Why all this Registry fuss?
The Registry was created to act as a central identity management service for users of RossNet. During the creation of RossNet subwebs, the issue of identity arose again and again, and it became clear that it should be addressed systematically so as to ensure that people wouldn't be able to subscribe each other to RossNet mailing lists or post notices to RossNet notice boards under false identities. It was also desirable to enable RossNet users to be able to perform privileged operations without having to repeatedly enter their ID and password. It was clear that all this was possible using email authentication and cookies, but that it would require a significant amount of infrastructure. The Registry was created so as to avoid the senseless duplication of this infrastructure in each subweb.

Why should I register?
You don't have to register to surf the RossNet web. However, you must register if you want to join a mailing list, post a message to a notice board, use the events web or perform any other privileged operation in the RossNet web.

Will my profile be treated as confidential?
No. Your profile is public and if someone explicitly searches for your profile (e.g. using your name) they will find it. Your profile will also be visible if you perform certain actions within RossNet such as creating a public event in the Events Web or posting to a bulletin board. However, RossNet is organized so that it would be difficult for someone to extract the email addresses of all registered RossNet users. This means that you are unlikely to find yourself on a non-RossNet mailing list as a result of registering.

If I register, can I deregister later?
No. However, you can always update your profile. The only aspect of your profile that you can't alter is your RossNetID. Deregistration has not been provided, so as to avoid the implementation difficulties of preventing RossNetIDs from being recycled, and to ensure that all RossNet users are held accountable for their actions in the RossNet webspace! However, it's possible that a deregistration facility will be provided sometime in the future if these problems are resolved.

This web uses cookies and cookies are a threat to privacy aren't they?
All that cookies do is enable a web to recognise that various different hits on the web over time are coming from the same computer. They cannot tell the web anything else about the person using the computer unless the person themselves supplies the information. By registering as a RossNet user, you will be attaching your real identity to your existing RossNet cookie. This will enable the RossNet web to recognise you when you access it. However, because cookies can only be seen by the web that created them, other webs won't be able to access your RossNet cookie or profile. Thus, by registering as a RossNet user, you are identifying yourself only to the RossNet web (http://www.ross.net/).

I registered but now the RossNet web thinks I'm unregistered.
There are three common reasons for this. First, if you registered on one computer and are now using a different computer, then you must login so as to attach your identity to the second computer as well. A second possibility is that you have been accidentally logged out for some reason. Again, logging in is the answer. A third possibility is that you filled in the registration form but not the authentication form. You need to fill out BOTH for the RossNet web to classify you as registered.

I want to access RossNet webs from more than one computer
If you register on one computer and then access this web through a different computer, you must login on the other computer.

I want to access RossNet webs from a remote computer/kiosk
If you are want to access RossNet from a computer controlled by someone else, you must login from the on the computer. However, when you do this, you should select the autologout option so as to prevent your identity within RossNet after you leave.

I'm sharing my computer with someone else.
Sharing a computer with another RossNet user can cause some confusion. However, the situation can be easily managed, either by sharing the same identity, or by having each person login each time they use RossNet. However, if you choose the latter course, you must each have different email addresses.