Well if you dont want it, dont use it, and it wont show up on your IP, simple!

The thing is, there's no difference between deleting and just not using the account.

However, nick wants to maintain the ability for users to take thier details off the system , hence the deactivation system (as used on most sites now) where the details are delete but the username and password remain active for a time to prevent others from taking that username and in case the original user changes thier mind.

(not to mention that someone like yourself would only have one username therefore no confusion!)

i have two user names yes

Emma_85: is only kept as reputation ppl no it as me and as seen as my other user name was hacked

Forever_pure: is my main name now i play on

if i had not deleted others i wud have approx 8 other names at the least on my name for a whole year? is this practical?

You are quite a minority emma. Trust me, I see how many people multi-use and chop and change names. Surprisingly few.
Maybe if you e-mail admin they can delete for you as this shows you really want it but even that option is unneccassary I think.

maybe but would it kill you to leave it?

Well the thing is that the "can we get rid of the delete thing" question crops up so often, and as i said before, its pointless.

If you dont want to use a username, just stop. Its that simple!

Remember what i suggested before for people like yourself who like to change screen names. Have one account, but the ability to change your screen name. Wouldn't that be so much simpler! (not to mention that it wouldn't be breaking the rules..)

i drunkly made a few post on my other name i dont use any more feel free to get me banned if u feel it necessary

{edited} spelling

Edited at 03:05 Tue 9/01/07 (GMT)

As has been stated before, you wern't abusing the system, so i dont think you should worry about being banned, and i certainly wan't meaning that so i apologise.

(todays the last day of my hols so was poting a little merry myself! LOL!)

Why not have a 'Change username' function, this would allow someone to change their username without deleting the account and messing up the forum.

Each member could have an individual membership number for mods and admins to keep a track of abuse and forum conduct.

Example
Username 1984
Membership number 00001
Previous usernames on this membership ******

I have no idea how difficult this would be to code it's just a suggestion.

And a good one, if only it wouldn't be abused, like you say it might be a little difficult to code (wonders what that is)!!!

I dont see the point in taking off the Delete button, it does no harm in having one their and for true people who know they are actually "leaving" this will be the best way to announce this, if you deactivate and you are dead on certain about leaving then why hold up that account for a year to be wasted.

But, as was said before and as is the reason this request come up so often, one of the biggest problems with the delete button is that the name becomes availiable!

Then we have quotes and forum posts, not to mention friends and maybe enemies, of someone completely different to the original person.

Just ask those who have had thier "identities" stolen..

If you read the first post, and the title of the thread for that matter, you will see this is what was suggested!

Thanks for laying it out like that though, might make it simpler for people to "get the drift"

Its not a hard thing to code, just a relatively simple replacement of a constant with a variable. Compared to the other work Nick does, i cant see it causing a problem.

Most memebership based systems work like this now (hotmail as i mentioned before) so it not like there's nothing to copy from either.

Edited at 17:34 Tue 9/01/07 (GMT)

I'm confused! I thought you was saying (spinner) that we should have a deactivtion button rather than the delete button, and 1984 was saying let's have a change name button on the account!

????

Edited at 18:08 Tue 9/01/07 (GMT)

If you read the title of the thread, i'm suggesting both since they both go together!

Other suggestions copied over from the Snooker site thread :

I would say - after clicking delete, a user is informed that hier request has been recorded and provided the account is not used within the next 6 months it will be gone forever.

The IP address of any user should prevent another account being created from same, without special instruction (for my brother etc) to be verified by Mods/Admin.

Also - resetting of stats should only be availiable to those over 800 rank, thus removing the resetting option being used for purposes other than those intended.

Edited at 18:36 Tue 9/01/07 (GMT)

Also - resetting of stats should only be availiable to those over 800 rank, thus removing the resetting option being used for purposes other than those intended.

You've had your thinking cap on m8, well done good idea!

If you are going to delete your account Spinner then you shouldn't be bothered about someone continuing under your name, although being a bit sickening at first it isn't you so why should you be bothered, if your going to delete your account and leave forever then you have no reason to come back to the site and therefore won't even see the comments made by the person under your name.

But on the other side of the scale kev, what if that perosn takes advantage of other users?

Just a thought!

surely discriminating against people who are not pros

LOL you've totally missed the point there Kev!

Its not the person who leaves who is bothered (obviously), its the 60000+ users who are left!

Edit - especially the unlucky user who ends up with that name!

Edited at 19:58 Tue 9/01/07 (GMT)

Not at all, its to make sure the reset function is used for the reason it was intended. Therefore the only people it would be discriminating against are those who abuse it.