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Meta => Suggestions and Questions => Topic started by: RoadsByArco on July 01, 2022, 11:31:06 AM

Title: is there a way to delete one's account?
Post by: RoadsByArco on July 01, 2022, 11:31:06 AM
i'd like to delete my account on here. any way on how to or do I have to let an administrator know I want to. thanks
Title: Re: is there a way to delete one's account?
Post by: Max Rockatansky on July 01, 2022, 11:40:48 AM
Yes, but it is a timed sequence that you have to punch in as code on the password screen.  I'd tell you what the code is, but the timing very precise.  It might just be easier to log out and move on. 
Title: Re: is there a way to delete one's account?
Post by: hotdogPi on July 01, 2022, 11:44:02 AM
More serious answer: an account can be deleted, but it's irreversible, and it simply replaces all your posts with one equivalent to an unregistered user. It's easier just to scramble your password.
Title: Re: is there a way to delete one's account?
Post by: 1995hoo on July 01, 2022, 11:46:40 AM
Quote from: radDFW on July 01, 2022, 11:31:06 AM
i'd like to delete my account on here. any way on how to or do I have to let an administrator know I want to. thanks

See the discussion in the following locked thread started by infamous user "snowc":

https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=30634.0
Title: Re: is there a way to delete one's account?
Post by: kphoger on July 01, 2022, 11:54:21 AM
Quote from: 1995hoo on July 01, 2022, 11:46:40 AM

Quote from: radDFW on July 01, 2022, 11:31:06 AM
i'd like to delete my account on here. any way on how to or do I have to let an administrator know I want to. thanks

See the discussion in the following locked thread started by infamous user "snowc":

https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=30634.0

The best advice was this:

  "Perhaps you could change the password to something you could never remember, maybe by typing a bunch of gibberish characters"

And also, in the previous thread linked to in that one, Scott made sure to clarify the following:

  "Note that having your account deleted will not delete your posts, however. They will simply be displayed as posted by a guest user with the same name."
Title: Re: is there a way to delete one's account?
Post by: 1995hoo on July 01, 2022, 12:41:32 PM
Quote from: kphoger on July 01, 2022, 11:54:21 AM
Quote from: 1995hoo on July 01, 2022, 11:46:40 AM

Quote from: radDFW on July 01, 2022, 11:31:06 AM
i'd like to delete my account on here. any way on how to or do I have to let an administrator know I want to. thanks

See the discussion in the following locked thread started by infamous user "snowc":

https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=30634.0

The best advice was this:

  "Perhaps you could change the password to something you could never remember, maybe by typing a bunch of gibberish characters"

....

Whoever said that sounds like someone with whose opinions I would probably agree. :hmm:
Title: Re: is there a way to delete one's account?
Post by: kphoger on July 01, 2022, 01:10:24 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on July 01, 2022, 12:41:32 PM
Whoever said that sounds like someone with whose opinions I would probably agree. :hmm:

If you were to vehemently disagree, then that might be cause for concern.
Title: Re: is there a way to delete one's account?
Post by: Rothman on July 01, 2022, 01:10:34 PM
You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave.
Title: Re: is there a way to delete one's account?
Post by: RoadsByArco on July 01, 2022, 02:58:29 PM
Quote from: 1 on July 01, 2022, 11:44:02 AM
More serious answer: an account can be deleted, but it's irreversible, and it simply replaces all your posts with one equivalent to an unregistered user. It's easier just to scramble your password.
that's fine. that's all I want to happen anyway.
Title: Re: is there a way to delete one's account?
Post by: Scott5114 on July 01, 2022, 06:07:02 PM
Just to summarize:

- No, there is no way for a user to delete your own account.
- There is a way for an admin to delete an account, but we have a policy of not doing so, because it doesn't do what the user probably wants, and the only real effect it has is to make life rougher for the staff because it makes it harder for us to look up your post history.
- There is no option to delete all your posts. If there was one, we wouldn't use it anyway, because that would lead to disjointed discussions (and besides people probably quoted some of your posts in their own posts anyway, and deleting your posts wouldn't fix that).
- The easiest way to leave the forum is to just log out and never come back ever again.
- If you are afraid you will come back to the forum and want to prevent that from happening, scramble your password to some kind of gibberish that you won't remember.
- If you want to leave open the option to come back after a certain amount of time passes, or just want to make sure that coming back is more difficult than just logging in, we can issue a ban at user request.
Title: Re: is there a way to delete one's account?
Post by: hbelkins on July 01, 2022, 08:34:59 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on July 01, 2022, 06:07:02 PM
Just to summarize:

- No, there is no way for a user to delete your own account.
- There is a way for an admin to delete an account, but we have a policy of not doing so, because it doesn't do what the user probably wants, and the only real effect it has is to make life rougher for the staff because it makes it harder for us to look up your post history.
- There is no option to delete all your posts. If there was one, we wouldn't use it anyway, because that would lead to disjointed discussions (and besides people probably quoted some of your posts in their own posts anyway, and deleting your posts wouldn't fix that).
- The easiest way to leave the forum is to just log out and never come back ever again.
- If you are afraid you will come back to the forum and want to prevent that from happening, scramble your password to some kind of gibberish that you won't remember.
- If you want to leave open the option to come back after a certain amount of time passes, or just want to make sure that coming back is more difficult than just logging in, we can issue a ban at user request.

Maybe some of this stuff needs to be put in a pinned post entitled "How to leave the forum" so the question won't be asked over and over again.
Title: Re: is there a way to delete one's account?
Post by: Rothman on July 01, 2022, 09:14:46 PM
Quote from: hbelkins on July 01, 2022, 08:34:59 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on July 01, 2022, 06:07:02 PM
Just to summarize:

- No, there is no way for a user to delete your own account.
- There is a way for an admin to delete an account, but we have a policy of not doing so, because it doesn't do what the user probably wants, and the only real effect it has is to make life rougher for the staff because it makes it harder for us to look up your post history.
- There is no option to delete all your posts. If there was one, we wouldn't use it anyway, because that would lead to disjointed discussions (and besides people probably quoted some of your posts in their own posts anyway, and deleting your posts wouldn't fix that).
- The easiest way to leave the forum is to just log out and never come back ever again.
- If you are afraid you will come back to the forum and want to prevent that from happening, scramble your password to some kind of gibberish that you won't remember.
- If you want to leave open the option to come back after a certain amount of time passes, or just want to make sure that coming back is more difficult than just logging in, we can issue a ban at user request.

Maybe some of this stuff needs to be put in a pinned post entitled "How to leave the forum" so the question won't be asked over and over again.
Over and over?  I think it's been asked thrice.
Title: Re: is there a way to delete one's account?
Post by: kphoger on July 01, 2022, 10:42:12 PM
Quote from: Rothman on July 01, 2022, 09:14:46 PM
Over and over?  I think it's been asked thrice.

:nod:

The first time, it was asked.
The second time, it was asked over again.
The third time, it was asked over and over.
Title: Re: is there a way to delete one's account?
Post by: Rothman on July 01, 2022, 10:43:33 PM
Quote from: kphoger on July 01, 2022, 10:42:12 PM
Quote from: Rothman on July 01, 2022, 09:14:46 PM
Over and over?  I think it's been asked thrice.

:nod:

The first time, it was asked.
The second time, it was asked over again.
The third time, it was asked over and over.
Who knew over and over was such a low bar?  Always sounded like it was more than that.
Title: Re: is there a way to delete one's account?
Post by: kphoger on July 01, 2022, 11:32:31 PM
To be fair, the phrase HB used was "over and over again", which does imply at least one more iteration than just "over and over".
Title: Re: is there a way to delete one's account?
Post by: dlsterner on July 01, 2022, 11:37:03 PM
Quote from: kphoger on July 01, 2022, 10:42:12 PM
Quote from: Rothman on July 01, 2022, 09:14:46 PM
Over and over?  I think it's been asked thrice.

:nod:

The first time, it was asked.
The second time, it was asked over again.
The third time, it was asked over and over.

Quote from: kphoger on July 01, 2022, 11:32:31 PM
To be fair, the phrase HB used was "over and over again", which does imply at least one more iteration than just "over and over".

Well, it was asked three times, which was "asked over and over".
We're trying to prevent a fourth time, which would be "asked over and over again".
Title: Re: is there a way to delete one's account?
Post by: kphoger on July 01, 2022, 11:44:18 PM
Ah.  Matter settled.