Agreed, a searchable archive section covers the bases.
If zero posters get stroppy then so be it. It should take little time to re-register with the necessary security in place to hopefully exclude the bots. You could always include a sticky of some sort to explain why the measure has been taken. I can’t imagine that any reasonable individual would object. As it is, there’s so little traffic from legit posters no doubt directly due to the parlous state of affairs and the halt in development, any advance on the present should be welcomed and embraced! 😀