That can be solved by raising the bar to asking questions, can't it? Make accounts cost something: - limited number of invites per year for existing valuable

That can be solved by raising the bar to asking questions, can't it? Make accounts cost something: - limited number of invites per year for existing valuable members - small payment - hassle (send us a post card or something like that, a "proof of work for humans") Stack Overflow seems to want: 1. asking to be frictionless even for complete strangers 2. yet to be taken seriously when they continue to complain that this is going on.