Team Update: Signup Process Evolution
Hello Steemians! We’re making some minor changes to the signup process to reduce the number of fraudulent accounts. This takes us one step closer to crafting a world-class onboarding process for Steemit and the Steem Blockchain.
Reducing Signup Costs
Easy onboarding requires solving two challenges: 1. The cost to the network of new signups must be reduced, and 2. The signup process must be streamlined for users.
The changes we have made are designed to address the first problem. The primary contributor to signup costs is fraud from bots and fake accounts. This abuse is expensive in both STEEM and namespace lost.
Real People, No Problem
These changes will have no effect on real people other than requiring a short wait for their account to be activated. Over time, we’ll automate it, aiming for instant activations, but for now this delay helps us separate real users from fake.
With any change, there is a risk of bugs, so we’ll be actively monitoring the process. If you or anyone you know has problems, feel free to use the comments to this post to share them with us so we can resolve any issues as quickly as possible. This is one small step for Steemit, but one big step towards a larger community!
Thanks and Steem On!
- The Steemit Team
Let's keep making this place better and better and better!
I CONCUR
This is very good news.
On the one hand it should help mitigate the problem of people signing up to multitudes of accounts.
On the other it will send the signal that the Steemit team are committed to trying to reduce potential loopholes and gaming of the system.
It is all part of the maturation of the platform.
Please help to share guys:
https://twitter.com/Soul_Eater_43/status/859442486401433600
Yes, it sounds like a necessary change and hopefully it's relatively seamless. In any case, the development is headed in the right direction. Streamlining this sign-up process seems to be a high priority for them, which is good.
#blockchain #cryptocurrency https://t.co/LcxyIHJeHB
Disclaimer: I am just a bot trying to be helpful.
Looking forward to longer term solutions... I am sure we will find one to scale big
Absolutely!
How long is the wait time currently?
I believe accounts are getting approved within one business day.
I think you'll find it is more like a week at the moment...
Yeah, that's what I've heard. Hopefully it is just the initial rollout phase, and they will have it down to one business day soon.
Too long, my brother 2 days and counting, see comment below.
I had to wait 2 weeks to join GAB! I think it is a situational thing - GAB had a lot of hype and buzz at the time so it might make it a different situation.
Same here, I had my wife sign up Sunday we are still waiting.
a friend has been
waiting 6 days...
Very good question. A short wait may not actually a bad thing as long as it is not too long. I remember last winter the fact that there was a waiting list for joining GAB seemed to push demand up - sometimes it creates greater demand - as long as it is not too long.
Good point. I could see that. I just know that when I have tried to sign up for something and there is some kind of delay, I often lose interest and completely forget about it...
It is a tricky balance and could go in either direction. That is why they will be working on automating it and speeding it up.
Yep I agree. It probably is the better option right now between the two. Hopefully it can be automated soon! :)
Out of sight out of mind effect.
I was thinking the same thing... the most extreme example was when GMAIL first came out, as old as that is - back then it was impossible to get an invite, so everybody wanted one!
on the other hand - exclusivity only works when the product is in enough demand. it's a very gentle balance...
I remember that with GMAIL! Yes I think you are right.
Exactly :)
Really appreciate the effort. Proud to be a member of this community. :)
Why not automatically return account creation fee to steemit inc ? I thought that was the whole point of delegating power to create accounts?
Can you describe technically what you are achieving with this account creation delay?
I don't see how this is preventing anything, if I wanted to I could create dozens of accounts, nothing is stopping me from doing it, certainely not the phone verification, its trivial to get dozens of sim cards.
https://www.crazyegg.com/blog/why-users-leave-a-website/
1 rule: Users leave your site when they don’t get what they expect
They expect to register in the minute and are being told to wait days. 90% won't be coming back.
The delay is allowing them to review all of the sign ups and allowing them to separate the 'real' ones from fake ones. An invite system isn't that bad. When I got here in July there was a waiting list. I thought it made it seem like being allowed in was a privilege. I was very excited once I was allowed in.
If they are reviewing sign ups it means that they are also refusing sign ups..Based on what criteria and what are they reviewing exactly? Blockchain tech was meant to be open and free to access for everyone, I really don't like the fact that people have to wait and be approved to have a steemit account.
Steem is open and free to access for everyone. But if you want an account, you need to fund it somehow, which steemit.com does for free. It's basically a gift from them and they can decide to whom and when they give it.
You do not need to use their signup at all. Any existing user can create an account for a friend or acquaintance (or stranger if a suitable deal is made) using the cli wallet. There are a few other ways such as the anonsteem service.
Totally agree. In regards to a "waiting list", I think they should let all accounts enter the system without delay. They can then determine the undesirables and not apply the delegation of steem. Then the undesirables can fund their own accounts. I think too many new users are adversely affected with the current signup logic.
Bad actors/Good actors can simply use the cli to create accounts and fund.
They are concerned about too many names being squatted since even removing the delegation doesn't not release the account/name for reuse. I proposed another approach to signup logic a while back which would allow the accounts to be fully recovered but it was not adopted.
As they said above, it shouldn't be an issue for legitimate users. The blockchain is still open for anyone. There are services like AnonSteem if for whatever reason someone is unable to get a free account via Steemit.com.
Thank you for continual improvements.
Hoping I have your attention, at least briefly, I would like to once again request that you keep a promise made before HF17 and HF18 to make posts editable. Instead of doing that, posts are now un-editable after only 7 days!
Please, for further detail, see here and here, as well as here.
Thank you very much for your consideration and all the hard work that you all put into this platform!
😄😇😄
I helped my brother sign up 2 days ago, he is anxious to join, but still waiting on the account to be created (ryanrizz).
I understand the above, but Steemit will not grow significantly until signups are instant, I hope it is very soon. If there is any big news, Steemit will miss the potential momentum.
I don't think it will take long for them to streamline it. I'm assuming that those who are in a rush might still be able to use AnonSteem though?
I hope not... I just fear the scenario where a flood of users want to join, can't, then forget about it ... we live in an instant world.
Thanks for the feedback, I'll look into it!
Thks for the updates. Moving in the right direction...Roadmap on target. This will only make the community and Steem Blockchain strong.
We agree!
Thank you !! Good to know someone is working on these issues. Also good to know our questions will be answered, and quickly I might add.
You betcha! ;)
Seems like we need flairs, at least for the staff to start with.