Closed Accounts

Wibbs

Boards.ie: Danny wrote: »

No, and there won't be either

That can only be a good thing. Too many good members of the community on the list as it is. Hopefully they're still around.

Mr.Biscuits

dr.bollocko wrote: »

If you were a poster in that situation then this is essentially an unfair benefit to you because you decided to close one account with a bad history and open another which is completely clean.

I agree, 100% - IF that were to occur, then yes that most definitely would be an "unfair benefit" to the user that closed their account and re-reg'd, as they would be getting treated the same as a newbie, when they aren't really one - well, not in the true sense of the word at least.

Do you (and the users who endorsed your post) think that this then should be reason enough for Admin to adopt your suggestion that after X amount of time, on account of good behavior, ban histories should be wiped?

dr.bollocko wrote: »

If I, as a regular, get banned maybe two, three, four years ago, yet I've been a good boy, haven't closed an account for whatever reason, haven't been infracted or warned and haven't generally caused trouble then my history is seen as worse than yours simply because you (remembering we are talking about a hypothetical former account with a history of bans) closed your account and then started posting again under a new name.

So you feel that Boards.ie should bring in system where ban histories are expunged based on a "good boy" amnesty rule, just because the odd re-reg may get an advantage and be treated as a newbie down the line?? Doesn't that seem a little ott - to change the system just because there might be the odd occasion where some re-reg gets treated like a newbie from time to time? Sure does to me.

The overall implication of your suggestion is that there are users on Boards closing their accounts because they can't live with their ban history and that if Admin brought in this periodical "good boy" amnesty, such users would suddenly change their minds about closing their accounts and do a little merry dance around Boards now that their 'slate' is wiped clean.

Can I ask you:

Where did you get this opinion from?
Are there any threads on Boards where users said they were closing their accounts and cited mods ability to view their previous ban-history as the reason for doing so?

If so, then I'll concede that you have a point, but until such time - I don't think you do.

By the way, it's admirable that you would wish to see long time users remain on Boards and I applaud your motives - it's just that, in my view, users that close their accounts have many reasons for doing so and as long you are focusing on 'ban histories' and the like (which I feel have zero to do with why anyone would close a long held account) then you're missing the oppurtunity of where you could be fighting against some of the real causes of why users close their accounts.

I mean, come on - you're here a long time; would you close your account just because some old bans you received are still viewable via modutils? Does that really make any sense to you, that a user would do that?

I'll be honest, I have no real issue with what your suggesting and a "good boy" amnesty system may very well be be a positive thing for Boards and it's userbase, BUT in the context of closing accounts, it's a non-runner - wouldn't make a hill of beans of a difference.

My suggestion earlier in the thread regarding the possibility of having three 'time period' options (6 months, 1 Year & Permanent) open to users when users are closing accounts, I feel would be far more productive, as then users like Ruu would then not be just limited to either a 'go-for-good' option or 'stay' and but yet still have that distraction from personal life there which they no longer wished to have (at that time in their lives at least). The 'permanent' option would still be there obviousily, but they would now have other options open to them also, ones that would clearly be benificial to the Boards community.

Anway, just my 2c.

Jake187

I think people in this thread need to step back and see what boards.ie is ...
Its only a message board. Some people are taking it so seriously

Sure, you like to read and post here. Nothing wrong with that. Heck i've been reading boards ages before joining. But geez guys, its a message board on the internet. Not some lavish country club.


Dare I be so blunt, people need a reality check.

Wibbs

Jake187 wrote: »

I think people in this thread need to step back and see what boards.ie is ...
Its only a message board. Some people are taking it so seriously

Oh sure there is an element of that alright, however this message board has broadened many peoples real world social circle, led to marriage and kids, got people involved in the wider world and helped quite a few people in quite a few forums on here, people who may have been even more socially isolated otherwise, it has saved lives so it's understandable why people can take it more seriously. I agree there is a balance and most time that balance is struck pretty well.

Lorna123

Jake187 wrote: »

I think people in this thread need to step back and see what boards.ie is ...
Its only a message board. Some people are taking it so seriously

Sure, you like to read and post here. Nothing wrong with that. Heck i've been reading boards ages before joining. But geez guys, its a message board on the internet. Not some lavish country club.


Dare I be so blunt, people need a reality check.

Yea, I agree, I like to read the messages but I don't need to get to know the messenger (there are other sites for that called friendship sites). We don't need to know anyone's history here. :D

TheZohanS

Lorna123 wrote: »

Yea, I agree, I like to read the messages but I don't need to get to know the messenger (there are other sites for that called friendship sites). We don't need to know anyone's history here. :D

There are different types of posters, those that merely read the messages as you call it, and those that actively participate and write those messages. If everyone decided to merely read the messages and not contribute we'd have no boards.ie.

Armin_Tamzarian

WindSock wrote: »

I think the system as it is makes it unfortunate for some regular users to get caught up in a perpetual cycle of re-regging and being sitebanned. Their original 'crime' should really have a sell by date and they should be allowed to move on and get on with their new accounts unless they are using it to obviously take the piss / troll / etc.

Exactly.
The idea of life time bans is a bit ridiculous, they should be a year maximum.
Even murderers get let out of prison eventually.
It's not like it's difficult to issue a new ban if the messing continues.

K-9

Armin_Tamzarian wrote: »

Exactly.
The idea of life time bans is a bit ridiculous, they should be a year maximum.
Even murderers get let out of prison eventually.
It's not like it's difficult to issue a new ban if the messing continues.

It's usually after repeated warnings and bans and wasting posters and mods time.

As the thread has shown they can come back and if they behave like normal posters, skip under the radar.

ArmaniJeanss

Any chance the system can be tweaked, as I'm disappointed to see some of the good users who've closed their accounts in the last couple of weeks? It seems as if it is a relatively easy thing to do in the heat of the moment (I do know its not a one click thing though).

Facebook, who I assume operate under the same Irish laws, seem to give you a week or two to change your mind - i.e., the Facebook system is that you close your account, but if you log back in within a certain timeframe your account is automatically reactivated.

Handsome Bob

Some really good people have closed their accounts since the new system has come in and I'd just like to thank all of them for their contributions.

Special shout outs go out to Kiera and Dudess, boards is genuinely worse off without the two of you.

MagicMarker

ArmaniJeanss wrote: »

Any chance the system can be tweaked, as I'm disappointed to see some of the good users who've closed their accounts in the last couple of weeks? It seems as if it is a relatively easy thing to do in the heat of the moment (I do know its not a one click thing though).

Facebook, who I assume operate under the same Irish laws, seem to give you a week or two to change your mind - i.e., the Facebook system is that you close your account, but if you log back in within a certain timeframe your account is automatically reactivated.

AFAIK with facebook there is no time limit with regards to reactivating an account.

Larianne

Handsome Bob wrote: »

Some really good people have closed their accounts since the new system has come in and I'd just like to thank all of them for their contributions.

Special shout outs go out to Kiera and Dudess, boards is genuinely worse off without the two of you.

A lot of people who have closed their accounts have come back.

Handsome Bob

Larianne wrote: »

A lot of people who have closed their accounts have come back.

I know I know...just wanted to give my respects to those specific two.

flyswatter

g'em wrote: »

Dav can correct me on this, but I think we're now obliged to give people the option to close their accounts. And yes, it's being abused to a huge degree.

Just to take up this point again, the option was always there, you just had to send an email to close it.

Why not leave it that way?

Handsome Bob

flyswatter wrote: »

Just to take up this point again, the option was always there, you just had to send an email to close it.

Why not leave it that way?

I'd love to know how many closed their account on the locked spur of the moment.

flyswatter

Handsome Bob wrote: »

I'd love to know how many closed their account on the locked spur of the moment.

One longtime poster looked like they closed their account cos they got a ban today, seemed that way anyway. That would kind of match the spur of the moment thing.

Handsome Bob

That is actually something I noticed too, which is quite sad.

hondasam

Handsome Bob wrote: »

That is actually something I noticed too, which is quite sad.

Do you not think adults are capable of doing what they want?
Is the close option that bad, if anyone wants to stop posting or close the a/c it's up to themselves.
Some spitting the dummy and closing their a/c is childish. Not on about any poster in particular just all of us on boards.

Handsome Bob

I do, but given the inferences that there's a high number of re-regging I'd be willing to punt that some are either closing their account in the heat of the moment, or in the drunken heat of the moment. :pac:

Then, of course, there is an element who perhaps feel that they need a fresh start as they are being bullied and harassed for the opinions they traditionally hold.

hondasam

imo if you hold these opinions a new name will not change them. What happens is someone re regs and goes back to the same way again.
I think people are taking too much notice of closed a/c, people move on it's life.

Handsome Bob

hondasam wrote: »

imo if you hold these opinions a new name will not change them. What happens is someone re regs and goes back to the same way again.
I think people are taking too much notice of closed a/c, people move on it's life.

I would have seen some of these people as friends, albeit friends online. I would have shared a lot with them so it's pretty gutting to see them vanish.

hondasam

Handsome Bob wrote: »

I would have seen some of these people as friends, albeit friends online. I would have shared a lot with them so it's pretty gutting to see them vanish.

Yes I know but when they re reg is it ever the same?

You are handsome to me but if you closed your a/c and re reg and were called pringle it would not have the same flair to it.:pac:
It's all in the name Bob, just not the same as Handsome.

Sindri

What happens to usernames when someone closes their account?

And can the same e-mail address ever be used again in creating an account?

And can the Admins "manually override" :rolleyes: the restriction of email addresses already used to create an older account to create a new one?

stovelid

Handsome Bob wrote: »

I would have shared a lot with them so it's pretty gutting to see them vanish.

There, there.

g'em

flyswatter wrote: »

Just to take up this point again, the option was always there, you just had to send an email to close it.

Why not leave it that way?

Because we have to allow people to do it themself and not have to request it. Not our rules.

Boards.ie: Danny

Sindri wrote: »

What happens to usernames when someone closes their account?

And can the same e-mail address ever be used again in creating an account?

And can the Admins "manually override" :rolleyes: the restriction of email addresses already used to create an older account to create a new one?

The usernames are taken for good I would imagine. That's a community issue for Dav but I imagine it would lead to confusion if somebody appeared in a year's time with the name of a formerly closed account.

The same email address cannot be used for a year.

There is no override, not even from the Admin Control Panel

TeddyTedson

Boards.ie: Danny wrote: »

The usernames are taken for good I would imagine. That's a community issue for Dav but I imagine it would lead to confusion if somebody appeared in a year's time with the name of a formerly closed account.

The same email address cannot be used for a year.

There is no override, not even from the Admin Control Panel

Why not make a reactivate account option?

Boards.ie: Danny

TeddyTedson wrote: »

Why not make a reactivate account option?

We're not like Facebook and holding on to your data for a while just in case you come back, when you hit that button your data is removed. There is no coming back from it. Why not be sure you want to leave before doing it? I think we're all capable of making our own decisions so there's no need for Boards to nanny anybody about it

dr.bollocko

Reading this thread from the start is like discussing healthy living in a graveyard.

TeddyTedson

dr.bollocko wrote: »

Reading this thread from the start is like discussing healthy living in a graveyard.

In that the reality of death makes you realise just how grateful you are to be alive?