If Xanga had started out with required self-ratings, with no opt-out of self-rating that didn't incur a visitor dropoff, I'd have certainly just passed Xanga forever by.   I would have just felt too stifled just by having to "type" myself.

I realize this is a "service" that you may feel you need to provide.  But I see it more as a way to cover Xanga's legal liabilities (lawsuits from distraught parents) rather than providing any real protection.  I sympathize with your legal plights.  But ratings do nothing for me.

And 'EX' requiring a credit card?  Total kiss of death.  Who the EX will want to provide credit information, or take any additional step, just to read a post?  This is blogging: one additional step = hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of less (even qaulified) readers.

(okay, I just read your 'EDIT' and see that you've already abandoned the credit info thing.)

Besides, I have written 'EX' posts from time to time as streams of consciousness, published them 'in the moment, from the field' in states of euphoria, and would have been incognizant or incapable of rating my site or the posts (that is, being rationally self-reflective) in any manner whatsoever in those moments.  So...if I don't rate my site 'EX' at the outstart (kiss of death) but fail, due to a transformed non-rational state of consciousness, to rate something 'EX' that the coming subcultural of 'Xanga censor/raters' overwhelmingly will deem 'EX',  then I guess I'll end up on your shit list.