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How does HN get away with not requiring users to verify with an email?

7 points by syndicatedjelly ↗ HN
How does HN get away with not requiring users to verify their account with an email address? From what I understand, requiring users to verify accounts with an email address is to minimize the creation of spam accounts and reduce the likelihood of the user engaging in anti-social behavior. From what I can tell, HN never required me to use an email address when making an account. How are they able to avoid the above issues?

12 comments

[ 3.7 ms ] story [ 36.0 ms ] thread
rozenmd
Moderation - both from dang and the community.

If you're a pest, you'll be downvoted and folks won't be able to read your replies without highlighting the text.

Tomte
Another aspect: HN doesn't send you emails. That's the big reason why everyone else needs the opt-in confirmation.
KomoD
What even is the email used for on HN?
buffington
Just a guess, but perhaps password resetting?
KomoD
Totally forgot that was even a thing
giantg2
Yep, lost my first account because I forgot my password.
mkl
- Professional moderation: almost no forums have that to the same degree.

- Aggressive automatic comment and account killing (if your first comment contains a link, it will probably be dead right away).

- Downvotes, flagging, and vouching from established users only.

dieselgate
I don't believe to have any email even associated with HN which is quite nice to be honest

Edit: to elaborate on others it seems the site has a lot of "internal" or community based resistance to spammers. I would assume the rate limiting efforts help on a techincal level too but these are probably standard

giantg2
"I don't believe to have any email even associated with HN"

I tried that once, then very quickly forgot my password. Onto account number 2 lol

dieselgate
Yeah that's happened to me as well but is useful for throwaways
ipaddr
Spammers have figured out how to create endless amounts email accounts. Verifying doesn't help.

But it does confirm that a password reset would work and you provided a valid email for the site to send you emails.

We are in the era of sms where a cell phone number is required.