3 ms·

Ask PG: No more new accounts at HN?

9 points by mayank 14y ago

The option for creating an account seems to have been removed -- is this a temporary thing or a more permanent change?

jstanley 14y ago
Wow, I hadn't noticed this. I really hope HN hasn't stopped accepting signups. EDIT: In the unlikely event that signups are stopped forever, I wonder what an account would be worth on the black market?
justcreated001 14y ago
Just created this account. Perhaps it is human error on your part.
- mayank 14y ago
  This is my login screen: http://imgur.com/w8gLXmY http://imgur.com/w8gLXmY Upvotes on this story suggest that others are seeing the same thing too.
  - jstanley 14y ago
    Same for me. Even in Incognito Mode I can't see any way to sign up.
    - kintamanimatt 14y ago
      For upvotes, submissions, and replies, the login page also has as a signup form. However, there seems to be a secondary login page (linked to at the top right) that has no such form as is shown in that screenshot in the comment you replied to.
27182818284 14y ago
It was mentioned before to help cut back on spam / sudden rushes of accounts. You must click "reply" on a comment for the prompt.
keiferski 14y ago
You have to click submit to find the account creation page. I'm thinking that it's a subtle way by pg to slow down new signups.
- mayank 14y ago
  Aah, interesting approach.
- pg 14y ago
  In particular for spammers. A few months ago we really cracked down on spammers. Anyone who looks at /newest with showdead turned on has probably noticed the difference.
  - lifeisstillgood 14y ago
    It's probably hard to tell, but I would assume HN is the least fertile spamming ground for miles around - we all seem to have fairly well tuned netizen antennae That said what if you turned up the requirements - for example a uuid in a TXT entry on a domain. I would be surprised if 75% of HN do not already own one and 90+ be capable of getting and managing one? Presumably a throw away domain is more costly than a throw away email?
    - jacques_chester 14y ago
      Links that reach front page get a good dollop of google juice, so spammers target HN. Likewise, anything I've posted on HN that even does well in comments becomes a bit of a spam magnet.
crisnoble 14y ago
It seems to me that you have a few options to create a new account. 1) Click add comment while viewing a comment thread. 2) Try to up-vote anything from anywhere 3) Click Submit from anywhere

9 points by mayank 14y ago

The option for creating an account seems to have been removed -- is this a temporary thing or a more permanent change?

Wow, I hadn't noticed this. I really hope HN hasn't stopped accepting signups. EDIT: In the unlikely event that signups are stopped forever, I wonder what an account would be worth on the black market?

justcreated001 14y ago

Just created this account. Perhaps it is human error on your part.

mayank 14y ago
This is my login screen: http://imgur.com/w8gLXmY http://imgur.com/w8gLXmY Upvotes on this story suggest that others are seeing the same thing too.
- jstanley 14y ago
  Same for me. Even in Incognito Mode I can't see any way to sign up.
  - kintamanimatt 14y ago
    For upvotes, submissions, and replies, the login page also has as a signup form. However, there seems to be a secondary login page (linked to at the top right) that has no such form as is shown in that screenshot in the comment you replied to.

27182818284 14y ago

It was mentioned before to help cut back on spam / sudden rushes of accounts. You must click "reply" on a comment for the prompt.

keiferski 14y ago

You have to click submit to find the account creation page. I'm thinking that it's a subtle way by pg to slow down new signups.

mayank 14y ago
Aah, interesting approach.
pg 14y ago
In particular for spammers. A few months ago we really cracked down on spammers. Anyone who looks at /newest with showdead turned on has probably noticed the difference.
- lifeisstillgood 14y ago
  It's probably hard to tell, but I would assume HN is the least fertile spamming ground for miles around - we all seem to have fairly well tuned netizen antennae That said what if you turned up the requirements - for example a uuid in a TXT entry on a domain. I would be surprised if 75% of HN do not already own one and 90+ be capable of getting and managing one? Presumably a throw away domain is more costly than a throw away email?
  - jacques_chester 14y ago
    Links that reach front page get a good dollop of google juice, so spammers target HN. Likewise, anything I've posted on HN that even does well in comments becomes a bit of a spam magnet.

crisnoble 14y ago

It seems to me that you have a few options to create a new account. 1) Click add comment while viewing a comment thread. 2) Try to up-vote anything from anywhere 3) Click Submit from anywhere