By registering, you give your name (real or fake), email address, and your website URL and you get an account on the site. Then, whenever you come to the site and want to post a comment, you don’t have to enter that info again, you just type in your comment. The site and your browser will remember who you are.
I’m also thinking I may start doing some kind of monthly candy giveaway to registered users – maybe to a random registered user who comments in the month or something like that. Or maybe make giveaways like the free gum only available to registered users. I haven’t worked out the details yet. I may give registered users more privileges on the site too. Again, not sure yet.
You have to give your real email address when you register so that you can receive your temporary password to login and so I can contact you if you ever win anything. I promise I won’t put you on any mailing lists or spam you, and your email will NEVER show up on the site – only I will see it.
Registration is totally optional and you don’t have to do it to comment on the site. If you do register for either, use this post as your testing grounds and leave a test comment here.
UPDATE: We have over 25 new users now! Thanks everyone! Looks like it works. I’ll post the winners this weekend. Please go ahead and register anyway though. You will be set for the next time we give away candy. I have an idea for a giveaway for later this month.
UPDATE: Just figured this out – you can use a custom Candy Addict Avatar without signing up for a Gravatar. Once you login, go to Profile->Gravatar and put in a URL to the avatar image you want to use. Then, it will use that image for your comments!