diff --git a/plugins/LdapAuthentication/README b/plugins/LdapAuthentication/README
index 0460fb6396..c188f2dbc1 100644
--- a/plugins/LdapAuthentication/README
+++ b/plugins/LdapAuthentication/README
@@ -9,7 +9,10 @@ to the bottom of your config.php
 
 Settings
 ========
-provider_name*: a unique name for this authentication provider.
+provider_name*: This is a identifier designated to the connection.
+    It's how StatusNet will refer to the authentication source.
+    For the most part, any name can be used, so long as each authentication source has a different identifier.
+    In most cases there will be only one authentication source used.
 authoritative (false): Set to true if LDAP's responses are authoritative
     (if authorative and LDAP fails, no other password checking will be done).
 autoregistration (false): Set to true if users should be automatically created
diff --git a/plugins/LdapAuthorization/README b/plugins/LdapAuthorization/README
index 44239d8e06..3a6d8d25e0 100644
--- a/plugins/LdapAuthorization/README
+++ b/plugins/LdapAuthorization/README
@@ -11,7 +11,10 @@ You *cannot* use this plugin without the LDAP Authentication plugin
 
 Settings
 ========
-provider_name*: name of the LDAP authentication provider that this plugin works with.
+provider_name*: This is a identifier designated to the connection.
+    It's how StatusNet will refer to the authentication source.
+    For the most part, any name can be used, so long as each authentication source has a different identifier.
+    In most cases there will be only one authentication source used.
 authoritative (false): should this plugin be authoritative for
     authorization?
 uniqueMember_attribute ('uniqueMember')*: the attribute of a group
diff --git a/plugins/ReverseUsernameAuthentication/README b/plugins/ReverseUsernameAuthentication/README
index e9160ed9b9..57b53219e9 100644
--- a/plugins/ReverseUsernameAuthentication/README
+++ b/plugins/ReverseUsernameAuthentication/README
@@ -8,7 +8,10 @@ add "addPlugin('reverseUsernameAuthentication', array('setting'=>'value', 'setti
 
 Settings
 ========
-provider_name*: a unique name for this authentication provider.
+provider_name*: This is a identifier designated to the connection.
+    It's how StatusNet will refer to the authentication source.
+    For the most part, any name can be used, so long as each authentication source has a different identifier.
+    In most cases there will be only one authentication source used.
 password_changeable*: must be set to false. This plugin does not support changing passwords.
 authoritative (false): Set to true if this plugin's responses are authoritative (meaning if this fails, do check any other plugins or the internal password database).
 autoregistration (false): Set to true if users should be automatically created when they attempt to login.