Forum Admin Account Succession

[ProBoards Help Guide]

This article was revised on 2023-12-29

Forum Admin Account Succession


If a forum Admin passes away or has clearly abandoned a forum, and there is no Admin Succession Agreement in place, ProBoards may choose to implement any of the following options:

• Determine a successor for the Admin account (i.e. forum transfer)
• Grant additional powers to current forum staff
• Promote a member to forum staff
• Let the forum continue as is with no changes

ProBoards, at its sole discretion, will make a determination as to the best current option for the continuation of the forum with minimal disruption.

In the case of an Admin passing away, a link to an obituary notice is required before any action is taken. The obituary is accepted as proof of passing away if the information matches the Admin’s Global Account. For this reason we urge Admins to have their Global Account settings reflect their true name and birth date.

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Admin Succession Agreement

A forum Admin may designate a successor to take possession of their Admin account (i.e. Forum) if they pass away, or if specific circumstances are met (such as not logging into the forum for a designated period of time).

An Admin Succession Agreement allows for the transfer of the Admin account to the successor, and thus a transfer of the forum. Once the conditions of the Agreement are met and the Admin account is transferred, it cannot be reversed.

Creating an Admin Succession Agreement

1.	Create a thread on the board Succession Agreements. This is a private board. Your thread is only visible to you and ProBoards Admins.
2.	In your thread include the following information: Your request for an Agreement and the specific details for succession Your forum name and link to forum. The username and forum profile link to your chosen successor. Your real name, if it is not reflected in your Global Account. Your true birth date should be accurate in your Global Account as per our Terms of Service. If is not accurate, please let us know.
3.	The ProBoards Support Admin will attach to the forum's database an internal note that contains the details of the Agreement. (The note will only be accessible by a ProBoards employee.)

You can cancel or change your Agreement at any time prior to its execution by creating a thread on the Support Board requesting the assistance of a ProBoards Support Admin.

Executing an Admin Succession Agreement

ProBoards does not proactively monitor the status of Admins. When a forum member becomes aware that an Admin has passed away or is absent from the forum, they should notify a ProBoards Support Admin by creating a thread on the Support Board with the pertinent information.

ProBoards will investigate the Admin's status and determine if the conditions of the Agreement are met.

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Sample Agreements

Admin Succession Agreements should contain the required information, but be simple and straightforward. The following are samples of different Agreements. You are not limited to the samples below and may discuss with a ProBoards Admin a scenario that works best for you.

Example 1

I would like to set up an Admin Succession Agreement in the event of my death.
The forum name is: My Forum, and the URL is https://myforum.proboards.com

With proof of my death, please transfer the admin account to the
forum member username: somemember
https://myforum.proboards.com/user/2

My real name is John Doe

Example 2

I would like to set up an Admin Succession Agreement.
The forum name is: My Forum, and the URL is https://myforum.proboards.com

If I have not logged into the forum for 90 days,
please add the following member to the Administrator member group.
Member username: somemember
https://myforum.proboards.com/user/2

Thank you,
John Doe

Example 3

I would like to set up an Admin Succession Agreement in the event of my death.
The forum name is: My Forum, and the URL is https://myforum.proboards.com

With proof of my death, please transfer the admin account to the
forum member username: somemember
https://myforum.proboards.com/user/2

If somemember is unwilling to take responsibility for the forum or has not logged
in for 60 days, then transfer the admin account to
member username: anothermember
https://myforum.proboards.com/user/3

Thank you,
John