Why does subscribing to a newsletter automatically register a user account?

[arm5077]

When Reader Activation (i.e., a registration wall) is enabled, every newsletter subscription action also gives that email address an account.

newspack-newsletters/src/blocks/subscribe/index.php

Line 493 in f9debe0

if ( ! \is_user_logged_in() && \class_exists( '\Newspack\Reader_Activation' ) && \Newspack\Reader_Activation::is_enabled() ) {

This is kind of weird. My organization sees newsletter subscribers as an entirely different audience (or at least, higher up the funnel) than our registered audience. People sign up for our newsletters because they have a casual relationship with us; people register because they have a deeper relationship (and want access to gated content).

We'd like to tie a whole bunch of features (email drip campaigns, etc.) to our registered users, but that doesn't work if every Dom, Nick and Larry who subscribed to a newsletter gets them too.

I'd suggest this feature be opt-in via the block config panel — publishers should decide on their own whether they want to link newsletter subscriptions to membership.