Difficulty of registering for this forum

[Galfonz]

I just managed to register for this forum. I think it may be the most difficult time I have ever had registering for a web forum, not counting the sites where I just gave up trying.

I think this needs to be said, not as a rant, but as feedback so the site management might hear what is going on for people trying to get to use the forum.

All of these seem needlessly complicated to me:
* I already have an AskUbuntu account, but apparently this requires a separate (?) account.
* When I first tried to create an account here, I was sent to a LiveID login page, which said I could use my OpenID, which I tried, but for some reason did not seem to work on that page. Eventually, after several annoying attempts, email confirmations, new passwords, and illegible Captcha tests, I managed to either create or reset a LiveID, but this left me at a web page which only offered to have me reset the LiveID again, not to get back to Ubuntu forums.
* When I then re-found the Ubuntu Forums page, my new LiveID did not seem like something I could figure out how to use for the Ubuntu Forums site, so I embarked on the odyssey of trying to restore or create a login for Ubuntu Forums.
* Creating an Ubuntu Forums account for some reason seems to require guessing an unused combination of email and user name, and two of my usual user names are apparently already used either by someone else, or by me using a different email account. Each guess requires a person to re-enter data such as the new password (and confirmation). I don't see why it needs to throw those away, or why it can't send me a reminder of my user name or something to the email account I want to use.
* Creating an Ubuntu Forums account also requires questions that require a fairly high level of fluency in English grade-school sentence problems and/or math... which seems pretty hilarious. I actually got <snip> wrong, as I was not thinking entirely clearly due to being frustrated 50 times in a row trying to be able to log in.
* I ended up resetting the passwords on a couple of my existing accounts, and not really being clear which accounts those were, and then I think creating a brand new account before I actually managed to log in.

All in all, it was an amazing odyssey of silly ordeals which seem very unnecessary and extremely likely to have people give up and go somewhere else. Maybe that's intended?

[sandyd]

I just managed to register for this forum. I think it may be the most difficult time I have ever had registering for a web forum, not counting the sites where I just gave up trying.

I think this needs to be said, not as a rant, but as feedback so the site management might hear what is going on for people trying to get to use the forum.

All of these seem needlessly complicated to me:
* I already have an AskUbuntu account, but apparently this requires a separate (?) account.
* When I first tried to create an account here, I was sent to a LiveID login page, which said I could use my OpenID, which I tried, but for some reason did not seem to work on that page. Eventually, after several annoying attempts, email confirmations, new passwords, and illegible Captcha tests, I managed to either create or reset a LiveID, but this left me at a web page which only offered to have me reset the LiveID again, not to get back to Ubuntu forums.
* When I then re-found the Ubuntu Forums page, my new LiveID did not seem like something I could figure out how to use for the Ubuntu Forums site, so I embarked on the odyssey of trying to restore or create a login for Ubuntu Forums.
* Creating an Ubuntu Forums account for some reason seems to require guessing an unused combination of email and user name, and two of my usual user names are apparently already used either by someone else, or by me using a different email account. Each guess requires a person to re-enter data such as the new password (and confirmation). I don't see why it needs to throw those away, or why it can't send me a reminder of my user name or something to the email account I want to use.
* Creating an Ubuntu Forums account also requires questions that require a fairly high level of fluency in English grade-school sentence problems and/or math... which seems pretty hilarious. I actually got <snip> 12 wrong, as I was not thinking entirely clearly due to being frustrated 50 times in a row trying to be able to log in.
* I ended up resetting the passwords on a couple of my existing accounts, and not really being clear which accounts those were, and then I think creating a brand new account before I actually managed to log in.

All in all, it was an amazing odyssey of silly ordeals which seem very unnecessary and extremely likely to have people give up and go somewhere else. Maybe that's intended?

2. Doesn't happen here -> Are you asking about clicking on the "sign in using your launchpad id" link?

3. see above, We do support resetting passswords/viewing usernames for your account, but you do have to know your email address. See http://ubuntuforums.org/login.php?do=lostpw

4. We have quite a lot of members, as a result, quite a lot of claimed usernames. We only allow one username/email address.

5. That is part of our ongoing fight against spammers I'm afraid. The questions were deemed to be (answerable). What questions did you have problems with?

[coffeecat]

* Creating an Ubuntu Forums account for some reason seems to require guessing an unused combination of email and user name, and two of my usual user names are apparently already used either by someone else, or by me using a different email account.

Are you saying that you already have accounts here? If so, duplicate accounts are not permitted. But as far as usernames and emails are concerned, what you encountered is standard with all forum software. The software does not permit accounts to be created with usernames or email addresses already in use - for obvious reasons. With 1,757,891 user accounts aready (more by the time I have typed this), it is unfortunate but not surprising that some of your choices were already spoken for.

* Creating an Ubuntu Forums account also requires questions that require a fairly high level of fluency in English grade-school sentence problems and/or math... which seems pretty hilarious. I actually got <snip> wrong, as I was not thinking entirely clearly due to being frustrated 50 times in a row trying to be able to log in.

As fast as we think up new human verification questions, the spam-bot masters configure their botware with the answers, and we have to find new answers quickly. If we don't, the forum would be overwhelmed with spam registrations. Truly. If the human verification questions were not in place, we would have about 700-800 spambot registrations per day. Which means it is extremely unhelpful of you to reveal one of the new (today) questions where it is easily harvested by spam herders reading these forums. Yes, they do. We have evidence of this. Which is why I have snipped the question from your post.

It is not easy thinking up questions that will deter the spammers even for a short while, and also ensure the questions are answerable by people whose language is not English, but we do what we can.

[ibjsb4]

As fast as we think up new human verification questions, the spam-bot masters configure their botware with the answers, and we have to find new answers quickly. If we don't, the forum would be overwhelmed with spam registrations. Truly. If the human verification questions were not in place, we would have about 700-800 spambot registrations per day. Which means it is extremely unhelpful of you to reveal one of the new (today) questions where it is easily harvested by spam herders reading these forums. Yes, they do. We have evidence of this. Which is why I have snipped the question from your post.

It is not easy thinking up questions that will deter the spammers even for a short while, and also ensure the questions are answerable by people whose language is not English, but we do what we can.

Sounds like you need a spam fighting team.

[Galfonz]

2. Doesn't happen here -> Are you asking about clicking on the "sign in using your launchpad id" link?

3. see above, We do support resetting passswords/viewing usernames for your account, but you do have to know your email address. See http://ubuntuforums.org/login.php?do=lostpw

4. We have quite a lot of members, as a result, quite a lot of claimed usernames. We only allow one username/email address.

5. That is part of our ongoing fight against spammers I'm afraid. The questions were deemed to be (answerable). What questions did you have problems with?

2. Yes, I think. The launchpad id said I could use my Launchpad ID, I think, but clicking on that option didn't really do anything or get me anywhere except to reset a password for some account that then didn't let me get back to Ubuntu forums... Or, it was so confusing to me, that I thought that was what was happening, even if it wasn't. I don't have the most web page patience in the world, but I have far from the least. I have read ancient literature, programming textbooks, foreign languages, and mastered simulation game rules that are hundreds of pages long, but this just threw me, so I'm just reporting my experience, because I'm sure I represent hundreds or thousands or more people who give up and don't ever make it to this forum. Just FYI, not trying to rant.

3. I may have been confused, but I didn't notice a way to say, "please send me an email at my email address if I already have an account here, saying the account name, giving a reset option somehow, or let me know if I don't have one for that email address." Instead I found myself guessing email/login combos, and having to re-enter some form info for each guess.

5. I just missed the second math one (IIRC it was the one where you add all the numbers in a series that are divisible by two, and I flubbed the final addition step by 2) I had to answer because I wasn't thinking clearly due to being on try 50 or so of trying to get a working login. The questions were easy for me, but I have very high math aptitude and am a native English speaker. If I were visiting a foreign-language web site even in a language I knew fairly well, and they started asking me about factors and numbers divisible by two, or the word with the first letter as the third month in the Western calendar, I expect it would be likely to confuse me, let alone most people. Just saying.

[Galfonz]

Are you saying that you already have accounts here? If so, duplicate accounts are not permitted. But as far as usernames and emails are concerned, what you encountered is standard with all forum software. The software does not permit accounts to be created with usernames or email addresses already in use - for obvious reasons. With 1,757,891 user accounts aready (more by the time I have typed this), it is unfortunate but not surprising that some of your choices were already spoken for.

Almost. I am saying I might have another account or two here, but it seems like I wouldn't know without going through the same kind of hassle, guessing combinations of login & email, and having form fields reset for each wrong guess. I understand no standard forum would want a duplicate, but it'd be nice if the confused returning visitor had an easy option to get sent a reminder to one's email address. Maybe I missed it.

As fast as we think up new human verification questions, the spam-bot masters configure their botware with the answers, and we have to find new answers quickly. If we don't, the forum would be overwhelmed with spam registrations. Truly. If the human verification questions were not in place, we would have about 700-800 spambot registrations per day. Which means it is extremely unhelpful of you to reveal one of the new (today) questions where it is easily harvested by spam herders reading these forums. Yes, they do. We have evidence of this. Which is why I have snipped the question from your post.

It is not easy thinking up questions that will deter the spammers even for a short while, and also ensure the questions are answerable by people whose language is not English, but we do what we can.

Um... so the spambot evil masterminds read the forums for the current verification questions... instead of the login UI? Wow, that's pretty intense harassment. Seems like the actual question shouldn't need to be hard to understand though.

[Galfonz]

Sounds like you need a spam fighting team.

Yeah, it sounds like some spam vigilantes ought to be told about those folks...

[sandyd]

almost. I am saying i might have another account or two here, but it seems like i wouldn't know without going through the same kind of hassle, guessing combinations of login & email, and having form fields reset for each wrong guess. I understand no standard forum would want a duplicate, but it'd be nice if the confused returning visitor had an easy option to get sent a reminder to one's email address. Maybe i missed it.



Um... So the spambot evil masterminds read the forums for the current verification questions... Instead of the login ui? Wow, that's pretty intense harassment. Seems like the actual question shouldn't need to be hard to understand though.

3. See above, we do support resetting passswords/viewing usernames for your account, but you do have to know your email address. See http://ubuntuforums.org/login.php?do=lostpw

.

[cariboo]

but it'd be nice if the confused returning visitor had an easy option to get sent a reminder to one's email address. Maybe I missed it.

That doesn't make a lot of sense, because if you don't remember what email address you used to register, and if you don't use that email address any more, how would you get notification?

[Galfonz]

Aha! Thanks for that link, SandyD. I checked the only other email addresses I might have used, and this forum had no accounts for them, so I seem to not have had an account here - just my usual account names are used by others already.