Deleting unused accounts so usernames become available

[CandidaAlbicans2]

Over the years of using MN I've had a few email accounts, and have encountered so many problems when I forget their log in details. This means that I then can't access my MN account to change email addresses, etc, so have had to reregister. Of course this means that my usernames are unavailable so I have to think up new one which I always find hard.

I suspect there are many others in the same situation, and many unused accounts and therefore usernames. With that in mind, can accounts have an expiry so that if they are not used for a certain length of time then the account holder is contacted and asked to confirm they are still active. After all, MN only exists because people engage in threads. If inactive accounts are deleted and the user then decides to post after a long period away they can simply reregister. If accounts are deleted because users can no longer access their registered email address then that's unfortunate and they just need to reregister, but at least it means their old username is then available to them (or anyone else).

Hi OP

Thanks so much for the suggestion - we really appreciate it and have passed it over to the relevant team for consideration.

I'm not so sure about this. If someone else's old username was able to be used by others once the account has been deleted, doesn't that makes it easier for people to impersonate, especially the known names?

I think the OP wants to be able to re-use her own names that she no longer has access to, rather than to make the names freely available for anyone to use.

I don't think it would work to have more than one person posting with the same user name. That would make a nonsense of the posting history surely unless you also delete the whole identity and all their posts and then you'd have threads with lots of holes in.

Yes, that is so true, lifesalongsong. If someone has taken over the name of the long time member who has deleted account, then surely AS would come up with all the post by former poster as well as new taker's comment.

What about ppl like me who have about 50 usernames 😂 1 account!

Why would you want usernames to be reused? There is an infinite number to choose from

It feels wrong to re-assign old user names
I think a user name should remain unique to that account holder.

@LilyMumsnet

Hi OP

Thanks so much for the suggestion - we really appreciate it and have passed it over to the relevant team for consideration.

It's been up for debate before. It was decided for many reasons that it wasn't a good idea. I think the main one was that people would think old posters were back & much confusion would arise.

Names are pretty much unlimited, so no need & if people want to use their previous names they need to sort their old accounts out rather than keep starting new accounts.

And what about posters who have died? Their user names shouldn’t be put back in the pot.

Why would you want usernames to be reused? There is an infinite number to choose from

Well, personally I always have a lot of problems thinking up names and usually the names I want are already taken (but unused) or are locked forever because I can no longer access them. I have about 4 names that I can't use because they were registered with email accounts I can't access any more. It's one of those silly but irritating issues that I wish there was a solution to, but I realise what I suggested isn't ideal. Just wonder what the answer is. I'll just have to go with my old usernames plus numbers then Or choose a name that's already taken (and used loads) and add numbers...such as "ShaunaTheSheep2"

Surely you need to take responsibility for yourself and remember the passwords to your email addresses and accounts? MN allows you to change usernames under the same email, so you can effectively have more than one username.

Can’t you just email mnhq and explain your issues with your emails. I’m fairly sure they could sort it. I think it’s likely unusual peoooe use several email accounts

I also agree this could be abused, as if someone isn’t active for a period you could easily have someone try to impersonate them, or worse, they don’t know and everyone thinks it’s the old poster.

Years ago MNHQ held an auction of unwanted usernames.

It caused so much hassle I believe that it has never been done again.

I know that's not quite what you are suggesting, OP. If you want access to your own old usernames, MNHQ might be able to retrieve them for you if you beg ask very nicely and promise them

Back when it was all fields round here and there were fewer posters, you might stumble across a poster with a similar name, or be mistaken for someone else. Usually it generated a friendly negotiation about who should keep the name - usually the original poster.

I have name changed but still have access to my older nicknames as I’ve managed to keep my account details up to date.

Surely you need to take responsibility for yourself and remember the passwords to your email addresses and accounts?
Thank you so much for that contribution, AllTheCakes have a . It’s very common for people to have email and password issues (we’re told never to write them down after all!), and we are talking over years here, with changing ISPs, email addresses, laptops, OSs, etc. Sometimes in all that, passwords get lost. The problem I have is that they are old BT email addresses where to reset anything, eg passwords for additional addresses (that I use for fora) you have to verify the message BT send to your main email address. Unfortunately I can no longer log into that one, have tried with all the passwords it could possibly be, and so I’m stuck in a loop.

Can’t you just email mnhq and explain your issues with your emails. I’m fairly sure they could sort it
I’ve done that Bluntness. Unfortunately the reply was that there’s nothing they can do apart from send an email to the registered email account...which I can’t access. So I thought I’d post here to see if anyone else had similar issues and what they think the solution could be. Seems the solution is not to be such a stupid wotsit and remember my passwords in future