As I’m sure most of you noticed, you had to fill in an application to participate here.

While this can be pretty useful from a quality perspective, it is also a significantly barrier to entry; obviously you have to fill in said application, wait to be approved, and then have a sufficient level of interest to return and participate.

Lower barriers of entry can help engagement, but can also harm communities with bad actors gaining easy access.

Anyone have any opinions?

  •  les_n_rebel   ( @les_n_rebel@lib.lgbt ) English
    1•1 year ago

    Not really tech-savvy enough to provide any meaningful suggestion. However, three options pop in my mind:

    1. keep application based entry for a bit longer - maybe till 7th. To gauge what kind of activity is reddit exodus bringing our way. And then revisit the question.
    2. replace the written application with a ‘not a bot’ style of checkbox or similar thing. Makes sure to keep the bot out atleast, I guess.
    3. since reddit exodus maybe the time when we may see the most number of users trying to join, do away with the application process; instead focus energy towards making sure that the platform adheres to the rules.
    •  Veraticus   ( @Veraticus@lib.lgbt ) OPEnglish
      1•1 year ago

      Good suggestions. The current version of Lemmy we’re running does not allow a “bot checker,” but the next major version should. Dunno when it will be released.

      I think you’re probably right about making the application process less rigorous and just policing more. Barriers to entry are not all that helpful sometimes.