Main Page.Account

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Why a form???

If you click on "log in/create account" in the top/right corner of a page and try to create an account, you will get a page that says "Complete and submit the following form to request a user account". So, what is this all about? Please bare with me as I attempt to explain.

Some History

Over the last few years I have created a number of WIKI sites using MediaWIKI (the same software that runs WIKIPEDIA). One was destroyed by a spam bot that flooded the site with bogus pages. So I decided to require users to create a user ID and use it to log in before they could create or edit pages.

Fine, I thought, that solves that problem. Then I discovered (the hard way) that there were spam bots that could create user ID's! And they did, hundreds of them. And then used them to flood the site with thousands of bogus pages. Bummer!

Then I found the Confirm Account Extension to MediaWIKI.

How it works

The Confirm Account Extension disables direct account creation and requires the approval of new accounts by a bureaucrat. (For now, I will serve in that capacity.) It can also do a lot of other bumph but I have configured it to pull most of its fangs. It will still require you to write a short introduction (which will be put on your personal page). Just put in enough to show that you are really a person (not a spam bot) and indicate if you have helped other projects and/or posted on help sites like Dev Shed Forums. Of course, if I know you personally, there will be no problem. After I review your application, I will approve the creation of your account.

Another Way

If you just don't want to bother with the above, then send me an Email (rich02 at board18.org) or friend me on Facebook (facebook.com/richpri). I can create an account for you if needed, but I guess I would prefer that you use the Confirm Account Extension to introduce yourself.