View source for Wikipedia:Writing Wikipedia Articles course/Create an account

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[[File:How to create a user account on Wikipedia.webm|thumb|How to create an account: 3 minute video]]
{{For|the policy governing what usernames are or are not appropriate|Wikipedia:Username policy}}
'''Are you ready to create a Wikipedia account,''' so you can keep track of articles in a watch list, customize your reading and editing preferences, and communicate with other Wikipedia volunteers about improving articles that interest you? '''GREAT!'''

Your first big decision will be choosing a username. And you'll want to consider:

{{center|<big>''Should you be fully public about your contributions?<br />Or anonymous? Or somewhere in between?''</big>}}

There are reasons to go in any of these directions. This page is meant as a resource to help you choose. You don't need to read more than you like, of course; if you already know what username you want, you might want to skim through the pros & cons below.

In addition, you may need to consider whether your preferred name would violate Wikipedia's [[WP:Username policy|policy on usernames]]; for instance, if it might be considered deceptive, promotional, offensive, etc. Please reference the [[WP:Username policy|Username policy]] if relevant.

But whenever you're ready…
{{center|1=<div class=plainlinks>[https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:UserLogin&returnto=WP:WIKISOO/NOW&returntoquery=&type=signup {{button|'''...go create your account!'''}}]</div>}}

== Personae ==
Each of the following fictional people has an interest in flowers and horticulture, and participates in several online blogging and social media communities relating to that interest. Each one works on Wikipedia articles related to flowers, and various other topics as well. But they have chosen varying levels of anonymity on Wikipedia. In order from most public to most anonymous:
* '''Pamela Bunster''' is building a reputation as an expert in horticulture and biology. On Wikipedia, she calls herself {{u|Pamela Bunster}}; and on her user page, she lists various personal and professional accomplishments, and links various online profiles.
* '''Jim Mickles''' is building a career and an online presence as a tax attorney. He doesn't mind anybody knowing who he is, but prefers not to emphasize his name. On Wikipedia, he calls himself {{u|FlowerPower9999}}; he puts his name on his user page along with some info about himself.
* '''Heather Bronson''' is private by nature. She doesn't like getting in arguments, and when they happen, she likes to be able to walk away from them easily. She has been online for a long time; her Twitter account, and her username in many online forums, is "OrchidNut1234." She chooses the Wikipedia username {{u|OrchidNut1234}}; her name doesn't appear anywhere on her user page, but she does link to her Twitter account.
* '''Anthony Robson''' is a very private person. He likes to keep his options open, and doesn't want to get in "trouble" in real life for controversial choices about what or how he edits Wikipedia. For instance, maybe in the future he will work on articles that are culturally taboo or politically unpopular. He wants to be very confident that co-workers or family members won't connect those things to him. He chooses {{u|Shadowy Figury 9876}} as his username. His user page has little or no information about himself or his interests; he just uses it to keep links to interesting Wikipedia pages for future reference.
* '''Bob Dobbs''' is just like Anthony, but chooses a different approach: he doesn't create a Wikipedia account at all, and edits without logging in. In the edit history, instead of a username, you will see his IP address, which looks like: {{u|555.555.555.555}}

== Pros & cons ==
{| class=wikitable
|-
! Persona description
! Username is real name
! Real name used on user page
! Username is online handle
! Username is unconnected to identity
! No user account created
|- align=center
!rowspan=2| avatar
| [[File:Marilyn Monroe, Korea, 1954 (cropped).jpg|100px]]
| [[File:Harry-truman.jpg|100px]]
| [[File:Phalaenopsis hieroglyphica toapel.jpg|100px]]
| [[File:Replace this image male.png|100px]]
| [[File:Anonymous mask Prague.JPG|100px]]
|- style="font-size:80%;vertical-align:top"
| colspan=5 align=center | ''Wikipedians sometimes share an image of themselves on their user pages. The images above are meant to suggest the kind of image each of these personae might choose. (Since these are fictional people, we have used existing photos of famous people to represent their photos.''
|-
! government name
! Pamela Bunster
! Jim Mickles
! Heather Bronson
! Anthony Robson
! Bob Dobbs
|-
! username
! {{u|Pamela Bunster}}
! {{u|FlowerPower9999}}
! {{u|OrchidNut1234}}
! {{u|Shadowy Figury 9876}}
! ''none; IP address appears, e.g.'' {{u|555.555.555.555}}
|- style="font-size:80%;vertical-align:top"
! user page
| A pretty complete bio listing interests, professional accomplishments, etc.
| A pretty complete bio, including his name "Jim Mickles"
| Some comments about her interest in flowers and various topics; perhaps some personal information, but none that makes her personally identifiable.
| Perhaps empty (creating a [[WP:REDLINK|red link]]), or perhaps minimal, broad information (such as "This user lives on Planet Earth" or "This user cares about good grammar")
| ''Not applicable; there is no user page if a user does not create an account.''
|- style="font-size:80%;vertical-align:top"
! benefits
|
* Can get full credit in the "real world" for her work.<ref name=credit>How easy is it for colleagues, bosses, friends, and Internet followers to associate your "real life" identity with your Wikipedia work?</ref>
* "Outing" is not an issue.<ref name=outing>Wikipedians who have tried to keep their identities hidden have, from time to time, been "outed" -- either accidentally, or maliciously.</ref>
* Those searching the web for her name may find her Wikipedia user page.<ref name=SEO>Wikipedia articles are very heavily indexed by web search engines. If you are active on Wikipedia, when people search for your username, your Wikipedia user page will tend to come up as a result, making your Wikipedia accomplishments highly visible.</ref>
* If diligent, she can manage any conflicts of interest (COI) responsibly.<ref name=COI>When a Wikipedian works on content that relates strongly to his or her personal or professional life, they stand in a [[WP:COI|conflict of interest]] (COI). Dealing with a COI responsibly includes clearly disclosing one's connection to the subject. The more anonymous you choose to be, the less likely you will be able to manage the COI responsibly.</ref>
|
* Can get full credit in the "real world" for his work.<ref name=credit />
* "Outing" is not an issue.<ref name=outing />
* Those searching the web for his username may find his Wikipedia user page.<ref name=SEO />
* If diligent, he can manage any COI responsibly.<ref name=COI />
|
* She can get credit (as her online handle) for her work.<ref name=credit />
* She can share as much or as little as she likes<ref name=disclosure>If you don't use your real name, you have a good deal of choice about how much personal information you ''do'' disclose. Some Wikipedians share a fair amount of information, stopping just short of revealing their names: personal & professional interests, career, city or state, etc. Of course, if you claim authoritative status (for instance, that you hold an advanced degree, have played professional sports, or have traveled to Antarctica), others may be skeptical in the absence of proof.</ref>
|
* Shadowy Figury 9876 can compartmentalize his work on Wikipedia separate from the rest of his life.<ref name=compartmentalize>If your Wikipedia username is sufficiently disconnected from your name or your other online persona, it can be easier to leave any big, long-term projects on Wikipedia aside during busy times, or walk away from frustrating disputes. On occasion, your Wikipedia work might attract unwanted attention. Wikipedia attracts all kinds of people; unkind or insensitive behavior is not uncommon. An editor might be angry about your edits, and seek you out by email, Twitter, or any other means to continue the argument. Or somebody might become interested in pursuing a relationship beyond Wikipedia editing, and approach you in ways you don't consider appropriate. Your personal level of comfort and sense of safety is an important consideration.</ref>
|
* 555.555.555.555 can keep his work on Wikipedia entirely compartmentalized.<ref name=compartmentalize />
* Edits he makes from different locations (like home vs. a coffee shop with WiFi) will not be visibly related to each other
* He may choose this approach for philosophical reasons, and find satisfaction in helping keep Wikipedia truly open to everyone to edit.
|- style="font-size:80%;vertical-align:top"
! drawbacks
|
* It's hard for her to compartmentalize her Wikipedia work.<ref name=compartmentalize />
|
* It's hard for him to compartmentalize his Wikipedia work.<ref name=compartmentalize />
|
* It may be '''difficult''' for OrchidNut1234 to take credit for her work.<ref name=credit />
* Could be '''difficult''' for others to get in touch.<ref name=email />
* Risk of being "outed."<ref name=outing />
* '''Hard''' to avoid ethical problems with COI.<ref name=COI />
* In some rare cases, may need to prove identity to Wikimedia Foundation.<ref name=IDbenefits />
|
* It may be '''difficult''' for Shadowy Figury to take credit for his work.<ref name=credit />
* Could be '''difficult''' for others to get in touch.<ref name=email />
* Risk of being "outed."<ref name=outing />
* '''Very hard''' to avoid ethical problems with COI.<ref name=COI />
* In some rare cases, may need to prove identity to Wikimedia Foundation.<ref name=IDbenefits />
|
* 555.555.555.555 is ''less'' anonymous than Shadowy Figury.<ref name=anon>Bob's IP address (which can probably be linked to his home address, work address, his Internet Service Provider, etc.) is displayed next to every edit he makes. Shadowy Figury's IP address is visible only to a [[Wikipedia:CheckUser|small group of elected or appointed Wikipedians]], trusted to handle that information responsibly.</ref>
* It is '''pretty much impossible''' for Bob to take credit for his work.<ref name=credit />
* '''Almost impossible''' for others to get in touch.<ref name=email>If a Wikipedian chooses to enter their email address when registering, it becomes possible for others to email him or her through [[Special:EmailUser|a form]]. Even if a Wikipedian has ''not'' entered an email address, it's possible to leave them a public message on their [[WP:USERTALK|user talk page]]; they will be notified upon logging back in. The only way to get in touch with an IP user like Bob, though, is to leave a note on that IP address's talk page, and hope that (1) he or she doesn't share that IP address with lots of other people (e.g., at a public library or a large company), and (2) that he or she comes back to Wikipedia and notices the message ''before his or IP address changes'' (which can happen for any number of reasons; in some cases IP's change automatically every few days).</ref>
* 555.555.555.555 can't use several useful software features.<ref name=software>Benefits of using an account include: building your own [[WP:WATCHLIST|watchlist]]; setting preferences for how you view or edit articles; getting notifications about local Wikipedia events. The "user contributions" feature enables you to keep track of your own work, as well as being visible to others.</ref>
* Risk of being "outed."<ref name=outing />
* '''Impossible''' to avoid ethical problems with COI.<ref name=COI />
* Various aspects of the Wikipedia social order are unavailable.<ref name=IDbenefits>An account is required if you want to serve in a position of trust (such as [[WP:AMBASSADOR|ambassador]], [[WP:ADMIN|administrator]], etc.); or vote (in some elections; not required in others). If you don't use an account, some users may give your comments or opinions less weight. For (a very few) positions of trust, it is necessary to prove your identity to the Wikimedia Foundation, though they will not keep a permanent record. Using your ''real name'' is almost never required or preferred in Wikimedia's organizational dynamics; but having an account frequently is.</ref>
|- style="font-size:80%;vertical-align:top"
! second thoughts?
|
* [[WP:Revision deletion|Revision deletion]]
* [[WP:Suppression|Suppression]]
* [[WP:VANISH|Right to vanish]]
* [[WP:UNC|Change username]] (but history still exists and may be noted elsewhere on the WWW)
|
* [[WP:Revision deletion|Revision deletion]]
* [[WP:Suppression|Suppression]]
* [[WP:VANISH|Right to vanish]]
* Delete real name from user page (but it still exists if a sophisticated user wants to find it)
|
* Easy to add real name & info to user page in the future if desired
* Possible to adopt real name as username if desired
* Revision deletion & suppression might be used to mitigate if you are "outed"
|
* Easy to add real name & info to user page in the future if desired
* Possible to adopt real name as username if desired
* Revision deletion & suppression might be used to mitigate if you are "outed"
|
* Possible to create user account at any time
* 555.555.555.555's past edits will not be linked to new account
|}

== Notes ==
<references />

== See also ==
* [[Wikipedia:Why create an account?]]
* Video: [[:File:Creating a user page.webm|How to create a basic user page]]

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