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Account closure

Widdershins

I'm not sure if this is the usual place to ask but I'd like to know what exactly happens to the posts made by someone who has a closed account?

The user's posts are still visible after they close their account, is that right?

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Lovely Bloke

yes, they are not removed

Widdershins

What's the difference between closing an account, and just never logging in? I have read that upon closing it, the log in details are deleted (or scrambled, or something). So it's impossible to log in to an old account.

Why don't people simply stop logging in, without going to the extent of closing it down?

Timberrrrrrrr

Some people choose to close their accounts and then reopen a new account with a different name. If they decide to just not log into their account and create a new one then the new one will be banned and the user is usually given the option of choosing which account to keep/close.

Alf Stewart.

I don't really understand the "scrambled" part.

Surely if password is scrambled, you should in theory be able to regain it via the "i forgot my password" option?

Edit, that doesn't work.

dudara

Timberrrrrrrr wrote: »

If they decide to just not log into their account and create a new one then the new one will be banned and the user is usually given the option of choosing which account to keep/close.

Not necessarily. If the Admins see a clear separation between the accounts (i.e. one stops posting and the new one starts), I'd give the benefit of the doubt and leave alone. The issues arise when people post from two accounts simultaneously.

Alf Stewart. wrote:

I don't really understand the "scrambled" part.

Surely if password is scrambled, you should in theory be able to regain it via the "i forgot my password" option?

Edit, that doesn't work.

When you close your account, IIRC, your email address is scrambled. Not sure 100% what happens to password but I assume it's also scrambled. There's probably a flag on the account which stops the password reset from working. I'd have to ask the techie team for all the details.

Widdershins

Just out of curiosity how do you know the two accounts are by the same person? If it's an I.P address, could it not be two different people in the same house, on a shared computer?

That's not why I'm asking about closure anyway, but since a second account was mentioned..

dudara

There are a variety of tools available. I'm not going to go into the details, but it's usually fairly easy to identify the case of two flat-sharing people vs someone who is sock-puppeting or dual-accounting.

Some people simply don't realise the account closure is possible and instead they just start a new account.

Tom Dunne

Widdershins wrote: »

What's the difference between closing an account, and just never logging in? I have read that upon closing it, the log in details are deleted (or scrambled, or something). So it's impossible to log in to an old account.

Why don't people simply stop logging in, without going to the extent of closing it down?

The close account functionality was brought in to comply with data protection legislation. When we look at an account that has been closed, the email address is removed so therefore the password cannot be retrieved.

The posts, as others have said, remain to maintain the integrity of the discussion/thread they appeared in.

Boards.ie: Niamh

Just to clarify, if you were to close your account we mark your account as 'Closed account' (this displays publicly as a blank user title where it normally would say 'Registered User' etc.), and delete any details you have entered into your profile.

We will scramble your password; turn off your ability to receive private messages and visitor messages; remove your ability to receive notifications of friend requests and to subscribe to threads and also turn off any notifications you receive from threads you may have subscribed to.

Your email address will be associated with your record for a time, as per the Data Protection Act. This will be in a hashed version on the database and is no longer visible to Admin or ourselves once the account has been closed.

Your posts or threads will not be deleted.

I hope that helps

Widdershins

Boards.ie: Niamh wrote: »

Just to clarify, if you were to close your account we mark your account as 'Closed account' (this displays publicly as a blank user title where it normally would say 'Registered User' etc.), and delete any details you have entered into your profile.

We will scramble your password; turn off your ability to receive private messages and visitor messages; remove your ability to receive notifications of friend requests and to subscribe to threads and also turn off any notifications you receive from threads you may have subscribed to.

Your email address will be associated with your record for a time, as per the Data Protection Act. This will be in a hashed version on the database and is no longer visible to Admin or ourselves once the account has been closed.

Your posts or threads will not be deleted.

I hope that helps

Very helpful, thank you.

Mr. FoggPatches

If after a period of time, in accordance with the dpa, someone asked for their posts to be deleted, what then?

Boards.ie: Niamh

Mr. FoggPatches wrote: »

If after a period of time, in accordance with the dpa, someone asked for their posts to be deleted, what then?

Can you elaborate on how you think Data Protection would apply here please?

KERSPLAT!

Mr. FoggPatches wrote: »

If after a period of time, in accordance with the dpa, someone asked for their posts to be deleted, what then?

I'm accordance with which particular part? You use a username on boards, not your real name. They are attributed to you via your email address which is hashed when your account is closed.

Tom Dunne

Mr. FoggPatches wrote: »

If after a period of time, in accordance with the dpa, someone asked for their posts to be deleted, what then?

You might want to read up on data protection legislation.

On this site, it is primarily concerned with personally identifiable information. The vast majority of posts do not contain such information. If a person posted his/her address, phone number, or as happened only last week, bank account details, well aside from being silly, it would fall under such legislation.

blanch152

Tom Dunne wrote: »

You might want to read up on data protection legislation.

On this site, it is primarily concerned with personally identifiable information. The vast majority of posts do not contain such information. If a person posted his/her address, phone number, or as happened only last week, bank account details, well aside from being silly, it would fall under such legislation.

What if someone used their own name in their username, say Tom Dunne, for example, assuming that is a real name?

In that case, would they be entitled to have their posts deleted?

What if they didn't use their real name but something that clearly identified them, what then?

tomwaterford

blanch152 wrote: »

What if someone used their own name in their username, say Tom Dunne, for example, assuming that is a real name?

In that case, would they be entitled to have their posts deleted?

What if they didn't use their real name but something that clearly identified them, what then?

HAve heard 2nd hand info of people who the site [that can't be named] were trying to identify

getting pics etc from the know your forumite etc threads getting them deleted

Though I'd Imagive you'd want to make a strong case for it and identify the posts yourself.....all of which would be pointless if someone
quoted the post??

Beasty

blanch152 wrote: »

What if someone used their own name in their username, say Tom Dunne, for example, assuming that is a real name?

In that case, would they be entitled to have their posts deleted?

What if they didn't use their real name but something that clearly identified them, what then?

Anyone who does that is volunteering that personal information on the internet. There is no right to remove something you voluntarily post in a public forum (it's different if someone else posts such info about any other individual)

Even if it was deleted, that in no way guarantees the information is completely "removed", as anyone can copy and paste anything they see here, and indeed certain search engines may come up with cached versions anyway.

The_Valeyard

Does the right to be forgotten not apply to internet forums also?

dudara

I'm guessing here but I assume that youve posted anonymously applies. Interesting point

Robineen

Boards.ie: Niamh wrote: »

Your email address will be associated with your record for a time, as per the Data Protection Act. This will be in a hashed version on the database and is no longer visible to Admin or ourselves once the account has been closed.

Does that mean that admins can see the email addresses of current forum members?

tomwaterford

Robineen wrote: »

Does that mean that admins can see the email addresses of current forum members?

One would assume so??

Though it would take a level of incredible naiivety to use your personal/work email for registering.....especially since iirc it was hacked before

KERSPLAT!

tomwaterford wrote: »

One would assume so??

Though it would take a level of incredible naiivety to use your personal/work email for registering.....especially since iirc it was hacked before

I use my normal email address, since 2010, with no issues.

tomwaterford

KERSPLAT! wrote: »

I use my normal email address, since 2010, with no issues.

I use x@hotmail
Instead of x@gmail

But I do be deeply weary of stuff online I don't fully understand....so choose to be safe vs sorry

Beasty

Revealing your e-mail address anywhere may leave you more prone to spam, and perhaps others attempting to impersonate you. However it does not compromise that e-mail address. You remain within the lap of your e-mail provider to ensure adequate protection exists for your e-mail address (as well as common sense re passwords etc)

Robineen

tomwaterford wrote: »

One would assume so??

Though it would take a level of incredible naiivety to use your personal/work email for registering....especially since iirc it was hacked before

I didn't.

Was just wondering. I don't know why I was surprised that admins would see people's email addresses.

Beasty

I suspect Admins and anyone else who is able to access any personal information will need to be made aware of data protection laws and agree not to reveal any personally identifiable information.

The e-mail address itself may help identify the poster in real life. Beyond that it cannot really have any "value". Indeed every time anyone sends an e-mail they risk that e-mail address being "leaked" either via the relevant e-mail servers or the recipient who will obviously see the e-mail address.

Tom Dunne

Robineen wrote: »

Does that mean that admins can see the email addresses of current forum members?

Yes, if we go looking for it, we can see it.

Boards.ie: Niamh

Robineen wrote: »

Does that mean that admins can see the email addresses of current forum members?

Tom Dunne wrote: »

Yes, if we go looking for it, we can see it.

Yes as Tom Dunne has said, Admin (and staff) can see email addresses if we go looking for them. We are all bound to adhere to Data Protection laws, Admin included.

Collie D

Tom Dunne wrote: »

You might want to read up on data protection legislation.

On this site, it is primarily concerned with personally identifiable information. The vast majority of posts do not contain such information. If a person posted his/her address, phone number, or as happened only last week, bank account details, well aside from being silly, it would fall under such legislation.

This caught my eye and just being nosey but can you give details of what happened? Understand if you can't.

KERSPLAT!

Collie D wrote: »

This caught my eye and just being nosey but can you give details of what happened? Understand if you can't.

We have banking talk to forums, likely someone posted their account number there