the thing I don't like about that system is, that if a person needed help right now (at the time of posting), they'd have to wait for how ever long (depending if someone is on to aprove their posts)

I like the original Idea in this thread, I also like the idea of administrators activating accounts (in sted of the 5 post rule)

an example:

I join the forum and i'm taken to the main screen

I can't access any of the forums themselves or the chat

below my name, their is a message that asks something like, please take the time to tell us some stuff about you

you fill in like a little profile, submit it, then you are taken back to the menu and told to wait for an admin to aprove your posting privilages

I also think that 5 posts to chat is not enough. I think people should become well known to the comunity first