Require Email Confirmation for Signup

[cycomachead]

Can we require users to type their email twice?

I've been seeing too many typos lately and this is an annoying, but effective solution to the problem. I would like to be smarter à la #273, but until then I think this would help.

I think we should do the checking all client-side, at least for now. 2 emails boxes in the signup dialog and just check that they're equal before submitting the request to the cloud. (And we can update the new social site too.)

[brianharvey]

It won't help unless it's really obnoxious and prevents pasting into the second box.

There's an xkcd in which the computer asks for the latitude and longitude at which to drop a nuclear weapon, and then asks for your email twice. (I can't find it because I can't find a search bar. Didn't it used to have one?) But, whatever.

[cycomachead]

"won't help" is kind of extreme -- the goal is to reduce errors, not eliminate them. More than 5% of our emails bounce, which is pretty high and can cause later problems.

I don't expect that many kids to use C&P to update emails. In general, I don't see too many people doing that when they use computers (right clicks and keyboard shortcuts aren't always that prevalent). And secondly, it's not like right click to copy and paste works in Snap!, you pretty much have to use the keyboard.

Plus, the benefit is that you have to look at the email address a second time, so even if you paste, you're more likely to notice an error.

[brianharvey]

Sure, whatever.

I know, make it a game: when they put their email in the first box, all the letters spill out and start wandering randomly around the screen, and they have to grab the letters one by one and put them in the right position in the second box.

:-)

[bromagosa]

Can't we disable pasting in the second email box? I'm sure we can!

[cycomachead]

I personally find disabling pasting annoying. I almost never type my email address, but the autocomplete / text replacement stuff relies on pasting.

I wish I had data, but I believe most of the value in the confirmation is just about slowing you down enough to notice an error. Aside from some password fields (which really disallow copying), most confirmation fields don't disable pasting, but some do.

[jmoenig]

hmmm.... So that's the reason they all want me to enter my email address twice, know at least I know. I dunno, I'm open to whatever seems to be the consensus around here...

[brianharvey]

I think the consensus is ask twice, allow pasting.

But I still like my game! :P