Delete Inactive Accounts?

Metaverseguy: I think that accounts that haven't been active for 1-2 years should be deleted. You guys can add a field into the database that is something like LAST_LOGIN and when a successful login attempt just record the date, compare it to the current date and if it's been more than a certain time period just delete all records that are with that username. You can add a button to the admin control panel that is something like "Delete all accounts past: with a drop down menu or pick a date from a calendar, etc."

There's probably hundreds of thousands of accounts that aren't in use. That could free up hard drive space and it would leave more space for new users, more photos, etc. and could maybe save money on the web host package.

Metaverseguy: Not only that, but browsing around the site and seeing all these inactive accounts makes it look like it's not maintained too well and I know a lot of these people just stop using their accounts when they get married or in a relationship. Would make a lot of us look like idiots from trying to contact inactive people.

Secret Mastermind: What about people who do something like join military service and want to come back on breaks?

Geoff: I know a couple who have come back after a year or two of absence.

Secret Mastermind: Yeah so like what if someone is off for two years but planning on coming back and the site deletes their profile? I mean some of us are here weekly or daily but people have lives outside the computer. If they happen to be absent but are positively coming back shouldn't they have an option to return?

Geoff: I suppose Wire could send out an email prior to tidying up deactivated accounts. That's common practice on free-membership websites.

It not only helps to ensure that someone doesn't lose an account they still want, but does also mean that they might be prompted to come back.

Metaverseguy: Not keeping in touch for 2 years is like disappearing for 2 years. If someone doesn't use their account for 2 years they are going to come back and see all their friends also left, don't remember them, or have nothing in common no longer.

Secret Mastermind: Aka that probably is not true at all. I have friends who were vacant for near a year and they came back and still talked to me. So just because you leave for awhile does not mean everyone you know is suddenly going to drop dead. Especially for those of us who have tons of friends. Some people on wire have over 1000 in their friend list.

Geoff: Same here - the reason I knew they came back is because they were still on my list and I chatted with them when they came back.

Perhaps, make it so that these n00b accounts; where someone signs up, chats for a few minutes, then never logs in again are cleaned up.

Metaverseguy: Yea those accounts happen all the time. They log on for a week hoping to join a great community, but just get cyber bullied or make a fake profile and don't stick around. As for 1,000 friends? Come on no one can keep that many friendships.

Secret Mastermind: Goeff I think they already do that for new account dont they?

Geoff: Yes, they do ask for verification - but if an account has been inactive for some time, it could trigger an email to be sent again warning that they will lose their account if they don't log back in.

Secret Mastermind: You know C you dont really know if these accounts are inactive. You just see they are not currently one and the only way you would know if they were on a LOT or not is if you friend them. You really cant tell if they are not on your roster. So there is no way of knowing how active/inactive something is.

Metaverseguy: They could find that out from the back-end, but since no admin or wireclub rod is looking at this thread there really is no point in continuing to bump it.

calybonos: How active are we required to be?

I jog to the refrigerator and put a lot of effort into scratching myself.

Outbackjack: I was away for well over a year until I came back another time it was 6 months nearly.. I would never have got a notification email as that email account became inactive and I don't check my accounts that aren't important.

Now I am sure a few people would wish I was gone but the point is that this site has a habit of dragging you back to it.

RUBY: There's No Exit In Wire

veronica: Wireclub is like hotel california , you can check out any time you like but you can never leave .

MercuryDragon:

Secret Mastermind: Mercury what does your video have to do with anything in this thread?

MercuryDragon: It was in reference to Ruby and Veronica's comments. There isn't really much else that can be said on this topic. They're not going to remove "inactive" accounts.

birdy55: Ruby & V does this mean we all are doomed to stay in WC forever?

PerkyGirlz: how else are they supposed to make the rooms look populated unless they have a buncha offline and inactives to fluff it up..... 100 people in the room, meanwhile only 4-5 appear to be talking...and there's always the same 20 screennames in the sidebar that you never see talking or doing anything... if they delete all those inactives, we'd all realize how empty Wire really is, we cant have that ! lol

@Stanley.... military members have computers and internet access, your not cut off from the world because you signed up. Its a normal job for most.. Even deployed people have limited access off-duty.

I agree, there should be a message sent to members. If they dont respond after X time, the account goes bye-bye.

Geoff: We're not talking about people who are in chat rooms but not talking, but merely accounts that have been unused for months on end.

Lurkers in chat rooms are not inactive accounts; they may be AFK, they may be doing something else and haven't logged out. They may be involved in multiple conversations all at once, either in other chatrooms or via PM.

For me personally, if a chatroom has more than 20 people in it, it's more of a turn off and I just look elsewhere (when I do actually use the chat rooms, which isn't often). Overloaded chatrooms are impossible to hold a conversation in and I'm not ever looking for a random chat buddy to PM.

Metaverseguy: Months might be even too soon. Sometimes people leave for whatever reason but don't delete their accounts and come back and many of their friends are still active. I'd say 2 years plus should definitely be deactivated though. No reason for wireclub to allocate the extra space. Might not be much but for someone with say 200 photos or more it could be a decent amount of hd space worth saving.