Is payment info needed to read the forums?

Sorry, Suez, but there isn't any place to ask you this except here.
I read your article.Is this true? I didn't know that and am being surprized. Is there any document that Linden announced?

I don't know what the policy is supposed to be.

The message that I see is clear and equivocal as I see it, to the effect that no one who started after August 20 who doesn't have payment info on file can access the forums.

The presence of a clear statement of policy such as this by Linden Lab does not mean that this is actually their intended policy. The person who wrote the message may have made an error.

I read messages from people quite regularly who are looking for a place to ask a question who can't access the forums, who see this same message. If the presence of this message is an error, there is nothing in the message to suggest this.

If this message is supposed to appear only on accounts associated with forum troublemaking then the message needs to say that, so that people who see it when they shouldn't will know something is amiss and thus have reason to get the problem straightened out.

LL got rid of the need to supply credit info in order to open access to SL to people in areas where supplying credit info is difficult. If these folks join, and try to access the forums, and get a message that says they can't because forum access is denied to those who joined after August 20th with no payment info on file, they have no reson to think it is the result of a bug.

Thank you, Suez. And Robin answered on your original thread. I realized that it seemed to be a bug which was not the intent. It would be better if they announces it on their blog right away when they make sure it.