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Turning Up The Heat On On-Line Registration

Posted by timothy on from the it's-easy-and-it's-required dept.

Saeed al-Sahaf writes "CNN is running a story on the growing number of print newspapers with on-line editions that are requiring registration. Apparently there are some folks out there who don't like this 'feature'! I found a few things interesting about the story: Privacy groups say it's a dangerous practice and promotes spam; I didn't realize people put real personal info into these things (110-year-old surgeons from Bulgaria named Mickey Mouse). About 15 to 20 percent of the registrations for the Philadelphia Inquirer turned out to be bogus, a figure that was much lower than I would have thought. Also mentioned in the story is a web site called BugMeNot.com, which lists 'communal' logins and passwords for on-line newspapers."

9 of 464 comments (clear)

  1. I'm disappointed in Taco by DCowern · · Score: 5, Funny

    If you go to BugMeNot.com and enter http://slashdot.org, you get:

    CmdrTaco
    password

    Sheesh, I'd expect better from him! ;-)

  2. I love online regestration.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    ...but I imagine that 'joe@aol.com' probably doesn't...

    1. Re:I love online regestration.... by fdiskne1 · · Score: 4, Funny

      Heck, I just use support@doubleclick.com .

      --
      But why is the rum gone?
    2. Re:I love online regestration.... by garcia · · Score: 4, Funny

      I was using abuse@comcast.com. They ignore my emails to them about all the worms hitting my boxes daily so I figured they just sent everything to /dev/null. My spam won't hurt.

  3. philadelphia inquirer bogus percentage by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    About 15 to 20 percent of the registrations for the Philadelphia Inquirer turned out to be bogus

    That percentage has just risen :)

  4. are you kidding? by alphan · · Score: 3, Funny
    I didn't realize people put real personal info into these things

    I know people who give their email username AND password even when trying to use "send/forward to a friend" links in a newspaper.

    That said, I don't think lying is an option for many people.

  5. Online subscriptions by JWSmythe · · Score: 3, Funny

    After all these years of filling out fake information in online forms, I'm not really very sure what my own name, address, or social security information is any more.

    Maybe that's why the IRS is less than entertained by my tax returns.

    Name: John Smith (note the resemblance)
    SS#: 078-05-1120
    Addr: 1 Main Street
    Anytown, USA

    Just kidding, I've been sending notes to the IRS for years reminding them I am from a galaxy far far away, and we don't believe in taxes. :)

    --
    Serious? Seriousness is well above my pay grade.
  6. I love when the community comes together by gwoodrow · · Score: 4, Funny

    When I was a kid, I was always fascinated by how drivers on highways/interstates could be so mean to each other (cutting each other off, flicking each other off, etc...), and yet still occasionally help a brutha' out by flicking their headlights to warn of a sneaky hidden cop.

    I've got a bit of hippy in me thanks to a 70s generation mom, so I love to see any example of people banding together to fight annoying corporate trends like login requirements for free content. I previously had not heard of BugMeNot.com, but now I'm going to stick a link up on my site to spread it around a little more - as well as adding the firefox extension.

    Of course, I suppose I should disable logins for my site in order to avoid hypocrisy/irony... although that'll seriously cut into my meager revenue... :)

  7. Re:Yep, It works by bugmenot · · Score: 3, Funny

    It's like slashdot wiki, only with bad karma. Ok, I'll stop talking to myself now.

    --
    This account has been seized by the GNAA. That is all.