Help:Confirming accounts

Page for helping admins on how to confirm accounts. Previously the wiki, like most wikis, was constantly hit by spam. This required daily monitoring and cleaning of said spam, and typically there's only one person ever checking at a given time. To combat this while still making getting an account mostly painless we have a wiki extension called ConfirmAccount.

Since enabling this extension we have had zero spam on the wiki.

What not to do

Just to make it clear, this process is only meant to filter out bots and people who have incorrectly requested an account. It is not to judge the quality of contributions for a user or to even judge if they have a good reason to want to edit. If their only reason is "I want to fix a single typo and never edit again", that is fine.

How to confirm a requested account

I'll write up what I typically do. I've got notes here and there, so this page will look a little messy for now.

Examples

When people request an account they are asked to say "why" they want to edit the wiki. This is really just a check to see if: 1) they are a human and not a spambot, and 2) if they are actually asking to edit the wiki, as some users mistake wiki registration for various other things.

Sometimes it's even a mix of "bot/automated" and confused person. Spambots these days often work by getting a real human to answer questions for them, either by having someone who is actually paid to get past anti-spam tools, or by hijacking someone's computer and injecting questions for them to solve in other websites.

People don't even need a good reason to edit the wiki, as long as it sounds like a valid one.

If you're not sure, feel free to err on the side of accepting people.

The following are real examples of what people put under "why you want to edit the wiki":

Accepted reasons

• I'd like to add intel driver specific details to "how to configure resolution via xorg.conf".
• 1. to remove typos from the openelec wiki page 2. to correct broken links (intra-openelec or external)
• archive findings, share configurations, helping where needed, be sure i will not forget things.

Rejected reasons

• I want to integrate with my soundcloud account via cloud player app on Google/ chromecast
• i like xbmc chanel..good software
• hi brother. soy español , gracias por admitirme.
• Want to become a memnber
• I would like to create account please
• hello i am trying to set up my xbmc box
• i m human and i m alive
• I NEED TO HAVE ATV IN MY PHONE
• Lisen am human i hope lol
• i dont want to edit nothing i just want to be able to log in to my xbmc so i can possibly get faster downloads?
• Can't read the damn thing
• so I can check ot new thing
• to learn somthing of wiki
• I want to help
• Because I want to use it
• to have the best tv
• why you want to edit the wiki