough, no big deal". I posted a response there as well by way of explanation.