Comments on: Mr. Hiller, Tear Down this Wall http://lucasjosh.com/blog/2007/12/31/mr-hiller-tear-down-this-wall/ Thu, 20 Nov 2008 23:59:32 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: Bill http://lucasjosh.com/blog/2007/12/31/mr-hiller-tear-down-this-wall/#comment-438 Bill Fri, 04 Jan 2008 00:00:47 +0000 http://lucasjosh.com/blog/2007/12/31/mr-hiller-tear-down-this-wall/#comment-438 I think registration is necessary for many (obvious) reasons but I'm in favor of providing a very low barrier to entry to begin with. Content should be readily available until an opportunity is presented to provide further customization. For example, if you want to see regular updates on a particular segment of the real estate market - you are asked to provide your email address as username and a randomly generated password is already surfaced to start your profile. From there the approach should be to organically grow a full profile. I grow weary of the registration page which asks everything from me up front. Frustrating that I'm asked to customize all the preferences in my profile *before* I really understand or know about the content. Profile pages should be built based on decisions and interests of the user as they discover more aspects of the site that are interesting to them. A robust profile that is built over time means the user has come back and wants more. I think registration is necessary for many (obvious) reasons but I’m in favor of providing a very low barrier to entry to begin with. Content should be readily available until an opportunity is presented to provide further customization.

For example, if you want to see regular updates on a particular segment of the real estate market - you are asked to provide your email address as username and a randomly generated password is already surfaced to start your profile.

From there the approach should be to organically grow a full profile. I grow weary of the registration page which asks everything from me up front. Frustrating that I’m asked to customize all the preferences in my profile *before* I really understand or know about the content.

Profile pages should be built based on decisions and interests of the user as they discover more aspects of the site that are interesting to them. A robust profile that is built over time means the user has come back and wants more.

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