Wikiquote:Username policy

Shortcuts: WQ:UN WQ:NAME WQ:U

This page is a guideline on Wikiquote.
It tells about ways to do things, which many users agree should be the way things should be done.
Major changes to this page should be talked about on the talk page before changing.

You can create an account so that a username is shown beside the edits you make. A username is a way of telling who is writing something. This help people to communicate and to keep records. You can have a user page with the title of your username, and also a talk page, where people can leave you messages.

Usernames give people an idea of what Wikiquote is like. Usernames change what people think about other people and how they treat each other. We try to include everyone and be neutral. We try to be helpful to each other. We are making a collection of quotes and usernames should not stop us. Names that are hateful, or that are made to shock people or show a strong view stop these goals.

Your username does not have to be your real name, although some people think it is best to do this.

Offensive names policy

The name must not try to offend or upset anyone. Remember that other people editing here are from different places and they may be upset by different things. Here are ways to avoid offending people:

Do not use the name of a political, military or religious figure or event.
Do not choose something that might be offensive. Your user name should not suggest that you hold any particular political, religious or other belief.
Do not use a name similar to another user.
People should be able to think things about you just based on your contributions, not on what they think about your name.
Usernames which offend other people might make people not want to contribute to Wikipedia. That also distracts people from what they are meant to be doing - collecting quotes!
Some names do not offend people, but they show a strong view or are very religious. These names are discouraged but less seriously than names that offend people.
If someone complains about your user name, please think about changing it. If lots of people complain, you will have to change it.

How to change your name

The best way to ask for a username change is to make a request at Wikiquote:Changing username. Another way to be renamed is to contact a bureaucrat directly, by sending an email or adding a message on their user talk page. Give them your old username and the new one you want to use.

IMPORTANT: Do not create the new user account, the MediaWiki software will create it automatically and move all your contributions (pages you have changed) and preferences (settings of your account).

Multiple username policy

There is no rule against having more than one username, but you must not use it for bad reasons. You must not use multiple accounts to vote more than once. You should not make it look like people agree with you by saying things with different accounts.

If you have a good reason that you do not want to edit under one username, that may be allowed. A user account that is used by a user but is not their main or first account is called an alternative account. Alternative accounts that are used to break the rules are called "sockpuppets".