Help:Logging in

It is not necessary to log in before viewing or editing pages. It does provide additional features, and is generally recommended. If you do not wish to have your IP address known then you should log in. It is quick and simple to create a personal user account.

Logging in
Creating a user account means that you supply a username and a password (it is highly recommended that you use the same username as your Shroud of the Avatar account, but with a unique, strong password). The system will reject a username that is already in use. A user account is created only once. You are then "logged in". The next time you log in, you supply your username again and demonstrate with the password that you are the same person. (Do not share your password with other people; this can allow them to misuse your account, which could lead to it being blocked.)

Edits you make are recorded under your username. If you are not logged in your edits are labelled in with your IP address.

Why log in?
You don't have to log in to read SotAwiki. You don't even have to log in to edit most pages on SotAwiki (although there are some exceptions). However, it's still a good idea to log in! Why?


 * The changes you make will be recorded with your username. This allows others to recognize you and your changes.
 * It will hide your IP address. If you are not logged in, your edits will appear with a "name" of your IP address. Also, computers at different locations (home, office, internet cafe, etc.) have a different IP address, so your edits will not be recognized as coming from the same person. A username is therefore preferred to maintain your identity.
 * You will have your own user page where you can write a bit about yourself, and a user talk page which you can use to communicate with other users.
 * You will also be able to make user subpages, as an add-on to your user page.
 * You will earn awards for helping keep the wiki up to date.
 * You will be able to mark an edit as minor, which avoids inconvenience for other users.
 * You will be able to keep track of changes to pages you are interested in using a watchlist.
 * You will be able to rename pages (by using the Move option).
 * You will be able to set your own preferences, to change things such as:
 * The number of pages displayed in Recent changes
 * The fonts, colours and layout of the site, by using different skins.

Creating an account
To create an account, click on the Create account link at the top right of the page. You will need to provide a username (generally, the same as your Shroud of the Avatar username) and password.

You may also be unable to create an account if it contains certain symbols (particularly the '@' symbol, as well as certain non-Latin characters) or words, or if it is too similar to that of an existing user. In that case, you will need to contact a member of the staff for assistance.

How to log in
First, make sure that your browser accepts cookies. Some browsers can accept or reject cookies from individual sites; users of these should configure the browser to accept cookies from each wiki you plan to edit, such as sotawiki.net.

Click on the Log in link at the top right of the page. You will then be prompted to enter your username and password. If you have not logged in before, you will need to use the link provided to create an account.

You may give your email address if you like. Other users will be able to send email to the address, but they won't be able to find out what the address is.

If you click the box Remember me, you will not have to give your password again when you access SotAwiki from the same computer. The cookies containing username and password automatically expire 30 days after login (unless you log out manually).

Login issues and problems
If you find yourself unable to log in, you may have one of the problems addressed in the following paragraphs. If none of them seem to apply, contact a member of the staff for assistance.


 * The login link is obscured: If you cannot click on the login link, for instance because it is obscured by other text, use this direct link to the login page. It may be helpful to add the page to your browser's bookmarks/favorites.


 * My username and password are refused: Both usernames and passwords are case-sensitive. Did you remember to type in the right capitalization? For example, if you registered under MyUserName, you will not be able to log in as Myusername (notice the subtle difference). The same goes for your password. The only exception is the first character of the username, which is capital by default.


 * I get logged out just after logging in: There are a few possible causes of this problem:
 * If you appear to have logged in, but as soon as you try to look at a page after 'Log in successful', you appear logged out again, it is very likely to be a cookie problem. Make sure to enable cookies for your browser.
 * Make sure your computer's date and time are set correctly; if they are not, cookies may expire before they are supposed to. Note that some firewall and ad-blocking software may interfere with the cookie that Wikipedia uses to keep a person logged in.
 * Some ISPs use transparent proxies which cause problems logging in. Try using the secure server to bypass the proxy. This happens most often with some satellite ISPs.
 * Occasionally, a user may find him/herself "automatically" logged out between beginning an edit and saving it, or when switching between multiple wiki pages open in multiple windows or tabs. This can be a result of your browser's cookie, cache, or firewall settings.


 * I get a message that my IP address has been blocked: Follow the instructions listed on screen on how to request an unblock or contact a member of the staff for assistance.

What if I forget the username?
If you have forgotten your username, these steps may help you recover it: If none of these steps are successful you will have to start again with a new account. SotAwiki staff will not be able to help you work out your username from your email address or your IP address.
 * Depending on your browser settings, you may find that the log in page redisplays the last username that was used on that computer.
 * If you have received any emails from SotAwiki, these will include the username.
 * If you can remember the names of any of SotAwikipages that you edited while logged in, the username will be listed as part of the of those pages.
 * If you can remember the first part of the name, this search page may help you remember the rest of it.
 * If you previously entered an e-mail address when signing up for the account or in your Preferences, and you still have access to that e-mail account, then you can go to the login screen and click 'Reset your password'. Enter that email address on the next screen (Special:PasswordReset), and the system will send an email containing, among other things, a reminder of your user name.

What if I forget the password?
If you have forgotten your password, you previously entered an e-mail address when signing up for the account or in your Preferences, and you still have access to that e-mail account, then you can enter your username on the login screen and click 'Reset your password'. Enter your user name on the next screen (Special:PasswordReset), and the system will send a temporary password to your saved e-mail address that will allow you to retrieve your account. You can change the password after you log in.

How to set preferences
Click on the My preferences link at the top right of the page for various options, including:
 * Changing your password.
 * Changing the skin, which changes the way that the web pages look.

Your user page and user talk page
As a logged in user, you will be able to create your own user page and user talk page. When you are logged in, you will see your username displayed at the top right of the page. Click on this to get to your user page, which you can edit in the same way as any other wiki page.

Most users write a little bit about themselves and their interests on their user page.

You also have a User talk page. You can access this by clicking on the Talk link next to your username at the top right of the page. Other people may write messages in your user talk page by editing it, and you can respond.

Logging out
You can log out any time by clicking on the Log out link at the top right of the page. And after it, you will be using an IP to read SotAwiki. To prevent the browser from remembering your username and suggesting it to the next user of the computer, remember to delete the Wikipedia cookies in your browser's privacy settings. Especially if you are using a public computer, you may want to delete all of the browser's recent history (Ctrl+Shift+Del in Firefox).

Editing while logged out
Occasionally an established editor will edit while logged out. While not usually an egregious issue, there can be some concerns about attribution and privacy.


 * If you made an edit without logging in, you cannot go back and directly tie that edit to your account. If your desire to account for the edit overrides your desire for anonymity, you can log in, make a small edit, and add a note in the edit summary about the previous edit.


 * If you make a comment on a talk page without logging in, then your signature will include your IP address. You can log in and edit the comment by replacing the signature.

Keeping your account secure
Users, especially staff, should keep their accounts secure. If someone accesses your account and causes malicious damage, your reputation could be in trouble! Below are some tips on keeping your account secure:


 * 1) Never give your SotAwiki password to anyone, not even users claiming to be sysop and staff!
 * 2) Keep your computer up-to-date with the latest anti-virus and anti-spyware software.
 * 3) Your password should be easy to remember, but hard to guess.
 * 4) If you decide to log on using a public computer, remember to log out when done.
 * 5) Be careful when running user scripts. Some scripts can be programmed to steal cookies and thus compromise accounts.