Posted by Ken Hamilton on April 22, 2005 at 01:03:35:
Some types of bulletin board software can be set up so that users have to log in with a username and password. When a user first registers with the system, he/she/it must supply a valid e-mail address, and then a temporary password is e-mailed out to that address. The e-mail address are not visible to the other users, but are just used to verify that each user is for real. If something like that could be implemented here, then we could get rid of the weirdness.
Usually, things are set up so that visitors, i.e., people who are not registered, can read messages, but not post. That way, a visitor can look to see that the board is interesting, and then register to post. Visitors cannot therefore make a mess.