Sorry that this thread is a little off topic, but I''m looking for some varying opinions on the subject and I think this group has a breadth of experience on this matter :) A little background info... the registration process for a web application I am developing will be targeting those ages 13+ with the bulk of the users being in the 13-25 age range. We are in the process of developing the sign up/registration and we''re run into a kink on our team on whether or not to require an e-mail address during the process. An argument for not requiring e-mail during registration within our team (one I am arguing against) is that not everybody has an e-mail address, so we shouldn''t require it. But, being in the MySpace generation, I''d imagine that the majority of this demographic have at least one e-mail address they check on occasion. However, I don''t have any hard stats on Internet users who don''t have e-mail, but I''d imagine it to be very low, but this is only a guess. Now, I am curios on people''s thoughts on requiring or not requiring an e-mail address during the sign up process for a web application given the above demographic. I can see the pros for requiring one much more than the pros for not requiring one at all. I just see there being a nightmare if somebody forgets their password, their log in ID, or something else related to their account. Now, if we don''t require that e-mail address, they are in a tough spot since they have been locked out of their account. So, if they wanted back in, we don''t have a way to send them information to get information back. However, not requiring it... at least as far as I can tell only solves one thing, they don''t need an e-mail address. But, with e-mail being so ubiquitous now, is this even a problem? There are so many free e-mail hosts, Hotmail, Gmail, Yahoo, just to name a few, that I don''t really see this being a problem. Is requiring an e-mail address a barrier to an application''s adoption? Any thoughts, examples, facts, you can provide are greatly appreciated. -- Ryan Prins rprins@gmail.com http://www.lazyi.net -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://wrath.rubyonrails.org/pipermail/rails/attachments/20060505/fffe0f1b/attachment.html
Keep the e-mail -- if they have Internet access, they have an e-mail address. On 5/5/06, Ryan Prins <rprins@gmail.com> wrote:> Sorry that this thread is a little off topic, but I''m looking for some > varying opinions on the subject and I think this group has a breadth of > experience on this matter :) > > A little background info... the registration process for a web application I > am developing will be targeting those ages 13+ with the bulk of the users > being in the 13-25 age range. We are in the process of developing the sign > up/registration and we''re run into a kink on our team on whether or not to > require an e-mail address during the process. An argument for not requiring > e-mail during registration within our team (one I am arguing against) is > that not everybody has an e-mail address, so we shouldn''t require it. But, > being in the MySpace generation, I''d imagine that the majority of this > demographic have at least one e-mail address they check on occasion. > However, I don''t have any hard stats on Internet users who don''t have > e-mail, but I''d imagine it to be very low, but this is only a guess. > > Now, I am curios on people''s thoughts on requiring or not requiring an > e-mail address during the sign up process for a web application given the > above demographic. I can see the pros for requiring one much more than the > pros for not requiring one at all. I just see there being a nightmare if > somebody forgets their password, their log in ID, or something else related > to their account. Now, if we don''t require that e-mail address, they are in > a tough spot since they have been locked out of their account. So, if they > wanted back in, we don''t have a way to send them information to get > information back. However, not requiring it... at least as far as I can tell > only solves one thing, they don''t need an e-mail address. But, with e-mail > being so ubiquitous now, is this even a problem? There are so many free > e-mail hosts, Hotmail, Gmail, Yahoo, just to name a few, that I don''t really > see this being a problem. Is requiring an e-mail address a barrier to an > application''s adoption? > > Any thoughts, examples, facts, you can provide are greatly appreciated. > > -- > Ryan Prins > rprins@gmail.com > http://www.lazyi.net > _______________________________________________ > Rails mailing list > Rails@lists.rubyonrails.org > http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails > > >
How do you then deal with the situation where a parent doesn''t allow them to have an e-mail account? Keeping in mind that if this is a service that is provided by a class or something and they need to use it, can you get around not having an e-mail? On 5/5/06, GravyFace <gravyface@gmail.com> wrote:> > Keep the e-mail -- if they have Internet access, they have an e-mail > address. > > On 5/5/06, Ryan Prins <rprins@gmail.com> wrote: > > Sorry that this thread is a little off topic, but I''m looking for some > > varying opinions on the subject and I think this group has a breadth of > > experience on this matter :) > > > > A little background info... the registration process for a web > application I > > am developing will be targeting those ages 13+ with the bulk of the > users > > being in the 13-25 age range. We are in the process of developing the > sign > > up/registration and we''re run into a kink on our team on whether or not > to > > require an e-mail address during the process. An argument for not > requiring > > e-mail during registration within our team (one I am arguing against) is > > that not everybody has an e-mail address, so we shouldn''t require it. > But, > > being in the MySpace generation, I''d imagine that the majority of this > > demographic have at least one e-mail address they check on occasion. > > However, I don''t have any hard stats on Internet users who don''t have > > e-mail, but I''d imagine it to be very low, but this is only a guess. > > > > Now, I am curios on people''s thoughts on requiring or not requiring an > > e-mail address during the sign up process for a web application given > the > > above demographic. I can see the pros for requiring one much more than > the > > pros for not requiring one at all. I just see there being a nightmare if > > somebody forgets their password, their log in ID, or something else > related > > to their account. Now, if we don''t require that e-mail address, they are > in > > a tough spot since they have been locked out of their account. So, if > they > > wanted back in, we don''t have a way to send them information to get > > information back. However, not requiring it... at least as far as I can > tell > > only solves one thing, they don''t need an e-mail address. But, with > e-mail > > being so ubiquitous now, is this even a problem? There are so many free > > e-mail hosts, Hotmail, Gmail, Yahoo, just to name a few, that I don''t > really > > see this being a problem. Is requiring an e-mail address a barrier to an > > application''s adoption? > > > > Any thoughts, examples, facts, you can provide are greatly appreciated. > > > > -- > > Ryan Prins > > rprins@gmail.com > > http://www.lazyi.net > > _______________________________________________ > > Rails mailing list > > Rails@lists.rubyonrails.org > > http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Rails mailing list > Rails@lists.rubyonrails.org > http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails >-- Ryan Prins rprins@gmail.com http://www.lazyi.net -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://wrath.rubyonrails.org/pipermail/rails/attachments/20060505/49442375/attachment.html
My nieces and nephews share an account with their families and I''m sure this is common practice for younger children. As for 13+ ? I''d wager that if pre-teens/teens can get their own phone lines, they can have their own email accounts. However, you could fork your registration process into two paths: ask if they have an e-mail address first. If yes, go to normal registration. If no, display a message indicating that, "this site requires an e-mail address... privacy issues ... we won''t sell it ...etc. If you''re under age, please ask your parent or guardian for assistance with the registration process." If they don''t have an e-mail address or even access to "johnson_family@aol.com" then they''re probably under supervision when they''re surfing the Net and Mom or Dad should be involved in the registration process anyways. If you want proof, go to Disney.com, treehouse.com, etc. and sign-up for some online games or newsletters and see how they interact with their users -- they probably spent a few million on Usability Architects and Lawyers getting theirs up and running -- why not hop on the bandwagon and milk it for free? :) On 5/5/06, Ryan Prins <rprins@gmail.com> wrote:> How do you then deal with the situation where a parent doesn''t allow them to > have an e-mail account? Keeping in mind that if this is a service that is > provided by a class or something and they need to use it, can you get around > not having an e-mail? > > > On 5/5/06, GravyFace <gravyface@gmail.com> wrote: > > Keep the e-mail -- if they have Internet access, they have an e-mail > address. > > > > On 5/5/06, Ryan Prins <rprins@gmail.com> wrote: > > > Sorry that this thread is a little off topic, but I''m looking for some > > > varying opinions on the subject and I think this group has a breadth of > > > experience on this matter :) > > > > > > A little background info... the registration process for a web > application I > > > am developing will be targeting those ages 13+ with the bulk of the > users > > > being in the 13-25 age range. We are in the process of developing the > sign > > > up/registration and we''re run into a kink on our team on whether or not > to > > > require an e-mail address during the process. An argument for not > requiring > > > e-mail during registration within our team (one I am arguing against) is > > > that not everybody has an e-mail address, so we shouldn''t require it. > But, > > > being in the MySpace generation, I''d imagine that the majority of this > > > demographic have at least one e-mail address they check on occasion. > > > However, I don''t have any hard stats on Internet users who don''t have > > > e-mail, but I''d imagine it to be very low, but this is only a guess. > > > > > > Now, I am curios on people''s thoughts on requiring or not requiring an > > > e-mail address during the sign up process for a web application given > the > > > above demographic. I can see the pros for requiring one much more than > the > > > pros for not requiring one at all. I just see there being a nightmare if > > > somebody forgets their password, their log in ID, or something else > related > > > to their account. Now, if we don''t require that e-mail address, they are > in > > > a tough spot since they have been locked out of their account. So, if > they > > > wanted back in, we don''t have a way to send them information to get > > > information back. However, not requiring it... at least as far as I can > tell > > > only solves one thing, they don''t need an e-mail address. But, with > e-mail > > > being so ubiquitous now, is this even a problem? There are so many free > > > e-mail hosts, Hotmail, Gmail, Yahoo, just to name a few, that I don''t > really > > > see this being a problem. Is requiring an e-mail address a barrier to an > > > application''s adoption? > > > > > > Any thoughts, examples, facts, you can provide are greatly appreciated. > > > > > > -- > > > Ryan Prins > > > rprins@gmail.com > > > http://www.lazyi.net > > > _______________________________________________ > > > Rails mailing list > > > Rails@lists.rubyonrails.org > > > http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails > > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Rails mailing list > > Rails@lists.rubyonrails.org > > http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails > > > > > > -- > > Ryan Prins > rprins@gmail.com > http://www.lazyi.net > _______________________________________________ > Rails mailing list > Rails@lists.rubyonrails.org > http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails > > >