Over the past few months, we've had a number of situations arising where people no longer wished to be a part of the community, and requested to have their accounts deleted. These were handled on a case-by-case policy; however, since the issue has cropped up several times now, I think it's time I put a proper policy into place to handle these cases. As a result, I've created this thread, with the aim of answering the most common questions on deleting your account.
Will I get deleted for inactivity?
No!
While some forums prune inactive accounts on a regular basis, it's not something I've ever done - nor do I ever intend to start. I am aware that all of our members have lives outside of TCH (yes, even me
) - and, therefore, people sometimes have to take prolonged absences from the board. This is perfectly fine and normal - and so, I don't want to punish people for this by deleting their accounts: I want them to be able to pick up where they left off at any time. Experience has shown that members frequently return after months - or even years - of absence, often when I'm least expecting it. I'm glad to see these people again: I don't want to force them to start over!
I do sometimes prune spambots and other banned members - but, as long as you're in good standing here, you won't have to worry about having your account deleted for not being active enough
.
Where's the 'Delete My Account' button?
It doesn't exist! You'll find it on some other forum software; however, MyBB doesn't have this feature.
Personally, I'm glad this feature doesn't exist on MyBB. Experience has shown that, on forums which do allow people to delete their own accounts, far too many people ragequit in the heat of the moment, and then regret it once they've calmed down.
So, what if I do want my account deleted?
You can send me a PM at any time . If the request was sent in response to some ongoing drama, then I may wait for a few days for the situation to cool down; however, if you're sure about it, then I'll carry through these requests.
You must understand, however, that account deletions are permanent and irreversible - and, therefore, they should be requested only if you're sure you're 100% done with the community and never plan on coming back. Therefore, we do not recommend requesting an account deletion over a temporary issue (for example, being busy, or falling out with another member). It could be that, a few months (or a few years) down the road, you'll have more free time, or you'll have made amends with your former enemy, or they'll have left TCH themselves. As such, there are other options available to you, which would enable you to return under any of these circumstances.
What are my other options?
The quickest, easiest, and most common one is simply to stop visiting and abandon your account. This requires no action on your part or my part - and it puts no obstacles in the way of you returning should you ever change your mind in the future.
Or, if you wish to go further than this, I can close/de-activate your account. This would involve moving your account into a 'Disabled' group where it cannot post, and does not appear on the member list. As is your right under our Privacy Policy (and relevant legislation such as the GDPR), I can also take other steps, such as re-naming the account, removing any personal information from your account, and deleting any threads/posts containing personal information about you (so that none of your remaining posts can be linked back to you).
Once again, the process of de-activating an account is reversible, so I can re-activate it should you ever wish to return.
If I've had my account deleted, can I re-register?
Yes, you're welcome to re-register with a new account at any time. However, do note that multiple deletions followed by re-registrations are strongly discouraged, as they tend to create unnecessary drama. Further, we don't maintain a list of post counts and Coffee Credits of former members who deleted their accounts - and, therefore, anyone who re-registers will be required to re-start from zero. This is your only warning.
I hope that clears things up and answers any questions that you might have. But, if there's anything else you'd like to know, then ask away !
Will I get deleted for inactivity?
No!
While some forums prune inactive accounts on a regular basis, it's not something I've ever done - nor do I ever intend to start. I am aware that all of our members have lives outside of TCH (yes, even me
) - and, therefore, people sometimes have to take prolonged absences from the board. This is perfectly fine and normal - and so, I don't want to punish people for this by deleting their accounts: I want them to be able to pick up where they left off at any time. Experience has shown that members frequently return after months - or even years - of absence, often when I'm least expecting it. I'm glad to see these people again: I don't want to force them to start over!I do sometimes prune spambots and other banned members - but, as long as you're in good standing here, you won't have to worry about having your account deleted for not being active enough
. Where's the 'Delete My Account' button?
It doesn't exist! You'll find it on some other forum software; however, MyBB doesn't have this feature.
Personally, I'm glad this feature doesn't exist on MyBB. Experience has shown that, on forums which do allow people to delete their own accounts, far too many people ragequit in the heat of the moment, and then regret it once they've calmed down.
So, what if I do want my account deleted?
You can send me a PM at any time
. If the request was sent in response to some ongoing drama, then I may wait for a few days for the situation to cool down; however, if you're sure about it, then I'll carry through these requests.You must understand, however, that account deletions are permanent and irreversible - and, therefore, they should be requested only if you're sure you're 100% done with the community and never plan on coming back. Therefore, we do not recommend requesting an account deletion over a temporary issue (for example, being busy, or falling out with another member). It could be that, a few months (or a few years) down the road, you'll have more free time, or you'll have made amends with your former enemy, or they'll have left TCH themselves. As such, there are other options available to you, which would enable you to return under any of these circumstances.
What are my other options?
The quickest, easiest, and most common one is simply to stop visiting and abandon your account. This requires no action on your part or my part - and it puts no obstacles in the way of you returning should you ever change your mind in the future.
Or, if you wish to go further than this, I can close/de-activate your account. This would involve moving your account into a 'Disabled' group where it cannot post, and does not appear on the member list. As is your right under our Privacy Policy (and relevant legislation such as the GDPR), I can also take other steps, such as re-naming the account, removing any personal information from your account, and deleting any threads/posts containing personal information about you (so that none of your remaining posts can be linked back to you).
Once again, the process of de-activating an account is reversible, so I can re-activate it should you ever wish to return.
If I've had my account deleted, can I re-register?
Yes, you're welcome to re-register with a new account at any time. However, do note that multiple deletions followed by re-registrations are strongly discouraged, as they tend to create unnecessary drama. Further, we don't maintain a list of post counts and Coffee Credits of former members who deleted their accounts - and, therefore, anyone who re-registers will be required to re-start from zero. This is your only warning.
I hope that clears things up and answers any questions that you might have. But, if there's anything else you'd like to know, then ask away
!
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