[TheZohanS]

Now I understand the reason why boards has decided to give posters the option to close their accounts. But might I suggest that the number of accounts that a person can open and close is limited? Perhaps one or two a year?

Since the Closed Accounts option has been offered it seems to me that a number of people are treating accounts as disposable, they come in, make posts for a month or so and then close their account only to open a new account shortly after. Personally I think this service is being abused by some members.

Am I talking through my hat or does anyone agree?

[g'em]

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.

[TheZohanS]

Originally Posted by g'em

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.

I think Dav mentioned that it's a service boards has to offer as per the Data Protection Commissioner, but facilitating posters with new accounts any time they get bored of their existing account is not a service boards is under any obligation to provide. What I would suggest is a reasonable amount of say a maximum of 1 or 2 accounts per annum.

Most reasonable posters would not need to close their account more than once a year. If you need to change it twice or more in a year then something's amiss.

[tbh]

Originally Posted by TheZohan

I think Dav mentioned that it's a service boards has to offer as per the Data Protection Commissioner, but facilitating posters with new accounts any time they get bored of their existing account is not a service boards is under any obligation to provide. What I would suggest is a reasonable amount of say a maximum of 1 or 2 accounts per annum.

Most reasonable posters would not need to close their account more than once a year. If you need to change it twice or more in a year then something's amiss.

in fairness, if they can't prevent banned users from opening new accounts, I think it's going to be difficult to prevent closed accounts from re-regging. As I understand it, if you close an account you can't use the same email account to open a new account.

[Boards.ie: Nicola]

Originally Posted by tbh

in fairness, if they can't prevent banned users from opening new accounts, I think it's going to be difficult to prevent closed accounts from re-regging. As I understand it, if you close an account you can't use the same email account to open a new account.

You're right, as it stands the only obstacle to opening a new account is that you cannot use the same email address to register.

Surprisingly this is something that causes a lot of genuine re-regs some hassle and the most common reason is that they only have one email address and don't want to go through the bother of setting up a second.

[TheZohanS]

Originally Posted by tbh

in fairness, if they can't prevent banned users from opening new accounts, I think it's going to be difficult to prevent closed accounts from re-regging. As I understand it, if you close an account you can't use the same email account to open a new account.

Maybe treat someone who opens/closes more than "x" accounts as a sitebanned user? I've seen a few posters create an account, troll for a bit and then close their account when it was obvious that they were in ban territory. Likewise I've seen a poster create a new account, post on a forum and then proceed to tell other posters that they knew all about them, create a bit of a poop storm and when then close their account only to open another soon afterwards and do the very same thing.

[Boards.ie: Paddy]

Originally Posted by TheZohan

Maybe treat someone who opens/closes more than "x" accounts as a sitebanned user?

Aside from the email address used to register there is no way we can do tell how many accounts someone has opened/closed. We block email addresses of closed accounts from re-regging for a year after the account is closed so there's not much more we can do.

[TheZohanS]

Originally Posted by Boards.ie: Paddy

Aside from the email address used to register there is no way we can do tell how many accounts someone has opened/closed. We block email addresses of closed accounts from re-regging for a year after the account is closed so there's not much more we can do.

How about if a mod/admin comes across a user and after MU is used if it transpires that the user has had more than say two accounts in the last 12 months they get banned and have to explain why they have created so many accounts in Prison? Do we really need the likes of this happening? User is obviously a re-reg(might be previously sitebanned, but that's besides the point) can come in, make a mess and if they close their account before they do enough damage to receive a ban they can easily open a new account and start over.

[Nody]

Problem is that if someone is serial trolling and closing accounts before being banned chances are quite high that they did this before as well; the only difference being that their accounts were banned rather then closed by the user.

[pickarooney]

I don't really get what someone has to gain by closing an account in this way. Why would they not just abandon the account and create a new one?

[Boards.ie: Paddy]

Originally Posted by TheZohan

How about if a mod/admin comes across a user and after MU is used if it transpires that the user has had more than say two accounts in the last 12 months they get banned and have to explain why they have created so many accounts in Prison? Do we really need the likes of this happening? User is obviously a re-reg(might be previously sitebanned, but that's besides the point) can come in, make a mess and if they close their account before they do enough damage to receive a ban they can easily open a new account and start over.

Well yes, if they are closing accounts and opening new ones and this is clear from MU then they should be treated the same as any other re-reg.

Closing accounts is there because it's required by the data commissioner, it's not cart blanche to re-reg.

[Overheal]

€1 Paywall.

I went there. But seriously. Some additional layer of registration flood control needs to be put on the table.

[Cardinal Richelieu]

I put my hand up to closing my account because I didn't want to pay for a name change.

[TouchingVirus]

Originally Posted by Overheal

€1 Paywall.

I went there. But seriously. Some additional layer of registration flood control needs to be put on the table.

Why? In years gone by these people/trolls/whatever got their kicks from stirring sh*t and getting banned, and then re-regging. Now they stir sh*t, close their accounts and re-reg. I'm failing to see the difference between the two - we've tolerated* the first, so why not the second? If a user closes an account that was about to get sitebanned and then joins again they should be sitebanned as a re-reg.

*Tolerated - as in when it's brought to the attention of the admins they act on it.

Perhaps closed accounts could go into a queue, and be checked by an admin before closing is approved; check the account post history at close time and siteban trolls instead of closing?

I really am in favour of a paywall for closing accounts if Boards can do it, some nominal fee to scrub your data and deter muppets.

Originally Posted by Cardinal Richelieu

I put my hand up to closing my account because I didn't want to pay for a name change.

Well that's tight..nice

[El Weirdo]

Originally Posted by TouchingVirus

I really am in favour of a paywall for closing accounts if Boards can do it, some nominal fee to scrub your data and deter muppets.

Surely if the service has to be provided in the first place due to some data protection jazz, then this would not be possible?