Yes, it is very inconvenient, but we have about 150 spammers registering every month, so unfortunately had to resort to a process that prevents real fans like you and me from being swamped by their posts and PMs.
People realise that this isn't facebook, so it isn't a spontaneous join-and-post site and never see them again... it is a long-term interaction site for people to commit to, contribute to, and ultimately feel like they are part of a close family of friends and fellow fans, to benefit from, from all of the contributions by the community.