Many "Guests" contribute very good answers to questions and ask relevant questions. Also there have been instances where, for whatever reason, members have not been able to log in and are forced to enter the site as guests.

You have not been for a long time so that you did not have yet the opportunity to appreciate what registered participants can write !

I totally disagree with a ban, CR4 is an OPEN and FREE place, everybody has to have access.

In fact if we keep a way of discussing at a correct level guests who like to make unpleasant comments leave after a time, there is a kind of selection.

Actually on occasion it is wise to post as a Guest. This is not the only place I am known as the Transcendian, and I would be unwise sometimes to post either personal details, or certain secrets under any name that could be traced back to me.

"Hey, forgettah about it!"

The whole idea of an anonymous forum is that subscribers' own details are protected via a username. Who is to say what the true identity and location is of PWSlack for example (rhetorical question)?

The only difficulty arises is when several Guests contribute to a thread, and it is difficult to determine which one is which.

Apart from cable sizing and busbar sizing, the contribution made by Guests is about the third most popular discussion topic.

http://cr4.globalspec.com/search/sitesearch?do=show&sort=textmatchrank&srch=Guest&order=asc

You have taken some opportunity, then, to reflect upon the quality of CR4's Guest postings before posting your own, considered opinion? Have you likewise assessed the utility of CR4's humble spell-checker, such as it is? You might consider broadening the scope of your denouncements to include both, as you evidently have no use for either.

hi Jose,

I encourage you to stay and interact as much as you can with members and guests alike. your thoughts have been previously discussed cooly and heatedly in this thread, and those mentioned by PWSlack in his post #2 above. It is evident that:

• not all Guest postings are worthless. in fact, many such postings have earned GAs from registered members. that is because sometimes they are sometimes postings from members who just forgot to log-in, or opted to post anonymously for their own reasons. there are also long-time posters who've chosen to stay as Guest, for their own reasons, but have consistently given sound answers or opinions that have really helped the OP.
• OTOH, not all Members's postings have worth, i.e., in relation to the OP's question. . some members, who've "known" each other from years of interaction on the forums, like to poke fun at each other, and, on a bad-hair-day, would even turn at each other in heated debate. and, surprisingly, such posts get the GA!

you'll just have to get used to the atmosphere in the forums, and soon find out that the only thing you'll regret about Guests' OPs, are that they can't give you a GA.

infrequently, you'd come across a Guest posting that is just plain uncivilized. in such case, all you need to do is report it using the "Report" button. let Admin take care of that, because, come to think of it, no member owns this forum and we are all but guests in this "house" called CR4.

cheers!