Yesterday I came across this feature request, which I promptly mis-understood:
https://bugzilla.wikimedia.org/30018 Option to make access to specific user rights or user groups dependent on having a verified email address
The requester clarified the request today:
There's relatively little benefit to making people provide a verified email address at one point time. On long-lasting wikis, verification might have been 5-10 years ago. The aim of this bug is to make user rights dependent on a verified email address *on an ongoing basis*.
So for example if the user removes the email address, or replaces it with another but doesn't verify it, the user rights associated with their user group are automatically suspended, until a verified email address is provided, when they're automatically re-enabled.
This would be more useful if there are situations where the "verified" status of an existing email address can be automatically revoked (eg if emails to the user bounce); I'm not sure if that's the case but if it isn't that's a separate issue.
I'm fascinated by the idea and can see arguments both ways. I thought I'd bring it up here to see if anyone could help me think through it.
Thanks,
Mark.