Why register for an account?

Thank you for visiting Stop the Drug War (also known as the Drug Reform Coordination Network, or DRCNet). This page provides an introduction to our new User Accounts, what you can do with them, why we hope you'll sign up for one, and why we hope you'll make a point of logging on when you visit our web site. First, if you are already a DRCNet subscriber -- receiving Drug War Chronicle, DRCNet Action Alerts or other bulletins -- you probably already have an account. Hopefully you received an e-mail from us with your temporary initial username and password. If not, you can access the system by using the <?php print l('request new password page', 'user/password'); ?>, entering your e-mail address exactly as you are subscribed to DRCNet, then checking your e-mail our system will send you to retrieve your username and password. Once you have access to your login information -- or if you've created a new account using the <?php print l('user registration page', 'user/register'); ?> -- you can log on. Logging on will do a few things for you:

1. It will allow you to start your own DRCNet "Reader Blog," and join the community of people speaking up about the issue. There's an expression, "preaching to the choir" -- what we're hoping to do is to organize the choir into reaching out together to the not yet converted, or the converted who are not yet organized, via the blogosphere.
2. If all goes well (meaning your e-mail address and password on this new web site system are synchronized with your e-mail address and password in our action alert/e-mail subscription system, which runs on a different server), you will simultaneously be logged on to that second system as well. That means that when you click to participate in one of our legislative action alerts, the system will remember you if you've been there before and auto-populate your letter-writing form with the information you gave us last time.
3. You will be able to post comments to our blogs and on our Chronicle article pages.
4. If you go to our donation page, and if you've provided us with your name and address before, the system will conveniently pre-populate the donation form for you.
5. Providing us with your address, if you are willing to do that, will enable us to send you action alerts that relate to your state, or to your federal or state legislative districts. You can also use your account page to update that information for us.
6. You will be able to use the "track" function in your user account to remind you what DRCNet web pages you've viewed before.
7. You will be able to post a bio to tell other users reading your blog posts and comments something about yourself and your involvement or interest in drug policy reform.
8. In the near future, you will also have access to upcoming features such as featuring of some content related to your state or country.

Start your own Reader Blog

<?php global $user;?> <?php if ($user->uid) { ?> As briefly mentioned above, we hope you'll start your own Reader Blog in the DRCNet Speakeasy, it's easy! Just <?php print l('set up your user profile', 'user'); ?>, then <?php print l('click here to add a new post', 'node/add/blog'); ?>. <?php } else { ?> All you need to do to start your own DRCNet blog is to <?php print l('register', 'user/register'); ?> (if you're not already), <?php print l('log in', 'user'); ?>, set up your account pages (not required, but recommended), then just make your first post. <?php } ?>