I don't usually do this. I have for quite a while been mostly in lurk mode. And this subject has probably been hashed around before, so I'm sorry if I'm accidentally repeating. I think I have had it up to my eyebrows with this subject.  You go to the freestuff and you see something you would like to download. You click on the download button and it takes you to someone's site, but in order to get said freebee you must sign up at the site and get a login, or it's in that person's personal on-site store which also requires you to create a login in order to get said item. Some people may not be bothered by this, but I've been online and using Poser since 1998. Sites come and go and I've had logins on countiless sites, and a links folder that's ungodly huge. Every once in a while I'll go through the links folder, checking them out and dumping links that are no longer functional. My own web site went away due to some of the confusion of moving to Canada. I couldn't keep up with things and lost my domain name. So I've only got a mySpace link at the moment because I'm web-challenged. Okay, sorry, rant over. Putting up my soap box now.

We allow freestuff links to sites that require a  sign-up as long as it's free to sign up.

I have to agree, I have elected not to get free items because you have to sign up. Some of the sites have asked for my mother's maiden name, what the he!! would they need that for? I have mostly given up on getting free stuff because of that. There are a few I trust but I have to be honest, very few. Appreciate the free stuff but not the way it's done in some cases. Rant over here too.   8^)

same here. I do pledge that all my freebies (uh..both of them...;) will be where they can be reached without the 3rd degree...;)

The other thing is constantly-changing items sites that link to something entirely different by the time you get around to them...

Quote - Some of the sites have asked for my mother's maiden name

Mother's maiden name? Sheeesh, Marque. Talk about highly suspicious.

Quote - We allow freestuff links to sites that require a  sign-up as long as it's free to sign up.

Maybe that that policy should be re-evaluated, wheatpenny ? -- especially for sites that ask for more than the most basic of information.

Quote - Meh! I'll bet you all my Poser content that those sites asking for maiden name are canned sites that haven't been modified from their distribution packages. That hardly means there are any ulterior motives for asking for identifying information. Mother's Maiden name is a typical security measure and it's there for your protection not the sites.

Yep, and there is no law that says you have to give the right information.

I typically use "Jane Smith" from 123 Anywhere Street. If they want a province, I use Calgary and a valid postal code from that area.   Gets me logged in. 

Good idea. So makes me wonder, if folks are lying, which has been suggested to me by others what is the point of making folks register? Off to play my game, see you all later.

having people register allows tracking of how often they visit and what they are downloading.    It also may allow a newsletter  to be sent .    

Simple way is just to skip sites that require a registration , though you miss some nice stuff that way .

Some of the site links are fairly obvious marketing , but thats fine with me , you get the freebies because they attract business.

Sites ask for mother's maiden name so if you forget your password, you have another way to verify your identity.

Just an FYI that if it requires free registration to get the download item, it is a requirement that they list it in the "notes" section (Just click on the DETAILS button to see the notes section and the requirements).  So you can bypass any you are not interested in due to a site registration requirement if you use that details button.

Offhand FYI... most sites that do the register thing include it as a requirement to prevent 'bots from blindly downloading from the site, prevents hotlinking, and other bandwidth-sucking things that drive the bill up.

Some people would complain about a free glass of water when they're dyin' of thirst in a desert.

...and where's the ice?...;)

*"Some people would complain about a free glass of water when they're dyin' of thirst in a desert. "

And some people complain when someone has an opinion about anything. LOL.

And when are they going to fix the smilies?

BTW that is a neat barrelrolling flying horse.

Quote - BTW that is a neat barrelrolling flying horse.

What can I say. He was my first dead horse in Poser. :tt2:

I was just kidding.

2 words.

Needs shadow.

Maybe he's a Ghost dead horse. Ghosts don't cast shadows.... or do they? Bwhahahaha.....

quote :

*We allow freestuff links to sites that require a  sign-up as long as it's free to sign up.

*But then it's not really free anymore because you have to give them one of your most precious belongings : your personal data.
And every time you register your data somewhere is a  chance more that those data are hacked by spammers and scammers.

Quote - quote :

*We allow freestuff links to sites that require a  sign-up as long as it's free to sign up.

*But then it's not really free anymore because you have to give them one of your most precious belongings : your personal data.
And every time you register your data somewhere is a  chance more that those data are hacked by spammers and scammers.

That is the LAMEST excuse I have heard yet. It's already been pointed out that you do NOT have to give accurate information to these sites to access their freebies. As long as you can remember the non-factual information you used to sign up with you can give any information you want to give. It's just so that you can recover your passwords if you loose it.

As has also been pointed out, you don't have to download their freebies at all if you're that paranoid!

But its your choice on whether to proceed hitting the download link once you've read in the detail notes that it requires free registration to get that freestuff item.  You can just skip right past it and move on to the next one if you don't want to register.  Nobody is forcing you to put your information there, we make sure the details button lets you know beforehand, then its entirely your choice on whether to proceed or move on to the next one.

Free choice or not, when you have to give something in order to obtain something, it's no longer a free item.

And as I won't lie and cheat to obtain a few mere freebies indeed I move on.

Nearly everyone has a point, but not everyone on the net is a), experienced enough, b), sophisticated enough, c), paranoid enough, or d), [fill in your own term] enough, to lie.

And whatever contrary opinion you may have on the subject (and you are certainly welcome to it), it is the opinion of most security experts that, in these days and times, it is always a good idea to get your guard up any time anyone wants your mother's maiden name, or any other personal information that is commonly used by financial institutions (and the government) for purposes of proving you really are you.

Quote - ...and where's the ice?...;)

What a free glass of water and no ice... How Dare you!

As for the subject at hand I can tell you part of the reason why some site (including mine in the past) had you register was because of the interface using to run the site. When I was strickly using just a shopping cart as a front end to my site you had to register to download because the site looked at it as a purchase.  Also this helps keeping track with what is being downloaded and how often it is.
With my new site (same site different makeup) you don't need to register to download freebies as of now, how ever I maybe changing this due to high bandwidth usage and I get charged extra a month if I go over my quota as with most small sites. I think this is why Rosity, 3dcommune and other sites have linking for freebies.

Quote - That is the LAMEST excuse I have heard yet. It's already been pointed out that you do NOT have to give accurate information to these sites to access their freebies. As long as you can remember the non-factual information you used to sign up with you can give any information you want to give. It's just so that you can recover your passwords if you loose it.

As has also been pointed out, you don't have to download their freebies at all if you're that paranoid!

One word:  www.bugmenot.com :)

@the OP: I only really mind the offsite links if they then bury the free item I'm after under 10 pages of pricey, low-quality junk.  Usually I give up and leave the site before I ever see the freebie I wanted.

But not always.  Here's a word of advice to off-site merchants:  If I'm shopping for my Poser items stockpile, I'm interested in pretty much anything that catches my eye (I'm a shopaholic, ok?).  I've been in a post-apocalyptic mood lately but tomorrow I could be doing something else.  3d models, poses, character meshes, clothing, doesn't matter - if you display it professionally using attractive renders with minimum postwork, I'm going to at least bookmark and come back.  Sometimes I even buy something from you that I hadn't intended to buy.

But if you throw up a website with your free copy of FrontPage, hide your links among tons of poorly-written English and don't provide convenient navigation buttons on every page, don't blame me if you're not selling anything.  My first assumption is going to be that your products are as crappy as your website.

Fair or not, half of marketing is in the packaging.   I don't mind the offsite links for freebies, but show me something when I take the trouble to click the link.

Quote - > Quote - That is the LAMEST excuse I have heard yet. It's already been pointed out that you do NOT have to give accurate information to these sites to access their freebies. As long as you can remember the non-factual information you used to sign up with you can give any information you want to give. It's just so that you can recover your passwords if you loose it.

As has also been pointed out, you don't have to download their freebies at all if you're that paranoid!

One word:  www.bugmenot.com :)

I checked that out with renderosity.com and noticed the first login didn't work and the second was banned. I don't know how many login choices you have to go through to get to a working login but that seems to be more trouble than just creating your own login in the first place.