April 6 - First Version of Member Email Verification!

Hi Community!

I can't believe this day is finally here! Yes, today, we will start asking members to verify their email addresses! Many of you have recomended this for many years and we are excited to share that the first version of this update will go live today!

Why are we verifying member email addresses?

- More accountability

- Reduce spam

- Make the gate around 7 Cups a little stronger

- Increase overall site safety

How will it work?

1. When a new member signs up, a confirmation email is auto-sent on new account creation
2. New members will not be able to upload a profile picture till they verify their email, but they will still be able to use all other elements of the site.
3. If you have not confirmed within 48 hours you get a yellow banner at the top of your dashboard reminding you to confirm (see example below).

Once clicked, this pop-up will appear -

4. The confirmation link has the following conditions:
a. Confirmation link is good = send you to the member dashboard, where you will see "email confirmed" in green at the top.
b. Confirmation link is bad or too old = tells you to re-request confirmation

To start, the only privilege we will limit is profile pictures. The goal is to test this out and then start locking more privileges behind the email verifciation. This is a phase one and we will continue to learn and hear your feedback.

How will this update interact with older members/ members not new today?

- All members will have the opportunity to verify their email address and we encourage them to do so.

- The yellow banner will appear inviting you verify