Implemented Growth Hack: Remove "Gender" and "Date of Birth" at Signup.

[Minecraftly]

When I first used a Xenforo forum many years ago (as a normal user), I hesitated to sign up because it requires my Gender and Date of Birth.

To me, it is a forum, not a social network (although both have many in common), but there's no reason for that to be required at signup. It makes more sense for it to be added if users want to in their own profile page.

One of the reasons some websites grow fast (DigitalOcean, Quora, etc..) is because they have a streamline signup page, asking for just username and passwords. Other details can be added later if user wants to, inside their own profilepage.

I hope that XenForo team would make this feature not shown up by default at registration in the next version. It'll boost signups, benefiting site owners and XenForo global statistics (market share) in general.

Thanks.

 

[Paul B]

Date of birth is already an optional setting in the ACP.

Gender is not required.

 

[Minecraftly]

Date of birth is already an optional setting in the ACP.

Gender is not required.

Is there an option to make them not showing up at registration? Some people who click sign up and quit because they see the boxes there.

 

[Paul B]

You can edit the template to remove both fields.

 

[Dakota Storm]

Is there an option to make them not showing up at registration? Some people who click sign up and quit because they see the boxes there.

You'd have to edit the template I think, but I fail to see the correlation between DOB and people not registering.

Edit.

Damnit, ninja'd by Paul again

 

[Minecraftly]

You'd have to edit the template I think, but I fail to see the correlation between DOB and people not registering.

Edit.

Damnit, ninja'd by Paul again

Some people are not comfortable with a website asking for too much information too soon. Here's an example of a good way to optimize signups: DigitalOcean signup page only asks for email and passwords, even though their business requires credit card and all the other personal info. They ask for it later when they already got new users with email address.

You can edit the template to remove both fields.

Thanks. Please consider removing it by default if it's disabled in the next version, I'd appreciate it.

 

[Dakota Storm]

Thanks. Please consider removing it by default if it's disabled in the next version, I'd appreciate it.

So far you are the only person that's ever requested it. It's unlikely going to happen.

 

[Minecraftly]

So far you are the only person that's ever requested it. It's unlikely going to happen.

It's still a suggestion, I feel that it makes sense and benefits other forums, not just mine. The XenForo team can do what they want with the suggestion.

 

[Dakota Storm]

It's still a suggestion, I feel that it makes sense and benefits other forums, not just mine. The XenForo team can do what they want with the suggestion.

Suggestions are open. For discussion, the idea is to convince people that it is necessary.

I fail to see that it is beneficial though, it's likely rare that having to enter your DOB is going to prevent anyone from registering. You have to enter it on pretty much every website these days, people are accustomed to it.

 

[rafass]

on my board I've deleted even the password confirmation and provide an email is optional
a fast registration is always much better.

 

[Mr Lucky]

it's likely rare that having to enter your DOB is going to prevent anyone from registering. You have to enter it on pretty much every website these days, people are accustomed to it.

I find it intensely annoying when sites ask for your D.O.B. I can totally understand why people would be put off registering by a site which asks for it, when they have no need or right to know information that is (a) personal (b) a potential security risk as it is very useful for identity thieves to find out such things.

If a site caters for certain age groups, or they have explicit material, then all they need is a tick box to verify you are over 18 or whatever.

 

[Dakota Storm]

Sorry, but your DOB is hardly a security risk especially on a forum, where you're unlikely to share any other information, like you're real name/home address etc

 

[Mr Lucky]

Sorry, but your DOB is hardly a security risk especially on a forum, where you're unlikely to share any other information, like you're real name/home address etc

Whether it is or not realistically a security risk is irrelevant. The point is that many people think it is. And if the information is not actually necessary to the forum admin, I totally see the point of not asking for it.

What the OP is saying is that asking for D.O.B (whether retired or optional) can put people off registering, and that is a bad thing. It is also untrue that people would never share their real name. I do that on many forums as it allows me to speak with more authority if people know who I am.

The argument here is not about whether people should or shouldn't care, but about the fact that they do care, and so could well be put off by a forum which appears to be nosey about personal info they have no need of.

 

[Dakota Storm]

Whether it is or not realistically a security risk is irrelevant. The point is that many people think it is. And if the information is not actually necessary to the forum admin, I totally see the point of not asking for it.

What the OP is saying is that asking for D.O.B (whether retired or optional) can put people off registering, and that is a bad thing. It is also untrue that people would never share their real name. I do that on many forums as it allows me to speak with more authority if people know who I am.

The argument here is not about whether people should or shouldn't care, but about the fact that they do care, and so could well be put off by a forum which appears to be nosey about personal info they have no need of.

Maybe,maybe not.

The majority of websites either demand or offer the ability to enter it.

It's unlikely however that XF will change something for the minority that don't want it, not when it's as simple as removing a few lines of code in the template.

 

[Amaury]

Sorry, but your DOB is hardly a security risk especially on a forum, where you're unlikely to share any other information, like you're real name/home address etc

Plus, if it's such an issue, it can be hidden at account/privacy.

 

[Minecraftly]

Maybe,maybe not.

The majority of websites either demand or offer the ability to enter it.

It's unlikely however that XF will change something for the minority that don't want it, not when it's as simple as removing a few lines of code in the template.

For sites like Facebook, Google, etc, I am okay with putting my DOB and Gender right at the start. They have the power to require those info.

For other types of forums, discussion boards or other startups who want to grow fast (DigitalOcean, Quora, etc..) the ability to capture users and their email addresses is far more powerful than asking for personal info like DOB and Gender.

I hope that XF will remove it so that it won't show up by default (not by changing template). Not everyone's gonna change the template. If it is by default then people will get the benefit of it right away.

This is not about security risk or not, it's about what the users perceive when they see the signup page. Maybe any XF forum can gain more users than it can right now just by not requiring those additional info right away at signup page.

Plus, if it's such an issue, it can be hidden at account/privacy.

This is about user experience. Would you really want people to type in personal info they don't like to type in just to join your forum, and then hide it because they don't want it in the first place? Doesn't it make more sense to get users to provide those info voluntarily after signing up if they want to?

 

[Steve F]

Relevant

https://xenforo.com/community/threads/registration-with-only-one-field-email.186/

 

[Dakota Storm]

I'm not American, so I hadn't even considered COPPA implications.

 

[Mr Lucky]

Plus, if it's such an issue, it can be hidden at account/privacy.

Too late for those potential members who were put off and so didn't register. If you read the OP you will see (I think) that is the point of this thread, not that people can ultimately hide stuff they didn't want to have to put in to begin with.

I'm all for a very simple registration form that makes things appealing for everyone (except spammers)

 

[n00bsaibot]

lol I'm the same way... if the registration page is too long, I'm out!