Do you delete inactive accounts

[Søren]

Aug 7, 2018 13:50:38 GMT -8 wildmaven said:

If someone signs up and never posts, their account is deleted. I don't believe in over-inflating a member number with people who never participate.

I run a role playing site. Some members balk at joining an RP that has hundreds of members, so having a falsely inflated member number actually hurts the board.

Once a year I cull out the members who used to post but have since left the board, too.

I removed the member count statistic probably over a year ago and not had any question where it went or how many people are on the site since. It is not accurate really for a rp site where one member can have multiple character accounts.

Found this way new members don't get scared by seeing a big number and thinking they will be left out the group, and those that like an active site can just see by online list and recent posts that it is active.

Hasn't affected members joining at all, think it might have helped really

[Retread]

Aug 8, 2018 8:28:14 GMT -8 Søren said:

I removed the member count statistic probably over a year ago and not had any question where it went or how many people are on the site since. It is not accurate really for a rp site where one member can have multiple character accounts.

Found this way new members don't get scared by seeing a big number and thinking they will be left out the group, and those that like an active site can just see by online list and recent posts that it is active.

Hasn't affected members joining at all, think it might have helped really

As my friends across the pond might say . . . Brill!

[Zef]

I see no need to create extra work for myself. There might be a small group of neurotic guests that won't join a forum with a bunch of inactive accounts, but i've seen plenty of sites that have thrived without ever clearing out old accounts. In general as an admin I always ask myself if something is necessary or busywork, and I don't do busywork.

Plus if someone logs into their proboards dashboard they might see your forum and decide to reminisce. They might like what has changed or maybe they aren't as busy as they were. I feel you are more likely to get people to come back if you leave the door open for them.

[Mandoli]

I don't delete accounts. What happens if someone wants to lurk? Let them lurk. I don't see a problem with people who make a post and don't return. Everyone has a life. When they decide to rejoin the community, they'll do so.

[Former Member]

I think my friends do, we don’t want people to Callum or Tim around with a forum

[John]

With an RP board in the beginning we deleted some inactive accounts, but the work of giving, rebuilding, and helping the members that wanted to come back was a lot. Mind you that was in 2006-2007. Now we don't, because after 12 years people come and go as life grabs them. I don't see a reason to be picky.

[Nscalerr]

I used to, due to being an assistant admin on a former forum, where a lot of the inactive accounts turned out to be on the forum, for no other reason than to spam the site at some point.

On my own forum I let them just sit there. With only having 61 members, it helps to have a few just laying around.

[Former Member]

I remove inactive members after a month of nothingness, I find it rude for them to come in and respond to their welcome thread then to only pop in once in awhile to keep their account active.

My board is about making and meeting both old and new friends in a positive manner, how do people make friends being mute is something I have never been able to figure out.

I can commute with deaf people in person but, to sign up and not mingle, I draw the line there.

Yep, after a month of the newb being mute I delete them, if they come back to repeat their first mistake then I ban them, enough is enough already.

[Dazzal]

Aug 7, 2018 13:50:38 GMT -8 wildmaven said:

If someone signs up and never posts, their account is deleted. I don't believe in over-inflating a member number with people who never participate.

I run a role playing site. Some members balk at joining an RP that has hundreds of members, so having a falsely inflated member number actually hurts the board.

Once a year I cull out the members who used to post but have since left the board, too.

___________________

I agree! Some will sign up just to see if it's the kind of board they want to post on. If there is no response after I have e-mailed them, I delete it within a couple of weeks. There were no posts.