Dominion Strategy Forum

Meta => Feedback => Topic started by: Roadrunner7671 on November 16, 2015, 06:30:42 pm

Title: Dead Accounts
Post by: Roadrunner7671 on November 16, 2015, 06:30:42 pm
Disclaimer: I wasn't sure where to post this, if theory wants to move it, fine by me (not like I have a choice).

Okay, I sound heartless, but this is an organization issue.

Can someone with all the power (like a board monitor or theory) clear out the accounts that haven't been active in a few years? They clog up the 'Members' section, they never post, and they aren't active. Why do we keep them around? Hope that people who posted twice will come back? Do we keep them around for historic records? It is inconvient to find people who haven't posted in a while, and I think people besides myself would like to see this as well.
Title: Re: Dead Accounts
Post by: tripwire on November 16, 2015, 09:25:23 pm
One thing to note is that just because people don't post, doesn't mean they don't use their account. For example, I very rarely post anything, but I am always logged into my account because it makes it easier to see which threads I'm interested in have unread posts. As a result, I'd be pretty irritated if my account was deleted.

Does sorting the members list by number of posts help make the list more useful for the sorts of information your looking for?

Also, does the members list include posts people make in forum games? For some reason I remember someone saying that it doesn't. If that's the case, people who only come here to play mafia or something would appear as if they had no posts even if they are regularly actively posting on the forums.
Title: Re: Dead Accounts
Post by: Roadrunner7671 on November 16, 2015, 09:29:43 pm
You can check and see when the last time someone was online. If you never posts, it still shows that you were online last week. I think that answers most of your concerns.

And I don't think sorting it would, because of what I said above. We're not killing lurkers, we're killing inactive people.
Title: Re: Dead Accounts
Post by: liopoil on November 16, 2015, 09:33:13 pm
What are they really doing that hurts anyone? I'm sure some come back after a while, and there's no reason to close their accounts. It's still not too hard to find people through the members section, really it takes a couple extra clicks at most.
Title: Re: Dead Accounts
Post by: eHalcyon on November 16, 2015, 09:33:45 pm
Forum Games don't count towards posts.  I am pretty sure "activity" includes just visiting the forum, even if you never post, so lurkers would still be safe if the qualifying criteria is the "Last Active" date being sufficiently old.

That said, I don't think it's really necessary.  Roadrunner, what do you want to do with the Members section that isn't accomplished by sorting by posts?

PPE: ninja'd twice
Title: Re: Dead Accounts
Post by: Roadrunner7671 on November 16, 2015, 09:36:10 pm
Sorry, what is sorting by posts?
Title: Re: Dead Accounts
Post by: singletee on November 16, 2015, 09:37:57 pm
Sorry, what is sorting by posts?

When you're viewing the Members section, click the header of the "Posts" column to sort members by number of posts.
Title: Re: Dead Accounts
Post by: eHalcyon on November 16, 2015, 09:40:11 pm
Sorry, what is sorting by posts?

Sorting the members list by number of posts.  You can click the column header to sort, but here's a direct link (http://forum.dominionstrategy.com/index.php?action=mlist;sort=posts;start=0;desc).  You'll still see people who posted a lot but aren't active anymore, and you won't see people who are active but don't post, so it's not perfect.  But I'm just curious why this organization issue of the Members list is an issue at all.
Title: Re: Dead Accounts
Post by: Roadrunner7671 on November 16, 2015, 09:49:55 pm
Sorry, what is sorting by posts?

Sorting the members list by number of posts.  You can click the column header to sort, but here's a direct link (http://forum.dominionstrategy.com/index.php?action=mlist;sort=posts;start=0;desc).  You'll still see people who posted a lot but aren't active anymore, and you won't see people who are active but don't post, so it's not perfect.  But I'm just curious why this organization issue of the Members list is an issue at all.
Thanks.
It's not an issue, it's just messy over there and I wondered if someone could clean it up.
Title: Re: Dead Accounts
Post by: sudgy on November 16, 2015, 09:51:30 pm
There could be an option to only see member with a certain time last active.
Title: Re: Dead Accounts
Post by: Chris is me on November 17, 2015, 10:26:42 am
If I left a forum for a year and found my account was randomly deleted just to make a user list slightly less annoying to view, I'd be pretty upset.

Let 'em be, they aren't doing any harm.
Title: Re: Dead Accounts
Post by: theory on November 17, 2015, 10:41:35 am
At one point I considered clearing out accounts that hadn't been logged into for like 2+ years, but it wouldn't have made much impact on the server.  I don't think I'll do this, sorry.
Title: Re: Dead Accounts
Post by: 2.71828..... on November 17, 2015, 11:21:27 pm
OZLE WILL RETURN!!!!

edit: checking his account, he was last active today.  He is watching us....
Title: Re: Dead Accounts
Post by: ConMan on November 17, 2015, 11:29:54 pm
In my experience (which is admittedly limited and frequently based on second-hand information), depending on how the forum database is set up then removing older inactive accounts may be difficult, or could have unusual side effects (especially if the accounts have non-zero post counts).
Title: Re: Dead Accounts
Post by: shraeye on November 27, 2015, 06:38:40 pm
Sometimes people just disappear and then return.  Its like watching the slowest magic show ever.
Title: Re: Dead Accounts
Post by: Axxle on March 06, 2016, 03:51:20 am
I've done it before, and I'll do it again!
Title: Re: Dead Accounts
Post by: shraeye on April 06, 2016, 04:44:15 pm
Me too!  Just, over and over
Title: Re: Dead Accounts
Post by: Witherweaver on April 06, 2016, 06:01:28 pm
OZLE WILL RETURN!!!!

edit: checking his account, he was last active today.  He is watching us....

He watches over all his children.
Title: Re: Dead Accounts
Post by: Witherweaver on April 06, 2016, 06:02:36 pm
Also, why cut off at two years?  Make it two days.  If we're not important enough to you for you to check in every other day, we don't really want you here.

Actually, make it two hours.  Then Awaclus will be the only person on here.
Title: Re: Dead Accounts
Post by: Jack Rudd on April 09, 2016, 05:27:35 am
Actually, make it two hours.  Then Awaclus will be the only person on here.
He will still get into arguments.
Title: Re: Dead Accounts
Post by: Awaclus on April 09, 2016, 05:31:56 am
Actually, make it two hours.  Then Awaclus will be the only person on here.
He will still get into arguments.

No, I won't!
Title: Re: Dead Accounts
Post by: greatexpectations on April 15, 2016, 10:23:05 am
At one point I considered clearing out accounts that hadn't been logged into for like 2+ years, but it wouldn't have made much impact on the server.  I don't think I'll do this, sorry.

thanks theory!

some of our accounts are only mostly dead.
Title: Re: Dead Accounts
Post by: Seprix on April 15, 2016, 10:56:09 am
At one point I considered clearing out accounts that hadn't been logged into for like 2+ years, but it wouldn't have made much impact on the server.  I don't think I'll do this, sorry.

thanks theory!

some of our accounts are only mostly dead.

Not if you killed my father.