Yes. There's a strategy of "gradual engagement": http://www.lukew.com/ff/entry.asp?1128 http://www.lukew.com/ff/entry.asp?1128 (HN: http://news.ycombinator.com/

Yes. There's a strategy of "gradual engagement": http://www.lukew.com/ff/entry.asp?1128 http://www.lukew.com/ff/entry.asp?1128 (HN: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1774007 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1774007) gives some specific ideas on implementing it - and some impressive results. Basically, don't require more info from the user than you need right now. An example is you can read HN/reddit without an account - but if you want to vote/submit/comment, you need an account (and that's all: email etc is optional). Although you might really want signups, and so it seems to makes sense to get them ASAP, the counter-productive result is that people don't go further. I didn't; the GP didn't - and that's even after the wonderful publicity here on HN. You've got to make it as adoptable as possible.