Ability to deactivate ones account

Recently, I know some people (not naming them!) or someone even, have no longer wanted an account on the forum and they've resorted to getting banned.

I know that deleting the account would make a mess of the forum and cause some problems for you guys (the admins) etc so I was wondering if you could possibly introduce a feature like Facebook, which lets you "de-activate" your account. This is basically a fake deletion, which leaves all posts intact and everything but pretty much lets the user "abandon" their account if they don't want to use the forum anymore. Then I guess, if they don't log-in within a certain period of time (6 months - 1 year) then the account could be listed as "inactive" or deleted (i'm not sure, but this could help with name changes).

There's a few add-ons for vBulletin that let users "fake delete" their accounts and I think it'd be quite nifty to have.

I know it might sound like a pointless feature but I think it'll probably benefit some people. I also like the idea of being able to just de-activate my account if I ever got bored in the future and left it. Oh, and you may think "what's the point, just don't log-in", well some people like the "freedom" or the idea in their minds that their forum account is de-activated.

Oh and of course, the ability to re-activate which would just require a sign in or some sort. I dunno how you would go about it or what would happen to the account, it's up to you.

What do you think?

I think this is a really good idea, it'd be alot easier to stop yourselves from going on Habboxforum or whatever.

i think this is a good idea, then it saves the user from deliberately going against the forum rules to result in a ban

It is a good idea, then the mods don't have to deal with banning everyone as well.

I think your idea is quite good, although I'm not sure what the rest of the Management think of this idea. Although we won't be able to install a plugin/addon or whatever from vbulletin.org etc so then it depends if people agree and if a system can be created to do this.

I have a better idea; why don't they just stop using the forum. Nobody is forcing them to keep using the forum, anyone can stop whenever they want. There's no need for something like this lol.

It's not a hardcore drug.. (for most)

I've never understood why one would want to be banned. It's strange. If you don't want to use the forum anymore just log out and don't come back?

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Originally Posted by Slowpoke

I've never understood why one would want to be banned. It's strange. If you don't want to use the forum anymore just log out and don't come back?

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It's not more of being banned, it's more of their account actually being deleted. But we do not delete accounts for various reasons as everyone might know. To me, If I didn't want to go on a website I would just block it through my browser or router. :P

Yeah I know, deleting accounts would be silly as it'd leave the forum looking a right mess for a start. And same. :)

The account wouldn't get deleted, it'd just get hidden and posts kept intact like I said.

And I know that you may be able to just log out and never return, but if this was the case, then why do Facebook have a deactivation feature? Obviously there is some logic behind it.

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Originally Posted by Dean

The account wouldn't get deleted, it'd just get hidden and posts kept intact like I said.

And I know that you may be able to just log out and never return, but if this was the case, then why do Facebook have a deactivation feature? Obviously there is some logic behind it.

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Some sort of data protection? Being able to remove your information at any time.

Seems pointless :S if someone doesn't want their account simply sign out and don't log back in.


@Dean
When you deactivate your account on facebook, your account doesn't get deleted but your wall posts get hidden. Which is the logic behind it. If habbox introduces this, they can't just hide posts, it would get confusing if someone quoted them etc.


EDIT:
Just to add, theres too many drama queens / attention seekers on this site (Lets be honest). Users would be just deleting their accounts then a week later asking management to enable it. People need some self strength. If they can't stop themselves from going on a website, god help them.

I'm not saying this would be the most popular feature to be used if it was to be implemented but nevertheless it would still be worthwhile.

I don't think this would be useful at all, the crux of it being this part:

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Originally Posted by Dean

Oh and of course, the ability to re-activate which would just require a sign in or some sort. I dunno how you would go about it or what would happen to the account, it's up to you.

What do you think?

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What use is the "fake deletion" if you have the option to reactivate the account? Someone will probably cite facebook but I think its a completely different situation, on Facebook if you delete your account communication with you ends there and your stimulus to come back does as well. With Habbox the discussions continue and so does the entire environment and site, "deactivating" it wouldn't have any effect. If you want the psychology, IMO just get a random string from a generator, change your password to it, change your email, and you made it more difficult to get on your account than if you had to just login to reactivate.

If you were talking about not deleting the posts but making it impossible for you to login, maybe that would be effective, but I dunno if that's a feature worth adding.

Maybe I'm misunderstanding your suggestion, sorry if I am and feel free to set me straight.

Fantastic Idea, the Banning Idea is useless if you ask me :)

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Originally Posted by Richie

Seems pointless :S if someone doesn't want their account simply sign out and don't log back in.


@Dean
When you deactivate your account on facebook, your account doesn't get deleted but your wall posts get hidden. Which is the logic behind it. If habbox introduces this, they can't just hide posts, it would get confusing if someone quoted them etc.


EDIT:
Just to add, theres too many drama queens / attention seekers on this site (Lets be honest). Users would be just deleting their accounts then a week later asking management to enable it. People need some self strength. If they can't stop themselves from going on a website, god help them.

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Totally agree and if some wants to commit Hari Kari let them. It's just another way of being able to create a new account anyway in my view.

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Originally Posted by Richie

EDIT:
Just to add, theres too many drama queens / attention seekers on this site (Lets be honest). Users would be just deleting their accounts then a week later asking management to enable it. People need some self strength. If they can't stop themselves from going on a website, god help them.

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Exactly right. Don't like HxF? Don't go on it. Simple.

Nice idea, it will also free up un-used names.

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Originally Posted by nvrspk4

I don't think this would be useful at all, the crux of it being this part:



What use is the "fake deletion" if you have the option to reactivate the account? Someone will probably cite facebook but I think its a completely different situation, on Facebook if you delete your account communication with you ends there and your stimulus to come back does as well. With Habbox the discussions continue and so does the entire environment and site, "deactivating" it wouldn't have any effect. If you want the psychology, IMO just get a random string from a generator, change your password to it, change your email, and you made it more difficult to get on your account than if you had to just login to reactivate.

If you were talking about not deleting the posts but making it impossible for you to login, maybe that would be effective, but I dunno if that's a feature worth adding.

Maybe I'm misunderstanding your suggestion, sorry if I am and feel free to set me straight.

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Nvrspk4 has put it quite clearly yet again, I'm starting to love you nvr (even more ;)).

Yeah, basically it is quite pointless and if you want to stop accessing your account, change the email, change the password to a random string of numbers, you can still get it back via support so yeh, do that! :) (Not that I want anybody to)

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Originally Posted by Slowpoke

I've never understood why one would want to be banned. It's strange. If you don't want to use the forum anymore just log out and don't come back?

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It's like a kamikaze thing init

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-Kia...eature=related

Edited by Cosmic (Forum Super Moderator) Please do not post pointlessly.

Facebook is different. You cannot see their profile, wall posts, photos etc.
Have will power and stop coming on.
Or change your email, password etc to something random, simples.
Addicts will simply deactivate and activate their account everyday.

Legally if a user no longer wants their details to be on HabboxForum db they can request the removal of email, IP etc so then all they have to do is change the password and boom, your locked out

cba to read all but if you dont wna use just change ya pw to something you wont remember

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Originally Posted by GoldenMerc

Legally if a user no longer wants their details to be on HabboxForum db they can request the removal of email, IP etc so then all they have to do is change the password and boom, your locked out

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You're making it more difficult than it needs to be, change your email to one that's not yours and change your PW to a random string of letters that you C+P and delete.

Your idea wouldn't work for two reasons...

Legally I don't think there's any requirement, I'm sure there's something in the Habbox T&C that if you put up the information it will continue to be accessible. IPs can't be removed without hassle and there's no real pretext for removal of IP...but you could remove your own email by changing it to a fake one, without needing admins.

Also, your method wouldn't work because without a valid email there would never be a link to click the PW, hence the PW wouldn't change from current (else I could continually reset someone's PW just by entering their email, the link has to be clicked.)

Not that this really matters, I think the main point is that we agree that the disabling isn't necessary, just not sure if you're talking about the IP stuff for safety of records as opposed to for the purpose of a lockout.

Simply, if you can't leave without having your account deactivated then you have an addiction.

No, im not saying you HAVE to do it that way but it is actually a legal procedure. Its data protection act, if you don't want them to have it you can request it to be removed. Plus getting a IP out isnt hard just go to the users profile in AdminCP.
But yeh easiest thing is change your email to a random one, change ur password to a random one and boom.

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Originally Posted by nvrspk4

You're making it more difficult than it needs to be, change your email to one that's not yours and change your PW to a random string of letters that you C+P and delete.

Your idea wouldn't work for two reasons...

Legally I don't think there's any requirement, I'm sure there's something in the Habbox T&C that if you put up the information it will continue to be accessible. IPs can't be removed without hassle and there's no real pretext for removal of IP...but you could remove your own email by changing it to a fake one, without needing admins.

Also, your method wouldn't work because without a valid email there would never be a link to click the PW, hence the PW wouldn't change from current (else I could continually reset someone's PW just by entering their email, the link has to be clicked.)

Not that this really matters, I think the main point is that we agree that the disabling isn't necessary, just not sure if you're talking about the IP stuff for safety of records as opposed to for the purpose of a lockout.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Dean

The account wouldn't get deleted, it'd just get hidden and posts kept intact like I said.

And I know that you may be able to just log out and never return, but if this was the case, then why do Facebook have a deactivation feature? Obviously there is some logic behind it.

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I haven't read the rest of the thread but the reason for this is so that all the information on their profile isn't viewable any more. Most of the time when someone leaves facebook its because they're not happy with the way they handle privacy.

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Originally Posted by GoldenMerc

No, im not saying you HAVE to do it that way but it is actually a legal procedure. Its data protection act, if you don't want them to have it you can request it to be removed. Plus getting a IP out isnt hard just go to the users profile in AdminCP.
But yeh easiest thing is change your email to a random one, change ur password to a random one and boom.

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To my knowledge there is nothing in the data protection act that requires the removal of personal information from a website unless there is a court injunction specifically telling the data controller of that organisation to remove said personal information. I could be wrong but I am almost certain providing there is no issue with the way the data was acquired etc, we don't have a statutory duty to remove information on demand of the member unless that information is publicly available. However the only publicly available information on the forum (i.e. profile information) can be removed by the members themselves.