> Either a new user needs to verify their email before using the site or you need someway to immediately tell the user that an account with that address exists.
> Why bother going through all this email trouble when I can just go to twitter.com/TheUsernameIWantToCheck to see if that user account exists?
I totally agree. Twitter usernames are hardly private information, though. As I said, make sure truly private information is kept private.
Keeping in mind the UX, though, most users may not realize how easily their user id ( email/username, etc.) can be discovered. Seeing the login screen confirm that their username exists but their password is incorrect may in fact scare existing users away.
Determine what's best for your demographics, and ideally A/B test the heck out of it.
One possible solution to that particular problem: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8683589
> Why bother going through all this email trouble when I can just go to twitter.com/TheUsernameIWantToCheck to see if that user account exists?
I totally agree. Twitter usernames are hardly private information, though. As I said, make sure truly private information is kept private.
Keeping in mind the UX, though, most users may not realize how easily their user id ( email/username, etc.) can be discovered. Seeing the login screen confirm that their username exists but their password is incorrect may in fact scare existing users away.
Determine what's best for your demographics, and ideally A/B test the heck out of it.