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Closing your account. Why?

beks101

I've noticed this is a common thing.
Often among posters who have racked up thousands of posts over years and really 'established' themselves in certain forums. They have 'friends', engage in daily chat, make smart and funny posts.
Then out of nowhere: CLOSED ACCOUNT.

I don't get it. Do they just burn out, get sick of spending so much time on a message board and decide to try out the real world for a while? Or is it a privacy issue, do they feel they have 'revealed too much'?

I've been around here for quite a while. Sometimes I disappear for weeks because life gets busy, other times I post and browse and thank posts far too frequently than probably is normal....but I've never considered closing my account. I like having a boards identity that no-one in the real world knows about (I think...). I like expressing my opinions on stuff and sometimes having my mind changed. I like looking over posts that I wrote sometimes, in a sense they've sort of chronicled the adventures I've had over the last few years.

So what's up with it? Do they just all come back and re-reg? Or do they just disappear into the ether?

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corner of hells

beks101 wrote: »

I've noticed this is a common thing.
Often among posters who have racked up thousands of posts over years and really 'established' themselves in certain forums. They have 'friends', engage in daily chat, make smart and funny posts.
Then out of nowhere: CLOSED.

I don't get it. Do they just burn out, get sick of spending so much time on a message board and decide to try out the real world for a while? Or is it a privacy issue, do they feel they have 'revealed too much'?

I've been around here for quite a while. Sometimes I disappear for weeks because life gets busy, other times I post and browse and thank posts far too frequently than probably is normal....but I've never considered closing my account. I like having a boards identity that no-one in the real world knows about (I think...). I like expressing my opinions on stuff and sometimes having my mind changed. I like looking over posts that I wrote sometimes, in a sense they've sort of chronicled the adventures I've had over the last few years.

So what's up with it? Do they just all come back and re-reg? Or do they just disappear into the ether?

They either sober up or get jobs what the economy improving.

umop.episdn

I've done it quite a few times, I just like to think up slightly witty usernames & try them out. I'm not precious about post counts, or being looked up to as a sage of boards.
I'm sure others do the same as me, a change is as good as a rest and all that

beks101

corner of hells wrote: »

They either sober up or get jobs what the economy improving.

I'm sober about 90% of the time and work 60+ hours a week.
I'm still here.

whirlpool

beks101 wrote: »

I've noticed this is a common thing.
Often among posters who have racked up thousands of posts over years and really 'established' themselves in certain forums. They have 'friends', engage in daily chat, make smart and funny posts.
Then out of nowhere: CLOSED ACCOUNT.

This always confuses me too.

spitfireIRL

There's also the (perceived) danger that an unpopular opinion you may have posted on something could stick to you, and undermine any other points you have

My name is URL

They do it because it's an option. Simple as that I'd say

umop.episdn

spitfireIRL wrote: »

There's also the (perceived) danger that an unpopular opinion you may have posted on something could stick to you, and undermine any other points you have

No, probably not since the attention span of most boards users is less than that of a goldfish .....and time to re-reg

No Pants

Some people are students and shut their account as exams approach. I came close to doing that myself earlier this year.

wretcheddomain

They've suddenly decided there's a big world out there and to spend all that time cooped up at the computer is unhealthy and unsociable.

In summary - they grow up.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

beks101 wrote: »

I'm sober about 90% of the time and work 60+ hours a week.
I'm still here.

Maybe they just mature and get a life in the real world.

Sugar Free

I had a previous account before which was lost due to the hacking in 2010 (I seem to say on this every thread of this nature). That said, it was a good chance to regain some anonymity.

I think a lot of people give away tonnes of information online. Some are fine with it but I guess others may realise they've built up a 'profile' of themselves e.g. female, teacher, age 30+, lives in Dublin, went to DCU etc and want to take a step back for one reason or another.

Obviously if you were to forensically examine every post of a given user you could do the above but I think people learn to be a bit more discerning over time and no doubt many, if not most of those closed accounts are still here under a new name.

Macavity.

People hold grudges and will often get personal. Sometimes an account change is necessary.

Links234

I'd be certain that a lot of big name posters who closed their account are still around.

pq0n1ct4ve8zf5

umop.episdn wrote: »

I've done it quite a few times, I just like to think up slightly witty usernames & try them out. I'm not precious about post counts, or being looked up to as a sage of boards.
I'm sure others do the same as me, a change is as good as a rest and all that

:eek: who are you???

I've considered it myself when I have a lot of stuff to do, it's easy to say "I'll just check boards for a minute", start posting and get involved in something and still be here an hour (or three) later, sometimes it's maybe in your best interest to just not give yourself that option.

Dolbert

I'd say a lot of the time it's because they've made themselves too identifiable.

Hotfail.com

When I did it I was worried people I know in real life found me, don't want that

wretcheddomain

Macavity. wrote: »

People hold grudges and will often get personal. Sometimes an account change is necessary.

a) There's a block facility

b) Even if there wasn't (a), you'd have to be profoundly sensitive.

beks101

Evan Stocky Mechanic wrote: »

Maybe they just mature and get a life in the real world.

Are you incapable of having a life if you also post on a message board?
Must have missed that memo.

Manach

I'd say some fairly good points made about them being identifiable and perhaps not wishing to be identified with certain stances. Still, what is life without a little baggage.

wretcheddomain

beks101 wrote: »

Are you incapable of having a life if you also post on a message board?
Must have missed that memo.

If we refer back to mike65 who, on average, posted every waking hour for 10 years, then yes - it's certainly a potential addiction that many on boards have to seek professional treatment.

Chance The Rapper

You'd be easily enough identifiable after about 1000 posts I'd say, unless you were extremely reserved in what you post. That's why I set a new account up every 6 months

beks101

wretcheddomain wrote: »

If we refer back to mike65 who, on average, posted every waking hour for 10 years, then yes - it's certainly a potential addiction that many on boards have to seek professional treatment.

Who's Mike65? Did he end up in rehab for boards addiction?

wretcheddomain

Chance The Rapper wrote: »

You'd be easily enough identifiable after about 1000 posts I'd say, unless you were extremely reserved in what you post. That's why I set a new account up every 6 months

But who cares if you're identifiable? Why should that change how you post?

Who's Mike65? Did he end up in rehab for boards addiction?

Highest ever poster with over 90,000 posts. Left after he was given a yellow card in the football forum and never seen since.

Conspiracy forum have erected a thread in his honour.

pq0n1ct4ve8zf5

what are people posting that they're so worried about people finding out about? If someone wanted to go digging through my posts they could find my name and picture pretty quickly, I've had this account since I was a teenager so I'm sure there's some cringey or ill-thought-out posts there, and there are definitely a RAKE of drunk ones, but it doesn't particularly bother me.

RobertKK

I had a stalker who would get banned and re-register.
His problem was in the weather forum where I didn't want snow.

I closed the account and that solved it, he should be calmed down by now.

Macavity.

wretcheddomain wrote: »

a) There's a block facility

b) Even if there wasn't (a), you'd have to be profoundly sensitive.

I'm merely giving an example of why someone would set up a new account. Also, it could be more a matter of practicality than being sensitive.

Sugar Free

Kamila Thoughtless Moped wrote: »

what are people posting that they're so worried about people finding out about? If someone wanted to go digging through my posts they could find my name and picture pretty quickly, I've had this account since I was a teenager so I'm sure there's some cringey or ill-thought-out posts there, and there are definitely a RAKE of drunk ones, but it doesn't particularly bother me.

From a professional perspective, it's something I'm wary of due to my industry and the role I have.

Sam Kade

Wouldn't it be ironic if a poster closed their account after posting on this thread?

pq0n1ct4ve8zf5

Sugar Free wrote: »

From a professional perspective, it's something I'm wary of due to my industry and the role I have.

whoops, d'uh, now that you say it it's obvious. I thought people meant they'd be worried about their friends finding them or something.

syklops

There is an ever increasing number of trolls and and How-do-they-not-fall-down-more idiots on boards.

To paraphrase a Czech gun runner called Max, "Anonymity is like a warm blanket". Closing your account with 10,000+ posts and starting afresh can be liberating.