Powerbase:How to Register as a User

Template:SpinProfiles:Help You don't have to register as a User to read SpinProfiles, but you do need to register in order to edit or contribute material. To register you must agree with an sign up to the Editorial Policy, this involves you committing to factual reporting and to sourcing any statements that you make. You also need to write to Spinprofiles telling us who you are and what you are interested in working on. We do not accept anonymous users and you should use your full real name. To register, first send an email to editor AT spinprofiles.org asking to be approved as a User. Once you have been approved, you will be sent a User name and password that you can use to log into SpinProfiles and edit or contribute material.

Second, you should sign up to the SpinProfiles email list. This will enable you to receive emails sent to all SpinProfiles Users and to share information with the community of researchers there.

The most important reason for registering and becoming a Spinprofiles editor is that you will be able to participate in research and reporting on the powerful institutions and individuals involved in spin, propaganda and lobbying which does so much to distort public debate.

Other good reasons for registering, include:

• 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 be able to keep track of changes to articles you are interested in using a watch list.
• You will be able to rename pages.
• You will be able to set your own preferences, to change things such as the number of pages displaying in Recent changes, or to change the password you are given to log into SpinProfiles to one that you can remember more easily. Note: unless you are a true techie, it may be wise to avoid changing the settings in the preferences section, beyond the obvious ones like the email address to which you want SpinProfiles mail to be sent, and your password.

How to log in

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 haven't logged in before, contact editor AT spinprofiles.org to register as a User.

If you click the box Remember my password across sessions, you will not have to give your password again when you access SpinProfiles from the same computer. But remember that as only registered Users are authorised to edit SpinProfiles, don't use this function if you share your computer in anyway (whether that be through the computer itself or by sharing through wireless networks).

How to set preferences

If you want to change your password, click on the Preferences link at the top right of the page.

Your User page and User talk page

As a User, you will be able to create your own User page and User talk page. When you are logged in, you will see your User name 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 SpinProfiles page.

Most Users write something about themselves and their interests on their User page.

You also have a User talk page. You can access this by clicking on the discussion link next to your User name at the top of the page.

Other people may write messages in your User talk page by editing it, and you can respond. When another User has written something on your User talk page, a message will appear at the top of the page to let you know you have a message.

Signing your User name

You can "sign" your name when leaving a message on a User talk page by typing three tilde signs, like this: ~~~. This will sign your User name and automatically create a link back to your user page.

Typing four tilde signs (~~~~) will sign your name and also automatically add the date and time.

When editing a User talk page, there are commands for this purpose located in a task bar near the top of the page you are editing.

Note that on SpinProfiles, Users only sign what they write on talk pages - not in actual articles.

How to log out

You can log out any time by clicking on the Log out link at the top right of the page.

Do I have to use my real name when registering as a User?

Yes, real names are required.