[BigBrando]

For those responsible for the tireless (but much appreciated) behind-the-scenes work, have there been any discussions about closing non-active CT accounts?

The member list contains a large number of accounts with 0 posts and/or last posting dates in 2006, so it would help searches within this list if it more accurately reflected current users.

I recognize that there are compelling reasons to keep these inactive users on board, but I thought it worth seeing how this was being handled.

As always, thanks for the hard work!

CLARIFICATION (added 10:41pm - "searches" is the incorrect word - instead, I would say "contact attempts")

[jojobinks]

what sort of searches are difficult as is?

[BigBrando]

Thanks for the reply, jojobinks.

For example, I look through old threads and see a posting from 2006 that has a CT member owning a particular set of chips I'm interested in. Looking at the member list, I see that they haven't posted in, say, one year. Nevertheless, I try to contact them and, in most cases, they have either a) traded off those chips or b) don't reply.

I wanted to offer the suggestion that, after one year of inactivity on ChipTalk, an email be sent to the registered email address notifying that the account will be closed unless further action is taken.

For me, it's an issue of "house-cleaning" but I understand that there are reasons to keep those accounts listed in the member listing. Hope this makes sense.

[jojobinks]

Originally Posted by BigBrando

For example, I look through old threads and see a posting from 2006 that has a CT member owning a particular set of chips I'm interested in. Looking at the member list, I see that they haven't posted in, say, one year. Nevertheless, I try to contact them and, in most cases, they have either a) traded off those chips or b) don't reply.

how would that fix your issue? the thread would still be there, and if you tried to contact the member, you'd still get the same result, right?

[JM]

I think it would say something next to the username if it was a closed account, like the banned accounts do. Then he would know that sending a PM would be a waste of time.

[jojobinks]

Originally Posted by JM

I think it would say something next to the username if it was a closed account, like the banned accounts do. Then he would know that sending a PM would be a waste of time.

what's the point? he can already see how long it's been since the member was active.

[punk1o1]

I dont think it would be a bad idea to delete old accounts... Or even accounts that havent been active for so long and have 0 posts... I see no point in having them around.

[JM]

Originally Posted by punk1o1

I dont think it would be a bad idea to delete old accounts... Or even accounts that havent been active for so long and have 0 posts... I see no point in having them around.

I believe there's plans in the works to do something like this actually.

[jojobinks]

Originally Posted by JM

I believe there's plans in the works to do something like this actually.

not bloody likely, and for some fairly obvious reasons.

[ipgyst]

Originally Posted by JM

I think it would say something next to the username if it was a closed account, like the banned accounts do. Then he would know that sending a PM would be a waste of time.

I like this idea.

Edit - deleting old accounts with 0 posts doesn't sound too bad either, but if someone has provided content, you can't delete his/her account, but if somebody hasn't logged in for 6 months or a year, you could indicate that by his/her username somehow and that would be useful for the O.P.