Clarification of New Account Creation and Approval Process

With the "New User" link missing from the bottom of Gawker posts, potential commenters can easily become confused when attempting to audition due to a lack of clear instructions.

I am a frequent visitor to the Gawker Media websites and I certainly do not consider myself to be a web novice whatsoever, but this registration process foiled, frustrated, and flummoxed me. I'm confident that I am not the only one who has experienced difficulties registering.

On several occasions, I have been compelled to comment on a post I've seen at one of the Gawker sites. To date, I have been unable to do so as I was seemingly unable to submit the required audition. While I applaud the measures Gawker appears to be taking to maintain a high-quality commenter community, I can't help but be discouraged by the audition process.

Reviewing the Commenting FAQ, I found that to audition for a new account, one should "click on the New User link at the bottom of any post." Therein lies the first obstacle; no New User link exists at the bottom of Gawker posts. Instead, the only options available to unregistered visitors are to comment instantly as a guest, to login using a Facebook account, or to register for a new account. Registration *appears* to be a black hole that likely stumps many potential users.

What I discovered today, and what prospective commenters may fail to realize is that upon submitting the registration, the user account has been successfully created. Instead of continuing to attempt to register for a new account, one should simply login and begin commenting to provide audition samples for reviewers. This fact is unclear in the Commenting FAQ and submission of a new account request exacerbates the confusion, as there are no suggested next steps or confirmation of account creation. In fact, there's no indication at all that the registration information was even submitted.

My suggestion is to include a new commenter walk-through guide wherein the user is informed of the path from registration to account approval. I propose the following:

1. User registers for a new account. Upon successful submission of account information, user is presented with a confirmation message indicating that the account has been created and a login interface is displayed on the confirmation page.

2. On the confirmation page, further information can be displayed to direct the users. For example, in addition to a login dialog, tips for account approval could be provided explaining that once the user has logged in, he or she should submit high-quality comments prolifically to increase likelihood of approval. This is also a great place to reiterate that comments will not be displayed on the website until they have been approved and the account has been authorized to comment freely.

Thank you for your consideration of this suggestion. I value the Gawker websites and look forward to becoming an active participant in the thriving commenter community.