Ativation emails are an outdated idea. It only takes one service to freely give away email addresses to make an activation email quite moot. The theory is that

Ativation emails are an outdated idea. It only takes one service to freely give away email addresses to make an activation email quite moot. The theory is that a genuine user can confirm sign-up using an out-of-band channel. So, if you want an account on a website then you confirm this action via an email. Some web based email systems get you to confirm via SMS. However, there's two problems with this practice. Web surfer != email user. Secondly, the out-of-band channel is open to abuse. For example, email or SMS details being sold to spammers. A better approach is assume abuse and counter it with transparent levels of trust. This forum is close to ideal. Some counter that the existance of accounts themselves invites a futile game of whack-a-mole with people abusing trust. Others argue that it is a concise method to undo damage. Regardless, you should allow users to do as much as possible without creating an account or giving an email address. If you don't then someone else will.