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Comment by kazinator | Hacker News Reader

In the 1980's, we kept anklebyters off dial-up BBSses with a simple technique: voice validation. To join the forum, you had to fill an application first, which included your real name and phone number. The sysop would give you a call for a quick chat, and then grant you access if you didn't seem like a twit.

This would be entirely practical for some small-time operator trying to run a forum off residential broadband, while impractical for the reddits, facebooks and twitters.

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I guess it's a different time and it also depends on who's your target audience. Some people go crazy if you ask for their email address. Phone numbers and calling is a big no-no.

I'm one of those radical militants who refuses to give up any means of direct contact...

However for a small scale thing I'd gladly go visit at a face to face meetup to fulfill this type of validation.

What if they came to you. What is the imputed value of that network connection relative to cost...?

> However for a small scale thing I'd gladly go visit at a face to face meetup to fulfill this type of validation.

Even if it were 3 flights totalling 18 hours away? :)

Or even just from one coast of the US to another...

Someone that far away shouldn't want my direct contact information to join a group.

However there is a medium / large organization case, where each area has local 'chapters' or some other term for a small fragment of the larger group. In that case the local leaders each operate as a small group for their areas.

> Someone that far away shouldn't want my direct contact information to join a group.

An international group based on common interests isn't entitled to protect themselves in the same way?

Phone number is an excellent tracking identifier across services. Even better than email, which is why the data hoarders want it.

You could schedule a voice-only jitsi or some other kind of call that doesn't need an email or phone number.

I remember some BBS registration forms where you would have to give the names of a couple existing users that would vouch for you. Kind of like other sites where you need an invite or referral from an existing member.

"anklebyters"! I learned a useful new word today. Thanks.

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