Allowing anonymous users and lurkers to access online communities is essential to the health of the community. Though the creators and moderators of online communities might be tempted to ban these folks from participating in the community, they ought to look beyond the convenient and the 'right now' of the community and look at how the decision will benefit the long term of the community.
Anonymous users, those who do not have an account through the community, should be allowed certain rights but be banned from others. If people cannot access certain features on the site, they are not likely to ever join. I have ventured onto sites of this sort, and I can attest to the fact that I have not once registered myself for one of these sites because I have no sense of what they are all about before I give over my personal information.
The next step in the hierarchy of creating a user base or community is allowing lurkers the freedom to stay silent but observant for as long as they need but also offering venues through which they can slowly begin to communicate and become involved. Most people can't jump into anything feet first much less an online community that has rules and expectations. Users must be given opportunities to introduce themselves, learn the guidelines, and converse with other 'newbies' in order to feel completely comfortable and at home.
Moderators might feel that they are saving themselves time and potential trouble by banning unregistered users or by ignoring the community of lurkers, but these are both essential groups to accommodate if the moderator is concerned about the overall health of the online community they have created.
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