Purging inactive members that haven’t logged in years

[cpvr]

As a game owner or site owner, do you purge inactive members who haven’t logged in for years, or is that not something you typically do? If it is, do you send these members an email before purging their accounts from your game’s database?

I’ve seen some game owners do this to free up server space, but do you also follow this practice?

 

[Soulwatcher]

I would never purge anyone, because there is always a chance that they would come back. And it doesn't take up that much space to store an account.

 

[Sleepysaur]

I agree, theres been many times where I've left or forgotten about a website in my youth and come back to it many years later to-in a petsite's case-relive the nostalgia or looked through all of the items/pets I had obtained during my stay.

I can understand why purging might be necessary for a small site and wouldn't hold it against anyone if my account was cleared due to inactivity but there's an absolute novel sensation of being able to come back to a place after many years and see how its changed.

 

[Elseb]

I don't think it really makes a difference either way. I personally wouldn't bother getting rid of them, doesn't benefit me.

 

[zoldos]

Not usually. One of my old sites had 4000+ members, and I'd see people logon after several years of inactivity! lol

 

[Demon_skeith]

I would purge them after a while, to keep usernames free and less chance of an account being hacked into.

 

[Soulwatcher]

Not usually. One of my old sites had 4000+ members, and I'd see people logon after several years of inactivity! lol

I logged into a website 10 years after I first signed up and I didn't even remember making the account. Which is why I think it's important to keep user accounts.

 

[Elseb]

I've also had members that I haven't seen for like 15 years just turn up to see how things are going, it's a pretty awesome feeling tbh!

 

[Soulwatcher]

I've also had members that I haven't seen for like 15 years just turn up to see how things are going, it's a pretty awesome feeling tbh!

WOW 15 years is amazing and impressive, how old is your forum?

 

[cpvr]

I would never purge anyone, because there is always a chance that they would come back. And it doesn't take up that much space to store an account.

I agree. I don’t delete accounts either. Once a user joins, their account remains unless they request deletion. In that case, I'll either move them to a guest group or the banned group, ensuring their account remains intact.

I agree, theres been many times where I've left or forgotten about a website in my youth and come back to it many years later to-in a petsite's case-relive the nostalgia or looked through all of the items/pets I had obtained during my stay.

I can understand why purging might be necessary for a small site and wouldn't hold it against anyone if my account was cleared due to inactivity but there's an absolute novel sensation of being able to come back to a place after many years and see how its changed.

Same here. I just recently got back into my Powerpets account, and I haven’t played in years. It’s so nice to see how much the site has changed since the last time I logged in. I’ve had my account since the early 2000s. It’s still bringing back old memories!😃

 

[zoldos]

I logged into a website 10 years after I first signed up and I didn't even remember making the account. Which is why I think it's important to keep user accounts.

🤣 🤣 🤣

 

[Demon_skeith]

I've also had members that I haven't seen for like 15 years just turn up to see how things are going, it's a pretty awesome feeling tbh!

Damn, that be amazing, I've had a few like that happen, but they never stick around for long 🙁

 

[Elseb]

WOW 15 years is amazing and impressive, how old is your forum?

We've been around since around 2002 and have been on a bunch of different free forum software down the years. We only moved to Invision Community last year.

Damn, that be amazing, I've had a few like that happen, but they never stick around for long 🙁

Yeah it's difficult these days as being an active member of a forum can be a bit of a chore when there are so many other easier forms of communication. Still, it's nice when you see an old face from back when you were young!

 

[Demon_skeith]

Forums can be easy enough, it's just that most people are too busy 🙁

 

[Soulwatcher]

Forums can be easy enough, it's just that most people are too busy 🙁

Or that want instant gratification, like Facebook or Twitter. Make a post on these platforms and there's an extremely high chance that someone is going to respond to you right away.

 

[KittyKat5]

Even though I don't own a pet site, I'm admin on a few other types of forums. I don't think purging is the way to go and the reason why is that I've had members return to my sites years later and say OH I forgot about this place! Then they post consistently for a while. I wouldn't have gotten that activity if I had gotten rid of them.

 

[Shortie]

I don't own a pet site myself but if I did, purging accounts that had not logged in for a long time, even years would not be something I would do.

I have in the past gone back to sites I have not logged in for years and been happy my account was still there and that can always happen on a pet site too.

 

[uptrendfinancialsignal]

Based on my opinion, purging inactive members can be neccesary becuase the site owners needs to free up server space, and also focus on active community. But not all the site owners does that.

 

[cpvr]

Even though I don't own a pet site, I'm admin on a few other types of forums. I don't think purging is the way to go and the reason why is that I've had members return to my sites years later and say OH I forgot about this place! Then they post consistently for a while. I wouldn't have gotten that activity if I had gotten rid of them.

I don’t either. I know there’s been some times where I forgot that my account still existed on a site then when I finally remembered it, I used the lost password feature and got back into my account.

Some of my accounts date back to 2004. I’d be highly disappointed if my account got purged and I lost everything that I accomplished & obtained from when I played back then.

 

[zoldos]

I don’t either. I know there’s been some times where I forgot that my account still existed on a site then when I finally remembered it, I used the lost password feature and got back into my account.

Some of my accounts date back to 2004. I’d be highly disappointed if my account got purged and I lost everything that I accomplished & obtained from when I played back then.