Things won't change until they remove the create account email restriction. Then shit will hit the fan.
Given that membership growth has been flat for basically two years now, I'm not really sure if the email restriction prevents bad actors from registering, but probably does prevent genuine new users from registering. I just know that if I was a casual videogame fan and found value in a thread here, if I went to register and it told me I have to use my *named corporate work email* I'd be like, no f'ing way.
I share a lot of opinions on the site that I wouldn't want my employer to know about, from anything ... complaints about my employer or maybe political opinions that might be considered too out there for the safe work culture stuff.
I've always assumed that if bad actors wanted to register and shit the place up, they've always been able to, but that the email restrictions would more likely block mundane new registrations. Early on, I get it, but these days I really wonder how much people care and if they care enough to shit on some isolated community they probably could get around it.
Philosophically, I've been against it because of equity/gatekeeping issues. Like, if you need a university, workplace, or some premium/non-standard email to register, it's a sort of middle class to upper middle class gatekeeping. And while "The country club" might want to be choosey with who registers, I've always thought that was out of step with the feelings of most people in the community, but because "It's the way neogaf worked..." we've preserved it.
