Is this forum still open to non-subscribers?
I'm a long-term forum member, but I do not subscribe to the main site.
During the recent changes to the forum back-end I got locked out (my username + password were not recognised, and I'd forgotten the email I originally signed up with many years ago). Chris Batt, the webmaster, kindly helped me out, and eventually I found my way back in. However, whilst waiting for his fix, I tried to sign up to the forum with a new name, and I couldn't find a way to do so without becoming a subscriber (I tried both 'register' links on the forum front page).
Is it still possible for newcomers to participate in the forum for free, or has it become for subscribers only? If it's subscribers only, is this a recent change or has it been like this for a while? The forum stats show a sudden decline in new members in 2016, so perhaps this is old news - see bottom of this page:
https://forum2.luminous-landscape.com/index.php?action=statsThe forum could do with some young blood - it seems a shame to lock people out.