OSU Sign-on and OpenID Now Supported
In response to feedback we received about having to log into our site (and resetting passwords each time), as well as insanely difficult CAPTCHAs, we have taken steps to make things a little easier for everyone. Effective immediately, an OSU name.n will now log any current student, faculty, or staff member into our website, as well as most alumni and former staff. To use it, simply click the link on the left-side of any page titled “OSU Sign-on” and enter your OSU username and password (same password you use for Carmen/grades/etc). Logging in this way will automatically mark your account as identified and give you the ability to post anything without moderator approval, as well as any other options previously unavailable to anonymous or unverified users.
Additionally, we support OpenID. Unlike with your OSU login (which uses Shibboleth), an OpenID will not automatically flagg your account as identified if you register a new account with it. However, you may tie unlimited OpenIDs to your verified account. Using either OpenID or your OSU sign-on, you can now log into our website without ever having to enter a password in our site.
The first time you log in or register on this website, you may need to follow these instructions for one of 3 methods. It is possible to use all or any combination of them to use our website, and you can tie all 3 methods to the same account. This page documents how to use each of the methods and the advantages and disadvantages of each, as well as what to do if you have never signed into our website before. You should wind up with the same privileges no matter which method you use. This page does not talk about club membership; we do not formally keep track of membership except as absolutely required by the Ohio State University to maintain formal status as a registered student organization. If you are still looking to be recognized as a member to any degree, we recommend you attend our weekly meetings, register on our mailing list, and register on this website (instructions below). NOTE: We recommend using the same e-mail address on the mailing list and this website (read more).
OSU Sign-on:
If you are an OSU student, faculty, or staff member, it is recommended that you sign into this website with your OSU internet username, at least the first time you use our website. Do not enter this information into our login form that appears on every page, but instead use the “OSU Sign-on” link - your OSU username and password are considered restricted information, and they are not stored on this website, but verified to us by another OSU service. This login is the same as what you log into for your e-mail, grades, Carmen, and a number of other services, and as long as you are affiliated with OSU in some fashion, you can continue to authenticate through the web authentication service. If you sign in this way, you will automatically inherit privileges of an approved account for the duration of your session, and within a day OpenID or Drupal sign-ins should include these privileges as well. These privileges may include but are not limited to viewing user profiles, posting content that isn’t sent to a moderation queue (as is the case for anonymous submissions), or voting on polls. You cannot use this option if you are not affiliated with OSU, but you can still gain full access to our website by the methods below.
After your first time logging in, we recommend that you initiate a password reset by signing out and clicking on “Request new password” so you can set a separate password for your account. Although you can continue logging in with your OSU username and password as long as you’re affiliated, once you graduate OSU and your name.n stops working, will no longer be able to sign in with your name.n. Initiating a password reset “confirms” your account, for technical purposes I won’t explain here, and allows you to sign in without OSU’s single sign-on service (Shibboleth). Once you do this, you can (optionally) set your own password, or add an OpenID so you can sign in with a 3rd-party service.
OpenID:
You can tie an OpenID to your account from your user profile page and clicking on the tab labeled OpenID Identities. All accounts have permission to do this, and doing so (like with the OSU sign-on) allows you to sign in without entering a password into this website, so you don’t have to create a new password or worry about repeating the same password here as on another website. There is no limit on the number of OpenIDs you can tie to a single account, but we recommend you tie all OpenIDs to your existing verified account instead of creating multiple accounts.
If you do not already have an account on this website, you can register with OpenID, but you will have the same limited privileges as if you register directly, and you won’t have the opportunity to pick your username. Of course, this means you’re entering a password into our website, but you could always just enter something random you’re never going to use (please use a strong password) then tie the OpenID to your account and use that. If you’re affiliated with OSU, you can also follow the instructions to enable OpenID for your OSU sign-on, and you’ll have full access from OpenID but you will be forced to use your name.n as the username (if you’re just logging in the first time it may take up to a day for the new privileges to migrate over to OpenID).
If you do not have an OSU account, and are not affiliated with the Ohio State University, you are more than welcome to use this website fully, but you will have to have your account verified. This can be done in person with the club’s administration, or by immediately setting your e-mail address to something verifiable when you first sign in. If you do not set it right away on your first time logging in, chances are an administrator will overlook your account and you will need to fill out a support request. Examples of such e-mail addresses are SOME_USER@XXX.gov, STUDENT@SCHOOL.edu, or something with a clear name from a well-known organization (e.g. fsf.org) where creating multiple free e-mail addresses is out of the question. Examples of e-mail addresses that will not verify your account are crackmonkey79@gmail.com, anon007@mailinator.com, or viagra@provider.ru. Despite this, registration on our website is completely open. Anybody is welcome on our website, and these account limitations for unidentified users are exclusively meant as an anti-spam measure, not to restrict users.
Drupal sign-in (local):
In addition to the methods above, you may also register directly (local) on our website. The advantage to registering this way is that you get to pick your username, which would automatically be assigned if you use Shibboleth or OpenID. You do not need to be affiliated with the Ohio State University to use this method, but keep in mind that if you are affiliated with OSU then you will need to use your name.n username if you want your account to be compatible with your OSU account. A conflicting username can lock you out from your OSU login. Only an administrator can change your username, and this is the only way to correct the problems that will arise if you try to use your OSU login later on. If you’re not affiliated with OSU, or you have no intention of using the OSU login service, then this doesn’t apply to you. Also, do NOT register with the name.n of someone else — it’s not funny, it’s not cute, it won’t accomplish anything for you. We’ve already tested that, and if some wise-ass thinks otherwise, tries it, and the account doesn’t get flagged for abuse, then here’s what will happen: then the next time the owner of that squatted OSU username logs into our site through the OSU login service, they will take control of that account you just registered and automatically reset the password and e-mail address to their own — congratulations, your cleverness just got your OWN account p0wned and you effectively banned yourself from our website.
As with OpenID, you must use a verifiable e-mail address to be granted full access to our website. Although you can immediately sign in, add OpenID accounts, and post with your selected username, you will not be granted full access automatically, and you will have to wait for an administrator to approve your account. This usually happens within less than 1 day, as administrators are automatically alerted about the account creation, but over holidays or breaks when the administrators are not around, it can potentially take longer. Because of this delay, OSU faculty, staff, and students are encouraged to follow the instructions above for using their OSU credentials to access this website; sessions created by the OSU login service are granted full privileges automatically.