“Anonymous access” vs “Log in as a guest”

Hello everyone😊

In this story, I want to attract your attention to two points. First, I want to define two concepts, and second, admonish you to be careful about how to define and explain your problem to AI.

two weeks ago, I read an article about “how much profitable is to use login as a guest.” it’s clear that as a designer we want to create websites that are user-friendly and efficient and that article introduced guest login to do that. Also when I asked Bard. google to know more about login as a guest, it said that guest login allows users to access and interact with your website without having to create an account and it gave me some names of websites that used “login as a guest”. but when I tried to find websites that are using it, I was surprised, because I couldn’t find anything😢. After researching and studying different websites, I realized that “login as a guest” seems to have disappeared these years😶‍🌫️. let’s see what Bard says!

I think these days developers and web designers don’t use “login as a guest”. but, they let people use some features of their websites or applications without any need to log in instead. Is that correct?

Yes, it is correct that developers and web designers are increasingly moving away from “login as guest” accounts and instead allowing people to use some features of their websites or applications without any need to log in. This is known as anonymous access or unguest access.

The trend of anonymous access started to gain traction in the early 2010s, with the rise of social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter. These platforms allowed users to log in with their accounts, but they also offered the option to view public content without logging in.

There are a number of reasons for this trend:

First, anonymous access is more convenient for users. They don’t have to create an account or remember a password, and they can start using the website or application immediately.

Second, anonymous access can help businesses to attract more users. If people can try out a website or application before they have to create an account, they are more likely to become regular users.

Third, anonymous access can help businesses to learn more about their users. By tracking how users interact with their website or application without requiring them to log in, businesses can collect valuable data that can be used to improve the user experience.

Of course, there are also some potential downsides to anonymous access. For example, it can be more difficult to prevent spam and abuse when users don’t have to log in. However, many businesses have found that the benefits of anonymous access outweigh the risks.

Here are some examples of websites and applications that offer anonymous access:

• Websites: Google Search, Wikipedia, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram
• Applications: Google Maps, Google Translate, Waze, Spotify, Netflix, Hulu

It is important to note that not all websites and applications offer anonymous access. Some websites, such as online banking and shopping websites, require users to log in in order to access all of their features. However, the trend toward anonymous access is growing, and it is likely that more and more websites and applications will offer it in the future.

what is it exactly?

Anonymous access works by allowing users to access a website or application without requiring them to log in. This can be done in a number of ways, but the most common method is to use a special user account called the anonymous user account.

The anonymous user account is a special account that is created by the operating system or web server. It has no specific username or password, and it is assigned to all users who do not log in. When a user accesses a website or application without logging in, they are automatically authenticated as an anonymous user.

The anonymous user account typically has limited permissions. For example, anonymous users may be able to view public web pages, but they may not be able to access private areas of the website, such as their account settings or order history.

Another way to allow anonymous access is to use API keys. API keys are unique strings of characters that are used to authenticate users to an API. To allow anonymous access, a website or application can simply publish its API key. Anyone with the API key will then be able to access the API without having to log in.

Anonymous access can also be implemented using other methods, such as cookies and IP addresses. However, the anonymous user account and API keys are the most common methods.

Here is an example of how anonymous access works on a website:

1. A user visits the website without logging in.
2. The web server checks to see if the user is logged in. If the user is not logged in, the web server authenticates the user as an anonymous user.
3. The web server grants the user access to the resources that are allowed for anonymous users.
4. The user can now view the public web pages on the website.

If the user tries to access a resource that is not allowed for anonymous users, the web server will deny the request and prompt the user to log in.

Anonymous access is a convenient and powerful way to allow users to access websites and applications without having to create an account or remember a password. It is also a useful way for businesses to attract new users and learn more about their users.

but what was “login as a guest” and when it was a trend?

Guest login allows users to access and interact with your website without having to create an account. This can be especially important for first-time visitors or users who are only interested in viewing a specific page or piece of content.

The trend of “login as a guest” was most popular in the early to mid-2000s. This was when the internet was still relatively new and many people were hesitant to create accounts on websites. By allowing users to log in as guests, websites could make it easier for people to try out their website without having to commit to creating an account.

However, the trend of login as a guest has declined in recent years. This is due to a number of factors, including:

• The increasing popularity of social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter requires users to create accounts in order to use them.
• The growing awareness of the importance of online privacy and security.
• The rise of anonymous access, allows users to access some features of a website without having to log in.

In conclusion, as a designer, you should focus on how to design an easy and comfortable flow for visitors and users on your website or application to make them satisfied, and “anonymous access” is one of the factors you can apply in this way. and finally try to understand whether your solution has been a trend yet or not.