Post or be deleted!

[Shawn Gossman]

How do you feel about forum owners who will email inactive members and threaten to delete their accounts if they don't become active and post?

Is this something you practice on your forum? If yes - has it worked at all?

 

[Cpvr]

Honestly, i’d leave their forum and never look back. I’ll post whenever I feel like it - no pun intended.


No, this isn’t it a tactic I practice on my forum. You’re free to post whenever you want, and I won’t delete your account for inactivity. Your account will always be there.

 

[Tracy]

How do you feel about forum owners who will email inactive members and threaten to delete their accounts if they don't become active and post?

Is this something you practice on your forum? If yes - has it worked at all?

I know a few admins that have done that. And if I get a notification like that, color my happy butt gone from that site. I post/participate because I want to, not because an admin has a false feeling of god-hood.

 

[Heatman]

I can imagine the audacity. I will login and tell him to go fuvk himself. I wouldn't care one bit even if he banned my account. My life doesn't depend on the damn forum.

 

[Shawn Gossman]

I can imagine the audacity. I will login and tell him to go fuvk himself. I wouldn't care one bit even if he banned my account. My life doesn't depend on the damn forum.

I've always though it was a bad practice.

While I probably wouldn't login to tell them to go F themselves I would likely not login again after a message like that.

Sometimes I take breaks from other forums. I usually come back

 

[Heatman]

I've always though it was a bad practice.

While I probably wouldn't login to tell them to go F themselves I would likely not login again after a message like that.

Sometimes I take breaks from other forums. I usually come back

I agree it's easier to simply ignore them but sometimes, it's better to tell such jerks they are full of BS to see their shîț boil over.

Taking a break is your once in a while because it helps you not to get burnt out.

 

[AllyHellkiller]

I would delete my account for that. I use forums to learn and don’t post a lot unless I can help someone or know what I am talking about.

 

[Nomad]

When I created my first forum I created a rule where I mentioned that users who remain absent from them forum for more than 6 months will have their account locked and would be unlocked upon request. But I never exercised this. Well, I have never received emails form forum owners to delete my account if I don't log in but I do receive such emails from the SaaS services I use.

 

[Tracy]

hat users who remain absent from them forum for more than 6 months will have their account locked and would be unlocked upon request. Bu

Actually, security wise, this would be a solid option for developers to include. Usually if someone is not back to a site within a 6 months to a year, they probably are not coming back. So locking "stale" accounts (and requiring a password reset using their old email) would not be a bad deal? They don't have their old email any longer... oh well, I guess they could always submit ID to the admin and submit to a background check.
And if they use 2FA like a Yubi Key or even Google Authenticator, then allow them to unlock it using that.

 

[AllyHellkiller]

Why delete your subscribers and tank your membership numbers?

 

[Shawn Gossman]

Why delete your subscribers and tank your membership numbers?

I agree. I think it would be a horrible idea to mass delete folks because they want to lurk.

I've ran many forums where people join and just read. I'll PM them asking if they need help figuring out the forum and they respond saying they just like reading. I don't see anything wrong with that.

 

[Tracy]

I've ran many forums where people join and just read. I'll PM them asking if they need help figuring out the forum and they respond saying they just like reading. I don't see anything wrong with that.

Neither do I. But it does kill me on why they take the time and effort to do it on my site as they can access the same stuff whether they are logged in or guests.
I am guessing it is kind of a thank you?

 

[Shawn Gossman]

Neither do I. But it does kill me on why they take the time and effort to do it on my site as they can access the same stuff whether they are logged in or guests.
I am guessing it is kind of a thank you?

I think they join to support you or think they might get access to more features or sections.

 

[Tracy]

I think they join to support you or think they might get access to more features or sections.

It would have to be the former as to the latter, I have notices in the RM and such that state that guests have full access.
It doesn't really bother me as the ones that register but are likely spammers are fairly easy to weed out and watch.

 

[Heatman]

Actually, security wise, this would be a solid option for developers to include. Usually if someone is not back to a site within a 6 months to a year, they probably are not coming back. So locking "stale" accounts (and requiring a password reset using their old email) would not be a bad deal? They don't have their old email any longer... oh well, I guess they could always submit ID to the admin and submit to a background check.
And if they use 2FA like a Yubi Key or even Google Authenticator, then allow them to unlock it using that.

Personally, I don't buy the idea of asking to submit ID to the admin to run a background check is necessary. I wouldn't agree to it and I don't think anyone smart would either for what reason? What's my benefit for using the forum that's going to warrant submitting my ID to a total stranger?

 

[Tracy]

Personally, I don't buy the idea of asking to submit ID to the admin to run a background check is necessary.

Sarcasm doesn't carry well on the internet.
But honestly, if they have lost their email account (or let it get trashed and deleted) or they can't remember their credentials, they can set up a new account. If... and that is a big IF... they can later confirm that their old account is the same as the new one, I may merge them.
But sorry, I'm not going to simply reset someones password because they tell me "hey, I don't have my old email any more and I don't remember what my password was". No, my site does not have national security secrets on it, but I do owe a level of security to my users. Social engineering has been a thing for years and years, and admins of websites are no more exempt from it than anyone else.

What's my benefit for using the forum that's going to warrant submitting my ID to a total stranger?

The point was if they were a prolific user (or even a regular user) and had to go away for a while and then forgot their password and their old email was no longer valid, how exactly are you going to confirm they are who they said they are if they want you to manually change the password and give it to them or change the email. To simply do that without due diligence worries me more than having to send in a scan of my drivers license that can be checked. If they want to continue using the old account, they are going to have to confirm that they have the right to, and sorry, I'm not going to take the "just trust me" routine. Many a young lady has found out that was a path that they probably did not want to walk.

 

[Shawn Gossman]

Sarcasm doesn't carry well on the internet.
But honestly, if they have lost their email account (or let it get trashed and deleted) or they can't remember their credentials, they can set up a new account. If... and that is a big IF... they can later confirm that their old account is the same as the new one, I may merge them.
But sorry, I'm not going to simply reset someones password because they tell me "hey, I don't have my old email any more and I don't remember what my password was". No, my site does not have national security secrets on it, but I do owe a level of security to my users. Social engineering has been a thing for years and years, and admins of websites are no more exempt from it than anyone else.


The point was if they were a prolific user (or even a regular user) and had to go away for a while and then forgot their password and their old email was no longer valid, how exactly are you going to confirm they are who they said they are if they want you to manually change the password and give it to them or change the email. To simply do that without due diligence worries me more than having to send in a scan of my drivers license that can be checked. If they want to continue using the old account, they are going to have to confirm that they have the right to, and sorry, I'm not going to take the "just trust me" routine. Many a young lady has found out that was a path that they probably did not want to walk.

I think I would send an email to the account they have on file confirming that it's them.

If they don't use that email anymore, I'd ask them to create a new account. IMO, they're responsible for maintaining their account. If they don't and they lose access, then they lose and that's just that.

Otherwise, who is to say they aren't pretending to be someone they're not?

 

[Tracy]

I think I would send an email to the account they have on file confirming that it's them.

Generally you find this happening when someone has used a disposable email address that either has expired or that they don't remember the credentials of.

Otherwise, who is to say they aren't pretending to be someone they're not?

That's the point I was making. If their content was important enough to them, then they should not have any issues with sending in credentials of a known type. They can even block out their DOB and home address. But most will not worry about going to that extreme. They will either create a new account or they will just quit participating on the site.
But in no case should you do account re-assignment unless you know the person IRL and have talked with them about it.

 

[frm]

This happens on some of the few relatively large Facebook groups I'm in too, so it's not just limited to forums.

I tend to ignore them because it just seems odd. Why ban lurkers for not wanting to participate? Just let them get the info they want; they're not doing anything (at all) to warrant being removed from the group (or in this case, forum).

 

[Tracy]

I tend to ignore them because it just seems odd. Why ban lurkers for not wanting to participate? Just let them get the info they want; they're not doing anything (at all) to warrant being removed from the group (or in this case, forum).

Ayep. That's the philosophy I have on my forums. My primary site has over 300 registered users and only about 3-4 actually participate. I don't worry about it.
I have seen admins that send out DM's asking their users to participate more. To me, that is more likely to drive folks away. But... what do I know?