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Registering a username is optional but encouraged. You do not need to give your name or any personal details to register.
Everyone can contribute to Wikipedia, regardless of whether they choose to register. However, there are several benefits to registering a username, including:
- The ability to create new articles.
- Having an account gives you many extra features, including more editing options and user preferences. One handy feature is the watchlist, which makes it easier for you to track changes to pages you are interested in. Another is the ability to move or rename a page. (Do not move pages simply through copying and pasting as the edit history is not preserved that way. Instead, ask at the Village pump for a registered user's help.)
- An unregistered user is identified by their computer's IP address, which is used as their public identifier when making contributions (and signing comments on talk pages). Your computer's IP address can often be used to find information about you, so registering increases your privacy by making your IP address non-visible to other editors. Also, because IP addresses often change, unregistered users sometimes find it more difficult to gain respect and recognition from other editors through building a good track record. It can also be more difficult to carry on conversations with such non-registered users since they lack a unique talk page. For these reasons, many Wikipedians consider registering to indicate a greater willingness by you to stand behind your edits, and your comments on discussion pages. This means your contributions to articles and discussion pages will generally be given more weight.
- Some pages, such as this page, require users to be autoconfirmed before they may be edited. This ability is automatically given to registered users who have been on Wikipedia for at least four days and have made ten edits, but is not given to unregistered users, regardless of the number of edits made.
- Only registered users are allowed to become administrators (also known as sysops).
If you register, do not forget your password or your user name. If you are prone to forgetting these, make sure you enter your email address as part of signing up, so you can have a new password sent to you if you forget your current one.
See Why create an account? for more information.
How to register
To register, click above, or click the Log in/create an account link at the top right corner of any page.
It is highly recommended that you read the username policy before choosing a username. You can change your username later on, but it is better to pick a username now that you won't regret later.
Note: To view this information in an article style format, see contributing to Wikipedia. Wikipedia also has "topic specific tutorials"; and The Wikipedia Adventure, a comprehensive and fun 7-mission interactive guided tour that covers all the essentials about editing and the expectations and norms of the Wikipedia community.