Wikiversity:Why create an account
From Wikiversity
|
This page explains why Wikiversity participants should create a user account and join the 61,772 other registered users (on this English language version of Wikiversity).
[edit] Username
If you create an account, you can pick a username. Then, when you edit Wikiversity pages while logged in, all of the contributions you make will be associated with your username. This means you will get full credit for your contributions to Wikiversity. In contrast, when you are not logged in, the edits are just assigned to your IP address (which is likely to vary over time and place). You will also be able to view all your contributions by clicking the "My Contributions" link.
Upon registering, you will have your own permanent user page, where you can write a bit about yourself. For example, you can describe your learning goals on your user page. You can also synchronise your user name across the sister projects e.g., with your Wikipedia user page.
You will have a permanent user talk page, which you can use to communicate with other individual users. You will be notified whenever someone writes a message on your talk page. If you choose to provide an e-mail address (enable via the "preferences" tab), other users will be able to contact you by e-mail. This feature is anonymous; the user who emails you will not know your e-mail address.
[edit] Reputation and privacy
You do not need to reveal your offline identity, but having an account gives you a fixed Wikiversity identity that other users will recognize. Editing Wikiversity while logged in lets you build trust and respect through a history of good edits. It is also easier to communicate and collaborate with an editor if we know who you are (at least, who you are on Wikiversity). It is also easier for veteran users to assume good faith from new users who take the effort to create an account (and you may well become a veteran user yourself some day!).
If you are not logged in, all your edits are publicly associated with your IP address at the time of that edit. If you log in, all your edits are publicly associated with your account name, and are internally associated with your IP address. See Wikiversity's privacy policy for more information on this practice.
You are actually more anonymous (though more pseudonymous) logged in than you are as an "anonymous" editor, owing to the hiding of your IP address. Before selecting your username you should consider various factors, including privacy and the possibility of offline harassment. For example, if you include personal information such as your email address in your Wikiversity username you may attract junk mail to your email account.
[edit] Cookies
What web browser are you using? Do you know how to set the preferences of your browser? Make sure you set the browser's preferences to accept cookies from Wikiversity. Special:Log/newusers will show when your user account is created. If your browser is not accepting cookies, then you can create an account but you will not be able to login to your account. If you create an account while not accepting cookies, you will see this message after you create your account:
