Help:Logging in

You don't have to log in to view or edit pages but doing so gives you access to some additional features.

To create an account, you simply have to supply your username (this can be your real name or a nickname) and a password. You can't use a username that someone else has registered. Once you have set up your account you will be logged in. You can log in again by supplying your username and password.

Why log in?

Even though you don't have to log in, it is still a good idea for a number of reasons:

Other users will be able to recognise your username when you edit pages. If you are not logged in, your IP address or hostname will be used instead. This is less friendly for other users and is also a security risk.
You will have your own user page which you can use however you want. You will also have a user talk page which other users can use to communicate with you.
You will be able to set up a watch list to keep track of changes to any page in which you are interested.
You can rename pages.
You can create new pages.
You can upload images.
After a few days, you will be able to edit partially protected pages.
If you choose to give your email address, other users will be able to contact you by email. The user who emails you will not be able to see your email address unless you reply to their message. However, you will be able to see their address. You don't have to give your email address if you don't want to.
You will be able to customise the wiki in a number of ways by setting your preferences.

How to log in

You will only be able to log in if your browser is set to accept cookies from this site. In most cases you won't need to do anything but, if you are having problems, you will need to check this.

There is a log in link on every page, usually in the top right hand corner. If you click on this, you will be prompted to enter your username and password. If you have not logged in before, you will need to click on the link to create a new account.

When you create your account, we strongly advise you NOT to use your email address as your username. This would result in your email address becoming visible to spammers visiting the site.

When creating your account, you can give your email address if you like. Other users will then be able to send email to you but they won't be able to find out your email address. However, if you send an email to another user, your email address will be visible to them in the email they receive. If you forget your password, we can send it to your email address.

If you click the remember me box, you will not have to log in again the next time you visit this wiki from the same computer.

I can't log in - what's wrong?

There are a number of common problems:

Capitalisation. Both your username and password are case sensitive, with the exception of the first character in your username which is always forced to upper case. Myusername and MyUserName are therefore different usernames. Did you get the right capitalisation? Have you got Caps Lock on by mistake?
Cookies. If you log on successfully but are logged off as soon as you go to another page, this may be a cookie problem. However, it may also be a cacheing problem - your browser may have cached a version of the page when you were logged off. If this is the case, refreshing the page will fix the problem. If that doesn't work, make sure cookies are enabled in your browser. It is also worth checking that your computer's time and date are set correctly. If they are not, it is possible that the cookie is expiring before it is supposed to. Note that some firewall and ad-blocking software may block the cookies that this wiki uses to keep you logged in.

I forgot my password

If you forget your password, simply click on the email my password button on the login page. Provided you have given us your email address, the wiki will automatically send you an email with your password details.

Setting your preferences

Once you have logged in, you can set your preferences by clicking on the my preferences link. This is usually near the top right corner of the page.

Your personal User and User talk pages

Once you have logged in, you will be able to create your own User and User talk pages. Your name will appear near the top right corner of the page. Click on this to go to your User page. You can get to your User talk page by clicking on the my talk link to the right of your username at the top of the page.

You can use your User page however you want. You can, for example, use it as a sandbox for experimenting with editing the wiki. You can also use it to tell other users a little bit about yourself and your interests. Other users can write messages to you on your talk page.

You can edit the User pages of other users. However, this is considered impolite. If you want to communicate with another user, please do so through their User talk page.

Logging out

You can log out at any time by clicking the log out link. This is usually in the top right hand corner of the page.

Keep your account secure

We will never ask you for your password. If someone asks you for your password, don't give it to them.
If you log on using a public computer, make sure you log off again before leaving it. Even better, don't log on from a public computer.
Make sure your computer is protected by up-to-date anti-virus software.