Just for giggles, I looked at how many users have registered, but have only one post, or have never posted... There are almost 30 pages of registered users that have never posted in years.

I think we should clean it up, maybe open some user names, get rid of some extra unnecessary data...

unless its a pain in the butt from an administrators point of view

what do y'all think?

I asked this once and apparently it would cost the admin a weekend of free time and the cluttered member list doesn't bother him that much. I suggested just deleting members that NEVER posted and have been members for more than a year. It would eliminate hundreds of never active members. It was also a somewhat heated discussion if you want to search it out. I started the thread it seems.

My old thread

i thought the topic sounded familiar... seems there would be some way for a mass delete... maybe not

Some time ago, we installed a tool that will remove new registrations that do not login after a period of time. It does not, however, count posts nor does it work retroactively (only from the point of installing the tool). We've chosen not to go back and mess with the member database directly. Time consuming and who knows what unwanted symptoms may arise from it. For those interested in who posts and how often, try the different search features of the member list page.

FWIW: Most forums have a respectiable to HUGE lurker base.

Deletions should be based on login inactivity, if you are going to use any critieria.

Unless, of course, including lurkers in the winnowing process is a desirable thing.

ATB,
Sam

I just looked and it looks like that I lurked for almost exactly one year, I registered on 5-26-2008 but only posted on 5-16-2009 for the first time. If my account had been deleted I would have been crushed.

If you read my intent in the original post, I was only suggesting purging those that haven't even lurked in more than a year and never posted even once. Like I said before, they don't care if their id was purged and probably expect that it has been purged.

i was thinking the issue from a perspective of opening up usernames... 30 pages of usernames ... i am cool with mine, but clearing the inactive ones would open up lots for new members...

Quote:

Originally posted by pkf Some time ago, we installed a tool that will remove new registrations that do not login after a period of time. It does not, however, count posts nor does it work retroactively (only from the point of installing the tool). We've chosen not to go back and mess with the member database directly. Time consuming and who knows what unwanted symptoms may arise from it. For those interested in who posts and how often, try the different search features of the member list page.

Sounds like they have taken care of this - at least from time of instal on. There still are a ton of usernames in the past that could be cleaned up.

When I signed on I had to try several before I got mine. I think a couple of the ones I wanted had registered a LONG time ago and never posted. Oh, well. It didn't stop me from finding one that works ( just not my preffered one). That is why I have the stupid "soccerflyer" name. I got tired of guessing and made some stupid name i was sure no one had guessed yet.

Probably no chance of getting that tool to work retroactively huh?

Quote:

Originally posted by indigo_wolf FWIW: Most forums have a respectiable to HUGE lurker base. Deletions should be based on login inactivity, if you are going to use any critieria. Unless, of course, including lurkers in the winnowing process is a desirable thing. ATB, Sam

i agree--how many times have we all seen someone with their 1st post saying that they have been watching for a long while.........

Quote:

Originally posted by soccerflyer When I signed on I had to try several before I got mine. I think a couple of the ones I wanted had registered a LONG time ago and never posted. Oh, well. It didn't stop me from finding one that works ( just not my preffered one). That is why I have the stupid "soccerflyer" name. I got tired of guessing and made some stupid name i was sure no one had guessed yet.

you can have kitejumper if the price is right--lets start the bidding at 1000 shall we??

Quote:

Originally posted by kitejumper Quote: Originally posted by indigo_wolf FWIW: Most forums have a respectiable to HUGE lurker base. Deletions should be based on login inactivity, if you are going to use any critieria. Unless, of course, including lurkers in the winnowing process is a desirable thing. ATB, Sam i agree--how many times have we all seen someone with their 1st post saying that they have been watching for a long while.........

That means they are logging in. In the original discussion I was only considering purging users that had NEVER posted and had not even visited the forum in over a year. I think at last check that would've purged over 800 members.

Quote:

Originally posted by kitejumper Quote: Originally posted by soccerflyer When I signed on I had to try several before I got mine. I think a couple of the ones I wanted had registered a LONG time ago and never posted. Oh, well. It didn't stop me from finding one that works ( just not my preffered one). That is why I have the stupid "soccerflyer" name. I got tired of guessing and made some stupid name i was sure no one had guessed yet. you can have kitejumper if the price is right--lets start the bidding at 1000 shall we??

1000 what? You didn't specify ;-) I will assume you mean words so hears 1000 words on why I should get kitejumper as a name . . . . . AHHH cramp . . . . never mind.

Quote:

Originally posted by BeamerBob Quote: Originally posted by kitejumper Quote: Originally posted by indigo_wolf FWIW: Most forums have a respectiable to HUGE lurker base. Deletions should be based on login inactivity, if you are going to use any critieria. Unless, of course, including lurkers in the winnowing process is a desirable thing. ATB, Sam i agree--how many times have we all seen someone with their 1st post saying that they have been watching for a long while......... That means they are logging in. In the original discussion I was only considering purging users that had NEVER posted and had not even visited the forum in over a year. I think at last check that would've purged over 800 members.

There has to be a simple way to group delete these guys. If they haven't even logged in more than one time ever and that one time was over a year ago - DELETE THEM!!!! C'mon computer gurus - think of it as a chalange!!!

Quote:

There has to be a simple way to group delete these guys. If they haven't even logged in more than one time ever and that one time was over a year ago - DELETE THEM!!!! C'mon computer gurus - think of it as a chalange!!!

We'll I'm on one of those people and I'm sure there's a simple way--pay me to do it. :-)

Seriously, I don't know how to do it, but I have been involved in projects like this and it is a tough nut to crack. The problem is your activity smears your ID all through the tables of the database that defines the forum. The users who have never posted or sent a U2U are probably the only ones that are "easy" to remove.

Looking at the web site and the hosting provider, the forum's engine appears to be phpBB2. Can the admins confirm? If they wanted to do this and have access to the database I could research the feasibility of doing such a cleanout.

Lemme know.

Philip

YEA Let's do it!!!!

Sorry guys, no changes will be made to the member database. Not worth the effort.

OK by me. I'm exceptionally good at doing nothing.