Mobile Phone Confirmation?

This is more of a question than a debate. Why does the site make you give your phone number to access certain features? Which features are they?

I am against the mobile phone confirmation.

CONTENTION I: I don't have a cell phone.

The old version of debate.org had some flaws that needed to be addressed. One of the primary flaws was that of those who made second, third, or more accounts simply to vote for themselves and to cheat the system. Mobile phone confirmation makes it much more difficult for one to cheat than simple email confirmation. Anybody can get a free email address any time they desire, and in turn create several accounts skewing their own scores, or harming the scores of others. Since not many people have multiple cell phone numbers, and even for those that do the numbers are far more limited than the nearly unlimited use of email accounts, this will clearly limit the amount of fake accounts created.

Alternatives for people who do not have cell phones would be to ask their friends for help, as it is unlikely you will have friends with no cell phones at all, and one that will be unable to recieve a single text message to help you.

Consequently, this also helps prevent cheating in that people

A. Have a finite, limited number of friends who can help them with this, even if they wanted to use them to cheat

and

B. Friends will get more annoyed the more you ask them, and finding willing friends goes down the more friends you have found that will help you.

SO- while the new cell phone program is not something that will necessarily be good for all individuals in this group, as a whole we benefit with much more fair debates. For those who are directly affected by this, they may still use alternative methods of activation- namely asking friends and family for help.

1. That makes sense and all, but I find it pretty ridiculous to ask one of my friends for their cell phone to get a text from a debate website.

2.Also, the message says "In the future we plan to add more mobile features, including the ability to upload photos and videos, and receive mobile notifications."

I don't want my friend/family member to get mobile notifications, nor do I want debate.org sending me spam.

3. I don't feel safe giving a website my/friends' phone number.

4. Can't they trust me?

My opponent brings up four concerns that I will address.

1. You do not have to do anything, you may leave the site, or continue debating on the site but not vote. A text is required only for certain features for the website.

2. These would simply be options, there would most likely be an opt in process. Given the unlikely chance there was not an opt in process, there would be an opt out process. It is highly unlikely that these would be submitted unsolicited as the founders of debate.org could get into some trouble for this.

3. See #1

4. See R1