XF 2.3 Deleting a members 48,000 posts - how?

[Jon12345]

A member has become disgruntled and so wants all their posts deleted. How do I delete this large number of posts?

Regards,

Jon

 

[zappaDPJ]

Think about it... I if you anonymize all her posts and they don't contain personal data, how can she prove to Ofcom that those posts are hers?

She can't...

Personally, I wouldn't delete anything unless it contains personal data.

Exactly, as long as a proper process is followed the member should have no way back. Give them the opportunity to identify their PII, delete it and anonymize the account.

If the account is properly anonymized all the information that is personal to them including their user name, password, email address and IP address is gone so even if they create a new account there is no way they can prove the remaining posts ever belonged to them.

I'd also add for clarity that Ofcom are generally only interested in illegal or age-gated content so unless that member is posting pornography, or material regarding suicide or self-harm you have nothing to worry about from them.

 

[robdog]

I kind of want the link to the forum so I can have some popcorn for breakfast. Been a minute since I read through a good drama thread.

Adding my thoughts... I would go with what a lot of people are telling you to delete her account and see if she can then identify any data that is PII. IF she reports you and there is movement in the case, you can then do the nuclear option, delete all posts.

At the end of the day, it comes down to ownership. You "technically" own the content unless otherwise stated in your TOS.

 

[Jon12345]

I think we will have to disagree on this one. All I am looking for is for how to do it, rather than if I should do it or not. I think Andy's plugin is what I will go with.

 

[jeb35]

You do realize that if this person started any threads then any and all replies of her threads will also get deleted and therfore really shrink your messages more than the 48000 she has.

 

[zappaDPJ]

I think we will have to disagree on this one. All I am looking for is for how to do it, rather than if I should do it or not. I think Andy's plugin is what I will go with.

I would at the very least take a copy of your database before you go ahead, just in case any unforeseen circumstances arise.

 

[Levina]

I wouldn't do it.

On another forum where I was administrator, one of the members felt slighted by a moderator and he left the forum in a huff. Then he demanded all his content be deleted. We refused politely. He then threatened to sue us. We ignored it. He stayed away for almost a year, then came back and is now happily posting again.

People most often don't stay angry and then begin to regret they left.

 

[Suzanne O]

She is more likely to do it if I don't delete her posts. There may be things that I have done wrong or are not aware of. Or she could report a post, say she is not happy with the response and then report me to Ofcom. There are 1.7 million posts on my forum. I'm sure she has endless fodder.

If she's being a pest ban her for stinking up the forum with all of her posts and then put everything through the spam cleaner as in permanently remove.

 

[imno007]

Yeah, I know OP doesn't want to hear it, but it's not a good idea to delete all posts en masse like that. By deleting all the threads she started, you screw every member who participated in those threads: you're basically telling them that their time and participation is not respected. Also, all the threads of others that she participated in are now often not going to make a lot of sense. What about all the direct responses to her, people quoting her? It's just not worth it to pacify one pissy person.