Posted by Rick [Rick] on November 12, 1999 at 17:12:27 {CkRQXOxAaIOL4VPHgCQsFMFBt36Xyc}:
In Reply to: **GUEST? posted by ros on November 11, 1999 at 11:43:15:
Believe it or not, Ros, we were flooded with emails from those (many at AOL) who said they did not receive their emails after registering. I did a few tests at H2O during that time, and was surprised that it took 45 minutes or more to get a server email response. At that time, I realized we were losing newcomers and added the Guest login with password 6916 for anybody who legitimately couldn't post otherwise. I figured that in a worse case scenario that I could change the Guest password if abuse occurred, or even drop the Guest login if necessary.
Some free email services also delay incoming mail, I've been told, so Guest allows someone eager to get their feet wet to access to jump right into the pool (splash!), without the tedium of logging in repeatedly and enduring the slow refresh of free services. ;-)
Someone emailed H2O thanking us for "Guest." They added bluntly that on very rare occasion they get "the urge to openly defy AF, JH, and others for their complete (editing out insults), without being forever harassed under the regular screen name," but don't post enough to warrant the hassle of registering a second ID. If this "side benefit" gets out of control to where the FPP is violated too much, it may warrant a change in Guest password. I think if someone wants to post "their two cents worth" once in a great while under Guest, I see no harm there. Besides JH and others surely can withstand challenges to their logic just as they argue JWs should not fear challenges, so it's not like some anonymous individual can torpedo one of their impeccably logical and flawless arguments is it, so they're harmless? ;-)
In other words, I wouldn't think they would feel "threatened" by someone posting a well constructed argument using Guest login. It's not like they're the type that, not able to counter a good argument, want to make life miserable for the one who presented the argument, is it?
Again, let's hope this Guest login "feature" is not abused.
Rick