Let people create reading lists before signing up

[feathertail]

Title:
Let people create reading lists before signing up

Area:
OpenID

Summary:
Reading lists are awesome, and so is having more readers / discussion on Dreamwidth. Let's give people a "free sample" cookie that lets them create their own reading list, to encourage them to sign up for an OpenID account. Then let's make the process of doing so -- and of converting that into a paying account -- easier.

Description:
As Dreamwidth's reading list gains features and usability (and its "memories" archive begins to encompass social bookmarking features), it's going to get more and more desirable. People could start to spend their whole web surfing sessions on Dreamwidth. So let's make it a selling point, and give out a free trial: Let's allow people to create their own reading lists before they've even signed up.

Imagine a Dreamwidth front page that has a big shiny button on it, something like "Start Reading Now!" or "Create Your Own Reading List!" Clicking on it could place a cookie with a list of everything that the person subscribes to (they probably couldn't join comms this way). You could leave the site and come back to it, and because the data's stored locally you'd still have your reading list intact. But until you actually signed up, there'd be a reminder that you need to do so. The navbar might be double-height, for instance, with a bright red section to remind people.

When you click on it, it'd take you to a VERY simplified sign-up sheet. Instead of asking for your "OpenID URL," it'd say something like "Enter the URL of your blog / journal / homepage!" with an example like "USERNAME.website.com". A quick blurb like "Verified using OpenID" could be there to let techies know what they're looking at, maybe with a link to click on so the curious could learn more.

If the person enters a URL that doesn't work, only then would it attempt to explain, and it'd portray this as a problem with the other site: "Either you didn't enter the URL correctly (try copying-and-pasting from your browser's address bar), or that site doesn't support OpenID authentication." It could briefly explain that "OpenID lets you use your account from one website to log in on others, including this one. Many websites support OpenID, including (brief optional list). Try another?"

Admittedly, this is not the ideal way to introduce people to this, but it seems the least error-prone for a world in which 1) Most people don't know what OpenID is, and 2) Most websites don't support OpenID.

One way we could possibly help people to get around it is to let them create a limited Dreamwidth account, if their first choice doesn't work. These could be a level of membership in which all you can do is comment and create reading lists. Alternately (or in addition to that), we could have a link to the full sign-up procedure. Newcomers to Dreamwidth might be more likely to jump through the hoops if they've already got some investment in the site, through finding feeds and/or journals they like.

Ideally, it would also be easy to "upgrade" your OpenID account, or link it to a full Dreamwidth account from either payment or invite code.

What do you think?

Poll #3193 Let people create reading lists before signing up

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 43

View Respondents

This suggestion:

View Answers

Should be implemented as-is.
4 (9.3%)

Should be implemented with changes. (please comment)
3 (7.0%)

Shouldn't be implemented.
27 (62.8%)

(I have no opinion)
8 (18.6%)

(Other: please comment)
1 (2.3%)

Comments

[feathertail]

Yes ... the specific implementation I suggested wasn't the best idea, and there seem to be other issues besides. >.> Phrased the way that you put it, though, I think that it sounds good.

I also think that advertising the reading list as a feature could turn out to be viable, once we've improved it a bit and made Dreamwidth a great place to find things to read as well as just write.