Memorialization Setting - PB Account After You

[yogibearbull]

There isn't any. But keep reading if interested.

May be PB should implement what Facebook has - Memorialization Settings - Account After you. When I signed up for Facebook, I thought that was funny or weird and didn't do anything about naming a Facebook account inheritor/successor. But I am thinking more about it after seeing many posts here at PB about inactive/negligent/missing/dead administrator-user #1.

By PB default, the groups created (administrators, moderators, any) by user #1 have lesser powers than user #1. This is by well-meaning design so that there isn't a palace coup. Then, years go by, PB is still around (under VerticalScope), and an old forum is still around but in chaos. Sometimes, deactivated/inactive emails of user #1 cannot be revived - may be the ISP is dead, or the user is dead, or both. I worry what may happen some day to my own [e-mail] email or [e-mail] email (Thank you Yahoo! now there is neither SBC nor Yahoo!). So, PB should think beyond the policy that everything gets stopped or frozen at user #1. Of course, there is the security issue and it is all best done when user #1 is signing up, or still well and around. 

So, how about Memorialization Settings option at PB?

Or, what about user #1 creating a super-administrator-user #1.1 with all the powers except deleting the forum or firing/banning/disabling user #1?

[harryk]

Something like this - support.proboards.com/thread/668222/forum-admin-account-succession

[yogibearbull]

Well, that is a procedure in the PB Guide and how many have followed it? Like Will, simple to do the paperwork, but how many do it? Many celebrities and rich folks die intestate.

I just went ahead and tested the Memorializing feature on Facebook to report the experience here.

Went to Facebook Settings, entered the name that FB recognized (like the Insert User Link does here), it presented a default message (editable) that I could sent to the designated person now or later (I chose later), clicked Close. ALL DONE.

In less time than 30 seconds the PB says to open a new PB forum account.

OK, so folks I now have Memorialization done at Facebook taken care of, thanks to this discussion.

[Kami]

Nov 29, 2021 19:27:49 GMT -8 yogibearbull said:

Well, that is a procedure in the PB Guide and how many have followed it? Like Will, simple to do the paperwork, but how many do it? Many celebrities and rich folks die intestate.

I just went ahead and tested the Memorializing feature on Facebook to report the experience here.

Went to Facebook Settings, entered the name that FB recognized (like the Insert User Link does here), it presented a default message that I could sent to the designated person now or later (I chose later), clicked Close. ALL DONE.

In less time than 30 seconds the PB says to open a new PB forum account.

OK, so folks I now have Memorialization done at Facebook taken care of, thanks to this discussion.

It isn't that this can't happen, but rather there are a few too many logistics to consider for anything remotely expedient to be developed. I am certain that the PB team will mark this as a feature request but it wouldn't  come out in a hurry.

Firstly, a user has to agree to the terms of service to have an account on ProBoards. You can't set your memorial keeper on FB to be a user without a FB account, but unlike FB it's not super usual to have the normal "heirs" of someone's digital presence on the forum (not impossible just not the usual practice). Some sort of failsafe would need to be enacted in the event someone wanted a non-forum member to be the keeper of their account.

Secondly, because of a lack of additional identity verification aside from an email, succession agreements are set up through PB Support so that the PB staff can verify that the user has active access to the same email used to create the forum. A failsafe would need to be developed to make that verification through an automatic process.

There are, I am sure, additional considerations as well, such as whether or not that person stays active, how to handle verification of someone's passing before flipping the switch as it were, and so on.

Again this isn't an argument against the feature (it would probably alleviate some of the workload for the admins), but rather a note to temper expectations.

[harryk]

yogibearbull, just to add to what Kami said.

There is a difference between the two, so the comparison isn't really fair. A FB account is just that, an account. A PB User #1 account is ownership under the PB umbrella. Transferring or bequeathing an Admin position is passing on penultimate control of a forum. With many more responsibilities than a normal account holder.

I'd say the procedure works well as is but perhaps a link to the succession page could be prominently displayed on the Admin Profile screen.

Just from reading here it's obvious that not many people know about or take advantage of the service. Perhaps if more did use it it would be worth spending resources to automate the process.

[yogibearbull]

I would be happy with an automated process that allows designation/tagging within the PB universe (not limited to particular PB forum as now).

[Scott]

I've added a Feature Request label to this thread.