We do not regularly delete a member's account or profile. If we do, then all posts that you've made are also deleted. That will leave "gaps" in threads where you made posts. Removing your posts can, in many threads, cause the entire thread to become confusing and any discussion of what you might have posted to be "lost in the process"... So, we don't "remove memberships." If you don't log onto the forum, your membership becomes "inactive". You might want to go into your profile and choose not to receive any further communications or updates from the forum, some of which are "automatic unless you unsubscribe"....I no longer own an RV and would like to stop this forum.
John, Perhaps put a signature on post. I just had to modify my signature as it exceeded allowed number of line or similar.We do not regularly delete a member's account or profile. If we do, then all posts that you've made are also deleted. That will leave "gaps" in threads where you made posts. Removing your posts can, in many threads, cause the entire thread to become confusing and any discussion of what you might have posted to be "lost in the process"... So, we don't "remove memberships." If you don't log onto the forum, your membership becomes "inactive". You might want to go into your profile and choose not to receive any further communications or updates from the forum, some of which are "automatic unless you unsubscribe"....
Some substantial clean up is needed but it takes time and we didn't want to keep the forum offline any longer than was absolutely needed.In the profile section, some items are required but seem redundant... why fill in brand then model then year and model and then model year? This profile section should be cleaned up some?
State/Province/Territory Texas
City Mico
RV Brand Keystone
RV Model Cougar 278EFS
RV Year and Model 2002 Keystone 278EFS
Model Year 2002
Occupation Proprietor wiredgeorge Motorcycle Carburetors
Coming from the IT business, I've always been taught that zombie accounts are security risks for the owners and the host. Seems like there should be a way to permanently and completely close down an account that is no longer needed, hopefully without removing all activity that was contributed while the account was active.We do not regularly delete a member's account or profile. If we do, then all posts that you've made are also deleted. That will leave "gaps" in threads where you made posts. Removing your posts can, in many threads, cause the entire thread to become confusing and any discussion of what you might have posted to be "lost in the process"... So, we don't "remove memberships." If you don't log onto the forum, your membership becomes "inactive". You might want to go into your profile and choose not to receive any further communications or updates from the forum, some of which are "automatic unless you unsubscribe"....
Coming from the IT business, I've always been taught that zombie accounts are security risks for the owners and the host. Seems like there should be a way to permanently and completely close down an account that is no longer needed, hopefully without removing all activity that was contributed while the account was active.
why not just delete the former members name and profile and any pictures they posted ? you could leave all the text they posted up so the thread doesn’t get confusing or have gaps…that seems like a good compromise
So, basically, the end user's access is cut off, but the account, truly is never "deleted."
Your personal information.... most likely ... like in all IT environments, cannot be "permanently" removed. Once you touch anything on the internet ... anywhere .... you are in the system forever!
seems to me it wouldn’t be hard to assign a random number instead of a former members username if they left the forum and wanted to remain anonymous…would prevent someone you might not want from searching the internet if they knew your old username 10 years from now…That would preserve the continuity of the threadsComing from the IT business, you should know that database accounts can easily be set to "inactive".
This will prevent anyone from ever logging into or using that information.
But the account itself will remain, so as to preserve history as John explained.
That just isn't the way databases work.
Deleting the name and profile of an account will also delete all of the text in any posts they were part of.
And John explained why this is not done
Coming from the IT business, you should know that database accounts can easily be set to "inactive".
This will prevent anyone from ever logging into or using that information.
But the account itself will remain, so as to preserve history as John explained.
That just isn't the way databases work.
Deleting the name and profile of an account will also delete all of the text in any posts they were part of.
And John explained why this is not done
Yep
seems to me it wouldn’t be hard to assign a random number instead of a former members username if they left the forum and wanted to remain anonymous…would prevent someone you might not want from searching the internet if they knew your old username 10 years from now…That would preserve the continuity of the threads
wouldn’t help if someone quoted you though i guess as the name would be in the quote
It’s no different then if someone changes their username….all the old posts show that new name as well
I just think you are way overthinking this.
Have you ever "Googled" your name or someone else's name?
You might be totally shocked at the amount of information that is out there.
As someone else said, Once something gets on the Internet it will very likely be there forever.
I can't think of anything that I would ever put in my profile that is so confidential that it would ever do any harm.
Now if you did put any confidential information in your profile, you are always free to clean and remove it.
If you use your computer for anything on the internet, any information that have in your profile here, or threads you post in or start here should be the least of your concerns.
"On 02/05/2020, *inode #8B83DA779D0 wrote:"seems to me it wouldn’t be hard to assign a random number instead of a former members username if they left the forum and wanted to remain anonymous…
Do you really think i believe assigning a random number would make you anonymous on the internet?…NO..but….it would make you “technically” anonymous on the forum and for internet searches related to the forum though for people that know your username and it still preserves the continuity of the threads I only said it because we were told you can’t delete a username because you would lose all the data associated ..this way is just like changing your username which in the old forum had to be done by the mods…I KNOW your digital fingerprint wouldn’t change …"On 02/05/2020, *inode #8B83DA779D0 wrote:"
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It was just geek humor. This is the sort of message classic UNIX systems would present you when a file whose contents were still present in the file system had lost its filename due to some corruption or other. Panic-inducing, the first time you saw it.Do you really think i believe assigning a random number would make you anonymous on the internet?
lol I was having a little fun alsoIt was just geek humor. This is the sort of message classic UNIX systems would present you when a file whose contents were still present in the file system had lost its filename due to some corruption or other. Panic-inducing, the first time you saw it.