Wikipedia:Don't create an account
 | This is an essay. It contains the advice or opinions of one or more Wikipedia contributors. This page is not an encyclopedia article, nor is it one of Wikipedia's policies or guidelines, as it has not been thoroughly vetted by the community. Some essays represent widespread norms; others only represent minority viewpoints. |
You do not have to log in to read Wikipedia, nor is a registered account required to edit Wikipedia articles – almost anyone can edit almost any article at any given time, even without logging in (although their IP address is displayed with any edits made). Below are more reasons you might not want a Wikipedia account.
Summary of benefits[edit]
- Plausible deniability for past/future edits
- A fresh start is as easy as rebooting your modem
- Editing conflicts always become about contributors, rather than contributions
- Regular opportunities to point out the hypocrisy of registered editors
Benefits explained[edit]
Reputation and privacy[edit]
You are actually more anonymous (though more pseudonymous) logged in than you are as an unregistered editor, owing to the hiding of your IP address. Honest users don't need to hide their IP address.
The privacy implications of this vary, depending on the nature of your Internet Service Provider, local laws and regulations, and the nature and quantity of your edits to Wikipedia. Be aware that Wikipedia technologies and policies may change.