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Why not turn off new account signups for a while to combat this problem?
Or even have more friction in the signup process. (Maybe I'm looking at the wrong part of the problem.)
$5 to register, proceeds to the EFF would work. We'd want a "Post anonymously" function first though.
Besides, most trolls aren't going to be deterred by any particular amount of money: the simple act of paying is the real deterrent. You'll repel more trolls with a $100 "cover charge" than a $1 charge, but not very many more: not enough to really be worth the trouble.
The only reason is not everyone that uses throw away accounts are doing so to troll others. I've seen several submissions where a person posts something extremely personal (ie. problems with their current job to dealing with depression or contemplating suicide) and they would not post under their real account for obvious reasons but still seek the support of this community. It could be a bad idea to hinder the ability of these people to post situations like this anonymously and promptly.
$5 to register, proceeds to the EFF would work. We'd want a "Post anonymously" function first though.
Less than that: whatever the minimum amount is that payment providers will accept. It's easy to forget that there are parts of the world where even $5 is too much. Besides, most trolls aren't going to be deterred by any particular amount of money: the simple act of paying is the real deterrent. You'll repel more trolls with a $100 "cover charge" than a $1 charge, but not very many more: not enough to really be worth…
Where in the world, specifically, are (a) people that we, the other members, think would be valuable additions to this community, yet (b) $5 is "too much"? Sorry - I don't know all the economies of the world but your statement just seems a bit hyperbolic.
$5 to register, proceeds to the EFF would work. We'd want a "Post anonymously" function first though.
$5 to register, proceeds to the EFF would work. We'd want a "Post anonymously" function first though.
I do not think a good solution to HN's quality problem is to make its participants feel more entitled to post.
HN is a gateway to and a tool of Ycombinator. The gateway function means that there will always be some degree of endless September by virtue of its purpose.