The web site can be designed to rank high on a search engine as I develop pages in the non-restricted section. But, that is not the initial design priority. I intend to attract visitors because of their visiting any of my other 25 web sites, and 100,000 pages. As of December 2003, I am getting about 10,000 visitors per day to my various web sites.
As people read any of my many thousands of pages, and as I start adding the link and reference, more and more of my visitors will come to realize that I offer eCourses. I also have a weekly electronic newsletter to 7,000 subscribers. They have been given advance notice that I WILL have eCourses, and in due course I can use that newsletter to announce the opening and various courses, as they are available.
So, for the present almost all of the web pages on this site are designed to be restricted based on the different levels of permission described in the permissions plan. Specifically the registration requirements for this lowest level of access are described here.
Thus a visitor should arrive at this web site because he has been referred to it. I want the initial authorization to visit the site to be very simple. Thus, there is a minimal expectation for the first registration process -- asking only for a username and eMail address.
I am concerned enough with having only legitimate registrations to use the feature of an "eMail notification" sent to the registrant so that he can click to activate his registration. This could means some minutes or even hours of delay between the time he completes a form on the web until he receives his eMail notification. At the moment that does not bother me.
I am open to consideration about the use of cookies, but at the moment believe that use of a cookie on the registrant's computer, plus, if needed, a "session cookie" will add enough increased security and ease of use that I want the initial registration process to include a cookie installation on the registrant's computer.