Why do you register on a website?

Registering on a website is not a very time-consuming process, but it is tedious. For that reason, there's a lot of websites out there that have more lurkers (people who visit often but never register) than registered members.

So, my question is, what leads you to registering on a website? It's not like you go through the sign-up process for every website you visit, so what is it that gets you to fill out the sign-up form?

Generally because I'm a bit of an internet nerd and tend to join any website that is of interest to me. However, I only join websites that look pretty professional (as in, not a huuuuge stretched page of rainbow colours and .gif pictures flashing at me.) And ... yeah, if it looks like I'll enjoy them I'll join them. That doesn't mean I stick around, though. ^.^

When content is blocked unless you're a registered member. And then I go back in to lurker mode.

Except for YWS, of course! I've tried not being a lurker other places, but uh, it doesn't usually end up going so well as it does here - though there were a couple of exceptions, including the largest board I think I've ever joined and was partially active - they were pretty awesome! But yeah. About the only time I'll register beyond that is if I have a specific question and I need help - like over at overclock.net.

I register everywhere I go, Usually multiple times. Half of Yahoo is me.

Bolt wrote:I register everywhere I go, Usually multiple times. Half of Yahoo is me.

The other half is me then.

The first thing that I look at is if you have to pay... if not, I check out what information you have to give. If you have to give your Address or anything like that, I won't join. To be honest, the simpler and easier it looks to register, the more likely I am to register. Also, I like it if it isn't time consuming. The most obvious reason though is if I like what the site is about, I'll join.

Well, first, it depends what I'm trying to get out of the site. If I want something small, unimportant, maybe learning a fact, like on a site such as wikipedia, I feel that I shouldn't be required to sign up for this. I also do not like signing up for sites where I am primarily downloading things from them. I don't feel I should have to join it.

Now, if there is something very worthwhile I would get out of joining that I actually feel would be worth it, then I'll join. By worth it, I don't just mean worth spending the two seconds signing up, or giving them my email, but if I'll get something out of it that's of high value. Not only do I want to access whatever content is kept from me by not being signed up, but it needs to give me something greater than the content itself. A smaller example is I signed up for a web forum yesterday hoping to find information about my electric type writer. Not emotionally valuable, but valuable to my curiosity.

Oh YWS, you first get the value of being able to post your own writing. And second, you get the value of meeting people and making friends. Or the other way around. It depends what I first came to the site for/to do.

I have been both lurker (intense lurker in some cases) and sign up.

Lucking site: Only one, the herinteractive.com forum (for Nancy Drew game help. The games were fun for my puzzle-loving mind. ). On this site, questions were answered multiple times within a few pages. If you needed help with a puzzle in the game, all it took was maybe half an hour's time max (Although, I think once I had to hunt for an hour to find a question...) and you got the answer. Most could be found within ten minutes.

Because it was so easy to sift through this database, I only needed questions answered (didn't have the knowledge of the games to answer questions, really) and I was already stubborn about finding answers thanks to the games, I didn't bother registering.

Joined sites: A Zoo Tycoon forum (it seems I was a kinda dedicated gamer once upon a time, lol) and YWS. Both these sites had the expertise to answer questions I had, and a place for me to give "expertise" to other members. Because they weren't dealing with issues that were cut and dry, I realized the best/only way to get help was to join and post questions. I also realized it was a place I could give back, which was important.

Restricted content or networking.

I'm not sure why I join exactly, and it varies from situation to situation. Sometimes I'll register straightaway. Other times, I'll never delurk. Restricted content isn't much an incentive for me to join anything since I can usually find said content elsewhere with enough digging, and I like digging since I usually find a whole ton of cool things to boot.

Also, though I may join a site, if it doesn't live up to my expectations/remain useful, I'll drop it, usually completely.

I guess I generally shop around a bit before joining the site(s) I think are best/most interesting. YWS seemed like the best place to get both quality and quantity feedback at the time I joined, and since it didn't disappoint, I stayed.

I'll usually lurk, find something I want to reply to, then make an account. I'm pretty sure that happened here... I saw something in the Lounge. Then I can never find the page again so I don't comment anyways, haha. But if the site isn't interesting beyond that I leave.

And asking for a phone number or address instantly makes me give up.
~JFW1415

I often find myself registering on sites that I keep ending up at when I need to look for information. Like the official Emilie Autumn forum. I kept ending up there when I would Google search questions about her so I finally just decided it was time to register.
But I haven’t registered on any site in quite a long time. Probably because I open up the internet and the first thing I see is YWS on my homepage and never make it much farther than here. If it can drag my attention away from YWS, it’s probably worth registering on.

Anywhere that looks as though the people are genuine humans and therefore the increased likeliness that they will respond to my humour. Obviously what I can get away with varies from sight to sight, but it generally comes down to the level of wit. I stuck with YWS for a reason I don't usually stick with forum sights, people didn't like my humour, so I decided to prove them wrong and keep at it, improving, becoming better at using wit and, inevitably, far more sarcastic. I think I've succeeded in doing so with most of you all and now I stick around for the brilliant community.

If I find it interesting. If I like it, then I stick around.

These days I only tend to join websites that have been advertised to me by friends. In fact, YWS was the last one I joined of my own accord so to speak and that was for very specific reasons which you already know XD

During my actual searching days, I joined three/ four sites without being influenced by anyone else.

TYWC: It was the colour scheme, the little drawing at the top and just how bright and cheerful it looked. I loved it right from the beginning. Colourful background, pretty writing and an awesome storybooks section. Plus my older sister wanted to join and that made it even better.

Scribblers club: I just fell in love with the people. I was searching writing sites and came across it, thought the name was catchy so I checked it out. Then I read a poem or two, looked at some of the posts and I just loved how laid back and friendly the atmosphere was. They were all joking and giggling and it was just like one big circle of friends. I really miss that place. It was small and cosy and Scribblers club was just perfect somehow.

*****: It was something like AAFA and the last part was fans annonymous. I joined that one on a whim. I think I wanted to make a comment on one of the discussions but to do so you had to make a profile. And then I got a lot of responses and I got chatting to one girl who turned out to be the admin and yeah, it was just another of those places where I felt I could fit in and settle down. It wasn't wholly a writing site but I saw that there was something there to build on.

BT4T: With this site it was part community, part feeling wanted. It was quite a small site, a little too 'teen' orientated, and normally it would have been one of those I signed up to, posted for a few days and then left. In those days, I'd give a site a week to get my attention and if I wasn't feeling it, I moved on. A week or so into the site and I think I was a moderator or an admin or something. Maybe it just started out as articles in the newsletter or newsletter staff. I honestly can't quite remember but it all happened very quickly and it was the first time I experienced someone really grabbing onto me and needing me there, wanting my time and effort. It was the first site to give me a lot of responsibility.

Um, I guess you could say it takes a lot for me to join a website. I'm more of a lurker when I first find a website, and can sometimes be turned-off by the whole website if I can't see anything just because I'm not a registered user. Lurker, here. Normally, I'll lurk for about three days, and then if I still like it by then and I find myself ready to commit, I'll join.

Not saying I'll stay--I'm an off-and-on user, meaning I'll come back when things get boring on other sites. Of course, it isn't that way for YWS. I love it here, so I won't be an off-and-on user on this site, at least.

Oh, and I know this sounds weird, but if the website has people with avatars/icons, and they have cool icons, I will join immediately. XD.

-Mizz-