Oddly Zen

Take a look at this article in a list apart that talks about how signup forms must die. A bit harsh, but the core idea is to engage the prospect, capture as little info as possible, then automate the signup.

The fewer the fields the better - and the later in the process, the better.

Here is another article - smashing magazine - about web form design best practices. (click to page 1 of the article - talks about the methodology and players)

Captcha vs. Email confirmation vs. None - OnStartups - Stack Exchange