Editing Help:Why create an account?

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'''[[Special:Userlogin|Creating an account]]''' is free and easy. It also has several other benefits to editing logged out.

==Anonymity under your chosen user name==
Although those editing logged-out are often called "anons" on wikis, she/he are actually identified by her/his IP number. This is visible to the public in the edited page's history and [[Special:Recentchanges|recent changes]] each time they edit. For some editors, this doesn't give any information to others. But in some cases, for example if you are editing from a work computer, this may allow others to work out your location or other details. If you are worried about this, you should log in to edit. Your IP address will then not be visible to other contributors.

==A way of joining the community==
Becoming known under a user name means that you will be able to gain reputation and recognition in the community. It's difficult to remember whether or not you have met 88.108.20.19 before! You can also make a personal [[Help:User page|user page]] once you are logged in. The link to your user page will appear at the top right of the screen. You will also have a personal [[Help:Talk page|talk page]], and will be notified with a banner each time someone adds a message. Being able to communicate easily makes it a lot easier to build a wiki page.

==New features==
Being logged in allows you to rename pages (with the "move" tab) and to upload images. You can also easily view your contributions using the "my contributions" link at the top of the screen, and make a personal watchlist to keep an eye on your favorite articles.

==Customization==
A lot of the look of the site can be changed with customization. Using the "preferences" link, you can change the overall look of the site, your time-zone preferences, search settings, and much more. If you know CSS, then you can change the look of the site even further with your personal style sheet.

So please consider creating an account and logging in. It's free, and very easy. [[Special:Userlogin|Click here]] to go to the log-in page, and [[Special:createaccount|here]] to create an account.

[[Category:Help]]