This is absolutely horrible.

If you attempt to go to WSOP.com and read "live updates" from any WSOP event, you get the following obnoxious screen:

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You are forced to sign in through your Facebook or Google+ account, or it will not let you browse WSOP event updates!

This is a HORRIBLE idea, and violates the basic convention of social media account linkage, where generally you can read but not interact. (Think of a news site where you can always read articles without logging in through social media, but where you only need the social media link to post comments.)

In addition to being totally non-standard, this is also placing a HUGE barrier of entry to any fan of the WSOP who simply wants to read updates. It also creates a huge hassle for people without social media accounts, such as older people who are computer literate but have no interest in social media (my father is a good example).

They also admit they will start spamming you with information about the "social WSOP game" -- something only a small percentage of people browsing would want to receive.

I understand that the WSOP wants to integrate its product with social media, but this is NOT the way to do it. All they're doing is driving away people from being interested in the results of their events, and making it tough on friends and relatives of the players.

Awful, terrible, mind-boggling



I have fired off the following e-mail to Seth Palansky, who is the VP of Communications for WSOP and WSOP.com, and is basically the #3 person in the WSOP hierarchy (below Ty Stewart and Jack Effel):


Seth,

I would like to provide some constructive criticism regarding a recent change to wsop.com.

As you know, I attend WSOP as both a player and as media, so I feel I especially have an informed perspective on the matter.

It is very frustrating and disappointing to see the mandatory social media login in order to view WSOP updates. While it is understandable to require such a login for interactive content on WSOP.com, it is a huge mistake to require this simply to check event updates.

First off, it is important that fans of the WSOP have a direct and easy path to viewing WSOP updates. Requiring social media logins to do so is both burdensome and non-standard. I have not seen any site which requires such a login to simply view its content. For example, some general news sites require a Facebook account to comment on their stories, but never to simply read the stories themselves. This is likely to turn off many WSOP fans, who will simply logout and never come back.

Second, not everyone has a Facebook or Google+ account. This is especially true of older fans, friends, and relatives of WSOP players. A good example is my own father. He is very computer literate, but as a longtime married man in his 70s, he has no desire to create social media accounts. He used wsop.com to both read updates on me and also to check the results of big name poker players he got to recognize over the years, but now he cannot access that content at all. This will be true of many of your "over 60" WSOP fans and player relatives.

Third, some people are just generally distrusting of letting any site link to their social media, fearing data harvesting (such as friends lists) or worse.

My reaction to seeing this change was incredibly negative, and everyone I have spoken to has also strongly disliked this new requirement.

While it is ultimately the WSOP's decision what it feels is best for their own business, I think this new policy is a huge mistake, and in fact violates the general concept of how social media linkage is utilized in 2016. Please consider reversing this and providing other more voluntary incentives for people to link their social media.

Thank you for your time in reading this.

-Todd Witteles