Thanks for all your comments and time waterwingz; I'm getting concerned you don't sleep or work.....
I feel sorry for the people who drop out, but hopefully promotion of STICK in the right places will help these people stay; I was really cross after I bought the camera, to found I was suddenly limited to 1 sec exposures on 80 ASA; the worst consumer problem I have ever had.
When I click on 'reply just under the box, this is what I see ( a copy and paste):
"
+ Attachments and other options
shortcuts: hit alt+s to submit/post or alt+p to preview
"
a small thing, but another little bug for people to try, and get stuck at
I had a bit of a look but is there anything on the Forum home page to say that if you register, you will not be bugged by the picture join up puzzle each time you search; that again could be really off putting for some; it really was a pain for me, until I thought in the end, I had to ask a question anyway, so I should register and no more puzzles to put together.
I think it is a little bit too difficult, and 'forcing' people to register when they are just trying to see if it is worthwhile getting into CHKD, is another put off.
Other sites just have, for eg, 'type the swirly letters and numbers' test; is this one (type the letters..) so unreliable it is not worth using? I suspect someone found the 'join the puzzle', which is cute for the first few times, and since they are registered are not really troubled by it anymore.
so maybe a notice and a simpler anti whatever puzzle?
Thanks again