Dormant Accounts

flogen

Just wondering how long (if any) is the set time an account must be dormant before it is deleted by the admins?
I did a search through the members list (yes, Im bored) and found over 6,500 accounts with no posts, and following that there were another x amount of pages of accounts with 1 post, then 2 etc. etc.
I get the feeling there is no set date, because if you go to the last page on the 'list by date registered' page, you can see one account with 0 posts, 3 with 1 post, and one with 2. Infact 9 out of the 17 are under 10 posts in their count... I figure there are just over 20,000 registered users. that means that well over 26% of the registered users are dormant accounts (and thats when dormant accounts refers to 0 post nicks, and nothing else)...yes...im really, really bored.

anyway, enough of that. the thing i propose is a set time before the account is deleted. Say its 1 year and a day. It could be regarding last log on (if you can monitor that) or last post (which would be better as it would mean the person must contribute or be removed..rather than lurk). Im sure within the accounts that have afew posts are many who just stopped coming, or got banned and never returned. I know that I have afew accounts (which i have spoken to ecksor about) which have been dormant up until recently fo numerous reasons (forgot one existed, forgot one password etc etc).

So what-dya say? a set time limit before your account is deleted from the members list??

or is this all part of the admins evil plans to make boards.ie look like it is used by tens of thousands of members when infact its just about 154...??? we're through the looking glass here people...

Flogen

Exit

I don't think they ever delete accounts. And maybe they shouldn't. Purely by coincidence I happened to search this user's posts just now. Go search them yourself and look at the dates he has posted on.

flogen

WOW.... three years.... thats one hell of a sabatical...

tbh id say this is in the minority though, and I still think that accounts left untouched for over a set period should be deleted... If they want to start posting again 3 years later they can re-register...

Flogen

phreak

for once i actually agree with flogen.

deleting accounts more than a year old with 0 posts sounds like a good idea.

ecksor

We do get people who sign up and don't post for the first time for more than a year.

We might cull accounts at some point but they'll be people who failed to properly register rather than those who didn't post I think.

jd

Originally posted by ecksor
We do get people who sign up and don't post for the first time for more than a year.

We might cull accounts at some point but they'll be people who failed to properly register rather than those who didn't post I think.

I agree with ecksor-eg my other half rarely posts- she hasn't posted for 8 months. She still uses boards though..

smiaras

This post has been deleted.

Beruthiel

Flogen, you would appear to be one very bored man!
we can help each other out here, you need something to do and I need a living room painted, what do ya say?

to keep on topic, I say, down with this sort of thing

amp

Originally posted by ecksor
We do get people who sign up and don't post for the first time for more than a year.

We might cull accounts at some point but they'll be people who failed to properly register rather than those who didn't post I think.

Well those are the dead accounts of morons and we've got enough live morons as it is.

Many people do register properly and like to lurk before they post. If only more people did this then I think boards would be a happier place.

flogen

What about theelder, should we give him a year before deleting his account?

If it remains dormant... yes...

Well the time could be more than a year... even two... but is there a way to see when they last logged on? that way you could delete those who arent even lurking... besides... there are people who registered in 1998 who havent once posted... dont you think they would have done it by now if they were going to?

we can help each other out here, you need something to do and I need a living room painted, what do ya say?

well... i was bored last night... and had i seen your reply then I might have... but what with all the St Patricks Day brew-ha-ha I dont think I'd have the time.... sorry...

Flogen

Rabies

Originally posted by flogen
I figure there are just over 20,000 registered users. that means that well over 26% of the registered users are dormant accounts (and thats when dormant accounts refers to 0 post nicks, and nothing else)...yes...im really, really bored.

Members: 20,257

there are older memebers with only a handfull of posts , but probably browse boards. They shouldn't have their accounts deactiviated.
Maybe cull the members that have 0 posts and have not logged on in 2 years.

Ste.phen

Perhaps those users could be emailed a month or so before this [edit] proposed [/edit] cull? ("log in within the next 30 days or kiss your accont goodbye")

I think no logins within 2 years seems like a good threshold to set, it wont affect the lurkers, and gives the other "dead" users a month to reclaim their account.

krom kruak

Are you a busy body or what and if you think your not then what difference does it make to you if someone uses their account or not???

flogen

If i was in anyway busy I wouldnt have been sitting infront of my PC last night...
And there are alot of things here that would make no difference to my life or others, its just a suggestion to make boards.ie more efficient/better/more pretty/happier/more handsome/something else, never said it would revolutionise the Internet experience or anything.

Flogen

krom kruak

Originally posted by flogen
If i was in anyway busy I wouldnt have been sitting infront of my PC last night...
And there are alot of things here that would make no difference to my life or others, its just a suggestion to make boards.ie more efficient/better/more pretty/happier/more handsome/something else, never said it would revolutionise the Internet experience or anything.

Flogen

Re-read my post again pollyanna, I asked wether you are a "busy body" not just "busy" and my definition of a "busy body" is a someone who interferes or meddles in things which do not concern them or have no effect on them.

And unused logins have absolutley no impact on your or anyone else's use of the boards!

flogen

ok, we'll do a deal, I'll re-read your post if you re-read mine...
No I dont consider myself busy, not at the moment.. or a busy body for that matter.

what I said was:
there are alot of things here that would make no difference to my life or others, (as in, they dont directly concern me) its just a suggestion to make boards.ie more efficient/better/more pretty/happier/more handsome/something else, never said it would revolutionise the Internet experience or anything.

Flogen

Rabies

Get a room... :rolleyes:

Sangre

Originally posted by krom kruak

And unused logins have absolutley no impact on your or anyone else's use of the boards!

They take up names.
I for one know I have a 3 year old account which I never posted on but I think I messed up my email address so therefore I couldnt use the name I originally wanted.
I think thats what happened.

So krom, before you open your mouth please know what you're talking about.

krom kruak

Originally posted by Sangre
They take up names.
I for one know I have a 3 year old account which I never posted on but I think I messed up my email address so therefore I couldnt use the name I originally wanted.
I think thats what happened.

So krom, before you open your mouth please know what you're talking about.

So you're an idiot who can't handle an email account. Also, it's what u post and not the name u post behind that matters

ecksor

Ok, both of you stop that right there.

Sangre

Yeah well done.

I proved you wrong and now you're mad.

Better run for the hills...

Atreides

How did you get all your posts back Sangre?

ecksor

STICK TO THE TOPIC!

gandalf

Yes excellent idea. All dorment accounts should be culled along with duplicate accounts. The 2 year threashold with no posts should be used as the benchmark for the cull.

Gandalf.

amp

There's more to boards than just posting. Some people could literally go for years without posting and use the account for pming, the arcade or just to browse boards.

flogen

hence the idea of deleting an account that hasnt been logged into in a set amount of time... say 1 or 2 years.

Flogen

daveirl

This post has been deleted.

DeVore

time > sense


DeV.

Johnny_the_fox

I say leave them dormant..

who knows... someone who has registered 2 years+ (or whatever) and never used his/her account could get saved one day ... and decide to get involved in boards and post.

<rant>
similar example is voting: there are number of people around ireland that are registered to vote... but never vote... just because they dont vote... and someone thinks its "more efficient/better/more pretty/blah blah blah"... to remove their vote... its oks...?? :dunno:
</rant>

BuffyBot

There's more to boards than just posting. Some people could literally go for years without posting and use the account for pming, the arcade or just to browse boards.

Then send the "you have X amount of days to confirm your account e-mail" - problem sorted.

flogen

time > sense

i dont get it....

Flogen

Hobart

Originally posted by flogen
i dont get it....

Flogen

No you don't do you?

Ste.phen

more time than sense...


(nerrrrrrrrrrrd!)

amp

Originally posted by flogen
i dont get it....

Flogen

I believe this describes your entire boards experience. Well done flogen; The first step is realising you have a problem.

GuanYin

You need an account to play the arcade games, many non-posters may be using this facility, indeed I don't recognise many names in the arcade hi scores as regular posters.

So you could be quite actively using boards and not posting. The same for PMing or even just reading.

I registered, posted once or twice, didn't come back for ages and then posted alot more (ALOT more).

If you register an account and forget thepass or something, maybe contact an admin to free it?

Victor

I propose that Dev confiscates all the money in the dormant accounts and use it for hte next* mods beers. Damn, there is no money .....


* Well first to be honest.

flogen

syke, thats why it should stand for LOG INS, so if someone doesnt log-in for over 1 or 2 years their account is deleted, or they are given afew days to log-in before its deleted.

quote:

---

Originally posted by flogen
i dont get it....

Flogen

---

No you don't do you?

No.

more time than sense...


(nerrrrrrrrrrrd!)

Oh, wait. I do now.

I believe this describes your entire boards experience. Well done flogen; The first step is realising you have a problem.

I was actually just refering to DeVs post, I got the hang of boards.ie a while back, but thanks for your concern anyway... its good to know people care.

Flogen

Dustaz

Originally posted by flogen
I got the hang of boards.ie a while back,

You really do believe that, dont you?

Rabies

Dustaz, leave the poor guy alone. He just wants to become a mod. That is what boards is about. Every week post up a suggestion for a new board and some day your dream will come true. The exclusive mod board is nearly within his grasp.

flogen

Hark, i can see it, past yonder hills...... Brazil...

yes Dustaz I do, how you getting on yourself? what do you think of my original idea?? any different than what you seem to think of me?

Flogen

smoke.me.a.kipper

what have dormant accounts ever done to you?

Moriarty

Wont somebody please think of the children!?

eirebhoy

90+% accounts that are over a year old and haven't been posted on will never be posted on. If someone decides to come back 2 years later and his a/c is gone, i'm sure hit wouldn't be too much of a problem to re-register.

suppafly

i reckon if they haven't logged into boards in a set period of time then they should be deleted cuz thats means that the people who just browse boards and don't post won't get deleted cuz they'll be logging in. there ya go problem solved

Exit

You don't have to log in to browse.

Beruthiel

Originally posted by Exit
You don't have to log in to browse.

unless you have a subbed menu, which is all I ever use

Rabies

Originally posted by Exit
You don't have to log in to browse.

You do to send PMs, play games and see who is online.

Exit

Yes, yes you do.

Raphael

Hmm, most people seem to just be reading the first post, then replying, i think this is a great idea, as all those unused accounts are using up boards.ie's server space, correct?

flogen

Id say they are Raphael, and even if its only afew kb per account, there are thousands of dormant ones which are probably not even being browsed on... it all adds up

Flogen

Trojan

They're using up hundreds, possibly thousands, of kilobytes! Something must be done!! Has anyone got an old floppy disk lying about? Quick, before the server goes down!

Chill out guys... the spam on this thread has probably used up as much space as 20 dormant accounts.