Here additional information about StackOverflow or SO Chat Where to find it, how to create an account, how to get full functionality (get by the 20 pts requirement).
SO offers the possibility to logon using other accounts from social media. It is also possible to create an account at StackExchange for joining SO. (This option is a little harder to find)
amacleod: if you're "fergus" on SO, you should have them by now. May take a while (up to an hour) to propagate from main SO to SO chat (sorry for that, nothing we can do about it), so hang tight!