This page determines how accounts are handled within your system. It also contains some basic information (contact info) for your administrative account, along with the Time Zone for your site.
It is important to note that user accounts can be administrative, with permissions to modify the various aspects of the site, or they can just be basic user accounts. The purpose of a basic user account would be to allow non-admin users the ability to view different aspects of the site locked down only for members, to post comments on blogs or comment walls where allowed, and to purchase files/media if that part of the system is activated. Accounts are also used in the chat room section type if that is in use.
The following features help you manage the handling of user accounts:
Allow User Registration - this allows users to register for an account online.
Require User Approval - If this is checked, users who register online will have to wait for an administrator to approve them from the User Accounts page before using any account features.
Separate First and Last Name - If desired, when users sign up for accounts, they can run the first and last names in the same field, or separated, depending on your needs.
Show Email Updates Opt-In Option - If you want to send any kind of mass emails to your user account base, this option allows them to be able to opt-in for such mailings.
Use Custom Registration Confirmation Email - When a user signs up for an account, they will receive a basic system default message explaining that their signup has been received. Check this box to customize the message they receive.