From the way you write it's like you're not actually reading my posts in their entirety. I never stated a FAQ is like a EULA. I'm saying that, like EULA's, few people read FAQs, especially noobs. If you want to force anybody to read anything, make them read the, "How To Ask Questions The Smart Way," document.
As for forum membership, I've been a member of countless forums, BBBs, newsgroups, whatever. My passkey has over 100 viable entries across a variety of sites for a variety of subjects, some of which I
pay for membership. So don't try to write me off as someone who doesn't know their ---Cleveland steamer---.
Here is my point. Most information is available in some form or another across the net. Forums serve one role in collecting this information into one location. By an extension of that role, they assist in compiling difficult to find information. There have been countless times I've searched for answers and the only information I've found was in a forum, BBB or even a newsgroup. Most of the time, I bookmark the site and if I find enough answers as time progresses, I usually register. In some instances, I'll even *GASP* pay a bit of money for that registration.
But when a forum is closed to non-member views, what does that accomplish? If I register, there's no guarantee that the forum will have the information I want. I can ask my question, but to ask it properly, you need to lurk or else it just defeated the silly registration scheme. Yes, I recognize that some forums are closed for a good reason, I'm a member of some of those very same forums. But those forums have very specific membership requirements and they offer very specific information.
From what I've read in your writing, unless there are very specific requirements (NDA, proprietary, personal info, etc) about the forum in question, it's nothing that can't be accomplished by an open-to-view/register-to-post system. Even a partial open-to-view forum harnesses more than a completely closed one, I run one of those too.
I don't want to come off as an ---uvula---, but I'd appreciate it if you read my posts in their entire context. I try to read yours in their entire context, but I'm secure enough to admit I miss the point on ocassion.