Account Deletion

I've recently become aware that there is no self-serve account deletion on the forum. I think this is unfortunate, and I'd like to recommend adding the ability for users to delete their accounts. I know the base install of XenForo doesn't provide this capability, however, this addon (https://xenforo.com/community/resources/wmtech-user-self-delete.1454/) provides the capability. It has the added bonus of preserving content so that the forum threads aren't disrupted by the deletion.

Why is this important? Some people want the ability to delete their accounts. Without a built-in feature to support the request, users will contact the administrator who already has enough to do. If for no other reason, it will lessen the workload on the administrator. (Even if the administrator chooses to ignore those requests, he'll still have to deal with the messages in his inbox.)

Another reason is simply it's the right thing to do. I don't recall seeing anything that told me my account would be permanent when I created it. And although it's not always easy, I've never encountered a site that didn't let me delete my account. In effect, not deleting accounts is a way of holding people hostage, and that feels fundamentally wrong.

The last, and perhaps most important reason. People get angry and frustrated when they can't delete their accounts. Angry and frustrated people do stupid things - spamming forums, stalking, outing members. That's the last thing a community like this needs. (Having been on the receiving end of an outing, I know how awkward it can be.)

In the interest of full disclosure, I've asked for my account to be deleted. My reasons are personal, and are my own. In truth, it doesn't really matter much, as my past experiences have taught me to be fairly discreet here on the internet. The funny thing is though, that it's sometimes the simplest of things, the most innocent statements, that create the biggest risk. I'm not too worried about it, but still, I'd like to see my account removed.

@Administrator, I thank you for all that you do to make this forum what it is, and I hope that you'll consider this request.

 

I made that request five days ago. I suspect @Administrator is very busy. This is what made me look into other options.

 

@maid_carrie In my original post, I addressed the concern about deleting content. The add-on I suggested does not delete content, just the account - and that's all I'm asking. As to a "real nightmare of thread continuity" - I think that even if you did delete all of a users content, it wouldn't have much of an impact. Yes, there'd be some holes, but there's always new content being created to fill those gaps. Besides, the vast majority of the content here is pointless - not a knock at the site, it's just the way conversations evolve. You have to sift through a lot to get to the meaningful content.

No, I wasn't making a veiled threat. I actually like some of the people here, and I like the forum (besides which, I don't really have the skills or motivation required to do harm). I have personal reasons for seeking to eliminate my virtual presence as Pawds. It's really just a matter of unfortunate timing. I might even return in the future under a different nom de plume.

 

@Wendygirl Did not intend to offend. There is good content here, but there is more "filler" that meaningful information. And that's fine - it's the nature of conversation. Look at this thread. What are the salient points:

1. There is no ability for users to delete accounts
2. There are many reasons to allow users to delete accounts
3. It's important to maintain thread continuity when deleting accounts
4. There's an add-on that makes this possible.
5. Would the administrator consider adding this capability?

Everything else is just window dressing. It doesn't help the conversation at all. And that's true of the majority of threads here. That's okay, but it's hard to argue that thread continuity is some holy grail that must be preserved.

And on that note, I wish everyone a happy, healthy, prosperous New Year.

 

Well, it's been a week since I contact @Administrator with my request and not even the courtesy of a reply. I guess no answer is an answer in this case.

It does make it simple for me. I will not rejoin the forum in the future. The admin is either too busy or too inconsiderate to respond to requests. Either way, his forum, his rules, and I'm fine with that. I do think he should add a comment to the sign up that there is no ability to delete your account in the future. Of course, given his lack of reply here, I wouldn't expect him to take any action on that suggestion.

E-mail changed to a burn account. Password scrambled. I'm no longer able to login.

Best of luck to you all. Toodles.