gistfile1.rb

 def activate_post(user, _submit_activate = nil, _submit_cancel = nil)
    @page_title = 'Activate Account'
    if _submit_cancel
      message[:notice] = "Activation cancelled"
      redirect(url(:home), :message => message)
    elsif _submit_activate # activate action
      @user = User.new(user)
      if user[:password] != user[:password_confirmed]
        @user.errors.add(:password, "passwords do not match")
        # do not want to redisplay these values
        @user.password = @user.password_confirmed = nil 
        render(:activate)
      elsif @user = User.find_unactivated_user(user[:email_unconfirmed_code])
        if @user.activate(user[:display_name], user[:password]) # this does the save, so can return false it fails
           session.user = user
           send_mail(:account_activated, {}, {:user => user})
           message[:notice] = "Your account is activated and you are logged in!"
           redirect(url(:home), :message => message)
        else
          # display_name already in use or maybe the password didn't meet minimum standards
          message[:notice] = "Activation failed."
          render(:activate)
        end
      else
        @user.errors.add(:email_unconfirmed_code, "no user found with this confirmation code")
        render(:activate)
      end
    end
 end