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Users account closure

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  • 11-01-2015 6:34pm
    #1
    ROAAAR
    Registered Users Posts: 316 ✭✭


    I was just reading an old thread when I noticed a regular user had closed their account several months ago. I used to really appreciate this user and think I would recognise their posting style if they had decided to re reg. Perhaps I'm wrong on that but I can't help but be slightly concerned as I know this person was struggling with certain aspects of their life. Do other people get worried seeing an account closure. I mean I know friends who have taken their own lives and have seemed to finalise things in a way before doing so. I can't help but worry that's what's happened here.


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    #2
    The Moldy Gowl
    Closed Accounts Posts: 19,889 ✭✭✭✭The Moldy Gowl


    If I was to kill myself, closing my account on boards would probably be the least if my worries


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    #3
    ROAAAR
    Registered Users Posts: 316 ✭✭ROAAAR


    Gowlasauras Rex wrote: »
    If I was to kill myself, closing my account on boards would probably be the least if my worries

    But very often when a person has decoded to end their life, they tend to tie up such things. Often contact distant family and friends one last time before sadly taking their lives.


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    #4
    Trebor176
    Registered Users Posts: 3,409 ✭✭✭Trebor176


    You're very good to be concerned, OP. I'm sure it's absolutely nothing to worry about. Maybe the poster just felt that they really needed to take time out from lesser important things to focus on whatever issues that may be in their lives. I do know of people that would be regularly on Facebook, for example, that would suddenly stop updating or delete/suspend their accounts, but return later on at some point. It's generally the case that they're just too busy with more important stuff to be coming online all the time. Maybe this poster will return in time, but I'm sure they just need the time to clear their heads and just focus on getting through things.


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    #5
    MadsL
    Registered Users Posts: 20,299 ✭✭✭✭MadsL


    I know of one poster, actually a mod of a forum who has simply shut down on boards. One minute posting away and offering to help SSF, then not a single post or response to multiple PMs. I even reached out to his friends that also mod another site with him and he's simply not online, he's alive and well by all accounts but his online life across two sites has simply ended. Poster since 2005 and almost 20,000 post and hasn't posted for a year.

    Weird.


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    #6
    The Moldy Gowl
    Closed Accounts Posts: 19,889 ✭✭✭✭The Moldy Gowl


    MadsL wrote: »
    I know of one poster, actually a mod of a forum who has simply shut down on boards. One minute posting away and offering to help SSF, then not a single post or response to multiple PMs. I even reached out to his friends that also mod another site with him and he's simply not online, he's alive and well by all accounts but his online life across two sites has simply ended.

    Weird.

    Girlfriend more than likely.


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    #7
    MadsL
    Registered Users Posts: 20,299 ✭✭✭✭MadsL


    Gowlasauras Rex wrote: »
    Girlfriend more than likely.

    No posts for a year? She must be insatiable...


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    #8
    PizzamanIRL
    Registered Users Posts: 5,148 ✭✭✭PizzamanIRL


    I'm not trying to sound bad but I have more important things to worry about, especially when there's nothing you can do about it.

    That person could have changed and been embarrassed about what they were talking about so they created a fresh account


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    #9
    wretcheddomain
    Registered Users Posts: 3,094 ✭✭✭wretcheddomain


    It's not really any of our business why people decide to close their accounts.


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    #10
    Tugboats
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 2,011 ✭✭✭Tugboats


    ROAAAR wrote: »
    I was just reading an old thread when I noticed a regular user had closed their account several months ago. I used to really appreciate this user and think I would recognise their posting style if they had decided to re reg. Perhaps I'm wrong on that but I can't help but be slightly concerned as I know this person was struggling with certain aspects of their life. Do other people get worried seeing an account closure. I mean I know friends who have taken their own lives and have seemed to finalise things in a way before doing so. I can't help but worry that's what's happened here.

    Yes I'd be devastated if somebody that I dont know committed suicide.


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    #11
    Unknown Soldier
    Registered Users Posts: 2,124 ✭✭✭Unknown Soldier


    wretcheddomain wrote: »
    It's not really any of our business why people decide to close their accounts.


    Very true. People often ditched accounts/left boards.ie long before the "closed" option became available.

    I remember seeing Shinji on Skynews a few years ago.


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    #12
    Zaph
    Registered Users, Subscribers Posts: 47,282 ✭✭✭✭Zaph


    People have many reasons why they close their accounts, and quite frankly those reasons are not our business. However many people also simply walk away from their accounts and stop posting. The only difference between the two is that the former's actions are visible for all to see so naturally it attracts speculation. All we can ever hope for if a person closes their account is that they are in a good place and simply became bored with the site or are too busy to post here any more, but in most cases we'll never know either way.


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    #13
    wretcheddomain
    Registered Users Posts: 3,094 ✭✭✭wretcheddomain


    If I did decide to close my account, it would be because of depressing threads like this.


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    #14
    Mr. Incognito
    Registered Users Posts: 9,798 ✭✭✭Mr. Incognito


    Its just a timesink at the end of the day arguing with strangers about nothing important.

    We are petty vincent browns without the salary all talking nonsense.

    Some people just get bored and go do real things


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    #15
    Earthhorse
    Registered Users Posts: 14,714 ✭✭✭✭Earthhorse


    It's something I've wondered at times about people who have left. What's become of them? Ultimately, you have to hope they did it to improve their lives. I have known people who posted way more than I ever have to just completely stop and stay stopped, cold turkey. I guess in some ways it was taking up too much space in their lives.
    wretcheddomain wrote: »
    It's not really any of our business why people decide to close their accounts.

    Sure but that doesn't stop us from wondering.
    Unknown Soldier wrote: »
    I remember seeing Shinji on Skynews a few years ago.

    But if you recognised him then you knew who he was and could keep up with his online presence elsewhere.


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    #16
    MadsL
    Registered Users Posts: 20,299 ✭✭✭✭MadsL


    wretcheddomain wrote: »
    It's not really any of our business why people decide to close their accounts.

    The weird situation I ended up in is that I actually sent SSF charity auctioned items to a moderator with 18k post who offered to distribute them. Dropped off the face of the internet ever since.


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    #17
    rolliepoley
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,874 ✭✭✭rolliepoley


    WGAF.


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    #18
    pickarooney
    Moderators, Arts Moderators Posts: 35,192 Mod ✭✭✭✭pickarooney


    MadsL wrote: »
    The weird situation I ended up in is that I actually sent SSF charity auctioned items to a moderator with 18k post who offered to distribute them. Dropped off the face of the internet ever since.

    They weren't earphones by any chance?


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    #19
    Larianne
    Registered Users Posts: 35,954 ✭✭✭✭Larianne


    MadsL wrote: »
    The weird situation I ended up in is that I actually sent SSF charity auctioned items to a moderator with 18k post who offered to distribute them. Dropped off the face of the internet ever since.

    Done a runner with them!! :eek:
    (I really hope that's not true, but maybe something to further investigate).


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    #20
    anncoates
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,925 ✭✭✭✭anncoates


    I know I can hardly talk but it is a bit disconcerting to - regularly now - have the subtle feeling that you recognize a new(ish) poster's style but just can't place them. :)

    I'd like to think the rest just wanted a clean break, nothing more.


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    #21
    MadsL
    Registered Users Posts: 20,299 ✭✭✭✭MadsL


    pickarooney wrote: »
    They weren't earphones by any chance?

    No. Items from the set of Breaking Bad - not valuable at all really.
    Larianne wrote: »
    Done a runner with them!! :eek:
    (I really hope that's not true, but maybe something to further investigate).

    Unlikely - they have little intrinsic value...


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    #22
    Larianne
    Registered Users Posts: 35,954 ✭✭✭✭Larianne


    anncoates wrote: »
    I know I can hardly talk but it is a bit disconcerting to - regularly now - have the subtle feeling that you recognize a new(ish) poster's style but just can't place them. :)

    I'd like to think the rest just wanted a clean break, nothing more.

    I think the majority hit the close account button in a fit of rage. :pac:


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    #23
    anncoates
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,925 ✭✭✭✭anncoates


    Larianne wrote: »
    I think the majority hit the close account button in a fit of rage. :pac:

    I prefer existential postcount pique. :)


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    #24
    Rabo Karabekian
    Closed Accounts Posts: 275 ✭✭Rabo Karabekian


    I closed my previous account (although I wasn't a particularly prolific poster, and I doubt many would recognise/miss my posts) for a few reasons. Mainly the creeping suspicion that people I knew in real life would recognise my online persona, as well as my living situation was changing, and I was worried that when I moved in to my new place, the boards.ie alert system would show a duplicate IP address and make my old username (and all those posts) known to my new flatmates.

    But I have to agree with Mr Incognito re this place sometimes being a sinkhole. It's a great website, but sometimes you can get sucked into pointless, pointless debates with people you don't know, and don't know who you are. A new persona stopped me posting as much, and I'm happier with that.


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    #25
    RobertKK
    Registered Users Posts: 33,730 ✭✭✭✭RobertKK


    I was being hassled on a different forum on this site in the past, an idiot who would get banned would create another account to keep it going. The mods did their best but I felt I was part of the problem, I was not encouraging the person to be crazy, so I closed my account.
    After I closed my account a row broke out over me leaving, so I created this account to report the row to mods as it was just stupid.

    Closing an account isn't a big deal, one can start afresh and leave any crap in the past.


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    #26
    ROAAAR
    Registered Users Posts: 316 ✭✭ROAAAR


    I know it's not my business but was more I interested to see if other people notice such things or am I a ridiculous over worrier. Probably the latter, at least I hope.

    I recall an old boardsie who was very down at the time and saying some worrying things before closing their account and people noted it on the thread but the poster in question reregistered to let everyone know they were OK and just needed to take a break from the site while they sort out their life. That was good to know. I know it's just a website but you do get to familiarise yourself with people and perhaps remember some personal things they've shared, perhaps not so much in after hours, but on occasion.


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    #27
    Rabo Karabekian
    Closed Accounts Posts: 275 ✭✭Rabo Karabekian


    ROAAAR wrote: »
    I know it's not my business but was more I interested to see if other people notice such things or am I a ridiculous over worrier. Probably the latter, at least I hope.

    My response wasn't just to give my own personal reasons, but to show you (I think you were the OP?) that there are loads of reasons for someone closing their account, and it's not necessarily what you might fear. The person might have been having problems, but closing their account might (hopefully) not have been them 'clearing up loose ends'.


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    #28
    ROAAAR
    Registered Users Posts: 316 ✭✭ROAAAR


    Tugboats wrote: »
    Yes I'd be devastated if somebody that I dont know committed suicide.

    People feel close to o fictional characters in novels all the time and are upset if they happen to die. It's not like I don't know this person. I've never met them in real life but chatted a lot over the last 4 or so years. I know they were struggling with their own personal issues for quite a while. I tried to advise them as best I could and tell them that it gets better but now I can't help but fear the worst. Read some messages again makes me think I really should have done more. I think a lot were cries for help and I couldn't always get the time to give a well thought out reply. I feel helpless now.


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