Give User an Option to self-delete their Account
- Thread starter mrd
- Start date
DamienDarwick
Member
Actually I have a privacy statement on my site, and yes I do read them when I'm interested in knowing how a site deals with the contents on the site and the accounts.
Hornstar
Well-known member
Usually when a person wants an account deleted on my site, I will just ban their account, deactivate them from receiving emails, and change their name.
I personally would never delete an account on my site, but an option to easily deactivate an account might be an alright option.
I personally would never delete an account on my site, but an option to easily deactivate an account might be an alright option.
CallieJo
Active member
Keyword phrase -> Admin option 
Really, I don't see why it's such a huge debate on all these forum companies (XF, VB, IPB). It's vital to some while others don't want to use it. Make it an admin option and you solve both. Simple really.
If it added a bunch of bloat that slowed down your forum, I could see a sensible debate being important. But, how much bloat will this add? Will it really affect your members and/or your preference if you have an option to turn it off?
Really, I don't see why it's such a huge debate on all these forum companies (XF, VB, IPB). It's vital to some while others don't want to use it. Make it an admin option and you solve both. Simple really.
If it added a bunch of bloat that slowed down your forum, I could see a sensible debate being important. But, how much bloat will this add? Will it really affect your members and/or your preference if you have an option to turn it off?
When turned off, all it will affect is the file size, really.Keyword phrase -> Admin option
Really, I don't see why it's such a huge debate on all these forum companies (XF, VB, IPB). It's vital to some while others don't want to use it. Make it an admin option and you solve both. Simple really.
If it added a bunch of bloat that slowed down your forum, I could see a sensible debate being important. But, how much bloat will this add? Will it really affect your members and/or your preference if you have an option to turn it off?
I don't mind some kind of option like:
Allow Users to Self-Delete Their Account? Yes / No
(if yes, further options are open)
Delete
Deactivate
If it's not included in 1.0 it may be easier for Kier and Mike to create it as an add-on for people who need it. Whether or not it is important depends on whether or not Kier and Mike want to deter the people who require this feature (where Law states it's necessary). Of course, this may not deter them completely but they wouldn't want to manually delete things.
A simple alternative (for now) could be a simple link, Remove All User Data, in the user profile area in the ACP so that the admin can click this link and viola! Problem solved.
Dean
in memoriam
This is the problem. According to some of the posts in this thread the actual posts are required to be kept (I think).
Perhaps I am simply confused.
The Sandman
Well-known member
I don't think there is any great push for this to be in 1.0. I'd be happy to have it be considered for a subsequent release.
To expand on my previous post, a quick link should be added with checkbox options:
Remove User Data? Yes/No (if yes):
[ ] Remove PII (such as names, e-mail addresses, etc)
[ ] Remove Contributions (posts/threads/trophies)
[ Submit ]
Of course this could be a simple query where you either (a) delete the data or (b) move it to a 'soft-deleted' table with references to the original userid.
darkon
Member
Because in some countries you have to delete user accounts and it´s a selling point for these countries to offer a solution in the core product.
I´m not a coder, but honestly it can´t be so complicated to delete any entry for one user in the user-table, so that it would hold up development for a long time. When i see how much effort goes into the preview-popups (wich i like less and less...) the option to selfdelete is close to nothing.
The Sandman
Well-known member
Um, yes they should. They shouldn't be able to remove any content they've posted, but they should be able to remove their profile information and have their account "deactivated" or deleted.
Banned members should be slightly restricted on what they can remove IMO. What if they change their e-mail and then re-register to evade the ban? Perhaps an e-mail change log.
The Sandman
Well-known member
To me, profile information means information visible in a member's public profile. The email address isn't profile information by that definition. I agree with not allowing banned members to change their email address (or alternatively having all of a user's email addresses saved in the DB so that if they make any changes we still have access to the previous email addresses, to prevent reregestrations and such).
CurveGotti
Active member
I agree with what seems to be the majority on this matter, the option for members to self delete an account can only lead to more problems. I'd rather have to manually do it upon request.
The Sandman
Well-known member
Do you mean to say that if it was an admin selectable option and you personally chose to disable it for your forum, it would still bother you that it was available for other admins to use on their forums?
Carlos
Well-known member
Yes, because, lets say for instance, you run The Admin Zone, right? You own it. But lets say you bring a feature that is going to cause a lot of controversy. Lets say, that happens. The members that were with you since the day you opened TAZ. These members go and delete their accounts, you check TAZ only to find out that your forum is a desert town.
New features are good, but sometimes it does not benefit users [and in this instance the feature drastically changes the forum], so...this usually changes things.
New features are good, but sometimes it does not benefit users [and in this instance the feature drastically changes the forum], so...this usually changes things.
The Sandman
Well-known member
The various reasons for wanting such a feature have been chronicled in this thread. Likewise, many have explained the reasons why they wouldn't use it. As I envision it, this feature would be more of a "deactivation" except in places like Germany where actual deletion is apparently a legal requirement. Either way, when an account is deactivated or deleted, the content posted by the departing member will still be present. While I wouldn't particularly like it if a member wanted their account grenaded, I think it's important to give them that option. It would take a lot of members leaving to turn TAZ into a desert town (although I think that's a mixed metaphor - you were going for desert or ghost town, right?). If that many people wanted to bolt, I'd be done in whether I deleted their accounts or not.
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