[VexedSiteOwner]

I'm not sure why it never caught on with my users.

I do support Twitter login which is fairly common, and have had a few hundred users sign up (out of like >10mil uniques), but I wouldn't say that they've exhibited overly engaged behavior after doing so. They're basically the same from a stats perspective from what I've observed.

I'm afraid to make user logins compulsory, especially considering the kinds of knuckleheads that are on my site.

How do I get from "eh, have fun as a guest" to "everyone's got an id" without destroying my stats?

[johnny99]

Why are stats so important? Do big numbers mean more than doing the morally and legally correct thing?

I also question the assumption that taking steps toward accountability and community will hurt the numbers. Maybe in the short term, but if your site becomes a cesspool it will eventually drive your real users away anyway. If you figure out how to sustainably handle the filth, it may be possible to attract a much larger audience who would otherwise have been repulsed. Yik Yak is an example of that strategy.