RecoveredNS112:Why create a Wikademia account

This page explains why Wikiversity participants should create a user account.

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Benefits explained

Username

If you create an account, you can pick a username. When you edit Wikiversity pages while logged in, all of the contributions you make will be associated with your username. That 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. You can also view all your contributions by clicking the "My contributions" link, which is visible only when you are logged in.

You will have your own permanent user page where you can write a bit about yourself. While Wikipedia is not a homepage provider, you can use this to display a few pictures, write about your hobbies, etc. Many users use their user page to maintain a list of the articles they are most proud of, or to collect other valuable information from Wikipedia.

You will have a permanent user talk page you can use to communicate with other users. You will be notified whenever someone writes a message on your talk page. If you choose to give an e-mail address, 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.

Reputation and privacy

You do not need to reveal your offline identity, but having an account gives you a fixed Wikipedia identity that other users will recognize. While we welcome anonymous contributions, logging 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 Wikipedia). 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!). You may well be afforded a great deal less leeway if you do not go to the trouble of making up a username.

Please understand that Wikipedia gets vandalized, spammed, and information gets uploaded by people who just want to advertise. Information sources need to be verified and Wikipedia needs a way to distinguish reliable contributors and sources.

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 Wikipedia'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. You might want to consider various factors, including privacy and the possibility of offline harassment, when selecting a username.

The privacy implications of this vary, depending on the nature of your Internet Service Provider, local laws and regulations, and the nature and quantity of your edits to Wikipedia. Be aware that Wikipedia technologies and policies may change.