COVID-19 has transformed the digital world. A lot of events where people can meet one another have gone virtual. Digital teleconferencing platforms are the places to go. The problem is the design of many of these platforms. As someone who uses the NoScript add-on and a sophisticated email filtering system the registration process can be a challenge. There is a recent case I want to discuss. It is not meant as a rant, but instead as a hint for developers of these platforms.

The registration process uses multiple sites. There is the portal from where I got the tickets (by way of a partner). This site connects to the conference registration page. From there you get redirected to the ticket shop. After entering the voucher code one gets to select the talks in order to compile a personalised schedule. The last step of the registration process is the confirmation click. The web site then tells me to expect a follow-up with the confirmation information from a specific domain. You have to know that the registration process only gives you access to another registration procedure on a different site.

The email never arrives. So the account is registered, but there is no link to complete the registration at the conference platform. After some emails the missed email with the instructions and the link arrive. The sender is completely different from the one in the announcement. Following the link leads to a questionnaire about interests, personal data, business data, and more. You also get to set the password. After yet another confirmation everything is ready to connect to the conference platform. The problem is that the personalised schedule is nowhere to be found. The platform shows the live events instead. There is no trace of my preferences. Well, at least watching presentations is possible.

So what should a conference platform look like. Here are some hints for developers:

• Have one registration portal.
• Don’t use trackers or advertising platforms for all sites necessary for administration.
• Handle registration details and handover or activation of subsequent systems in the background.
• Create a documentation of what domains participants need to white-list. Useful for preventing phishing.
• If registrations are missing before the events starts, send out reminders.
• When sending messages, please refrain from using fancy layout, bloated HTML content (better use no HTML at all), and all tracking features in message.
• Create an emergency contact for questions regarding the registration process.