Horrible mistake: deleted blog without realising it would block my URL
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Dear WordPress-staff,
I created a WordPress account today, with the intention to start an actual blog under my own name, when a colleague interrupted me and showed me things for a WordPress website he manages. Unable to find my way back to the automated start up guide to create my own blog, I decided to delete the blog and start over.
As the blog was practically empty I didn’t mind deleting both content and URL. However, I wasn’t aware that I wouldn’t be able to re-use the URL! This really upsets me as it is a URL of my own name, which I had planned to use for a professional blog.
You must be able to review the activity of my WordPress account, right? Would you please allow me to re-use the URL I created and almost instantly deleted a few hours ago?
I’d be happy to provide you with any other information you need to solve this problem for me. I really regret my rookie mistake and hope you’re willing to help me out.
Sincerely,
Suzanne van Kaam -
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suzannevankaam.wordpress.com, after mij (user)name suzannevankaam
Thanks,
Suzanne van Kaam -
I’ll tag this thread for a Staff follow-up. Please subscribe to the thread so you are notified when they respond and please be patient while waiting.
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Note, however, that it is extremely unlikely staff will help you out. There are three consecutive warnings AND and email confirmation when you go to delete a blog. All of them say that deletion is permanent and irreversible and applies to the URL as well as the contents.
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I understand that. I did intend to erase everything because I got confused whenstarting up the blog, but I didn’t realise that would prevent me from using that URL again. I wrote in the comment box the same statement as I gave on this forum earlier: I got distracted by a colleague, couldn’t trace my way back to the automated start up guide I was using and wanted to start over with a clean slate. However, my intentions were to use the URL I had claimed earlier for that clean slate. I didn’t realise I couldn’t… I now regret not starting my WordPress journey with the actual URL I intended to use, instead of trying some things out with a fictional URL. I learned that lesson the hard way!
However, I completely understand WordPress blocks policy to prevend others from using your former URL. I believe my situation is different, though, since I’m the one who created my account and URL this afternoon and deleted the blog within half an hour or so (staffmembers are probably able to verify that). Like I explained before: thinking I was able to start over using that same URL. It’s not a fantasy URL, not random, it’s my name. I wanted to use this blog as a personal platform, connected to my LinkedIn page, where potential employers are able to find me as I’ve been looking for a new job for quite some time now. My LinkedIn page is personalised using the same URL: suzannevankaam. Using my full name as part of the URL is therefor very important to me.
Sorry for this long story, but I felt the need to explain myself since I understand this strict policy on URL recycling now. I found out about the policy too late, unfortunately. I regret my mistake – I feel awful.
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I’m sorry, but deleted blogs cannot be restored or reused. Deleting a blog is permanent and the name cannot be used again.
There are several warnings about this on the Tools -> Delete Site page and in the help pages, and you are required to confirm the deletion by email. More information is here:
You can start a new blog by logging in to WordPress.com and then going to this link:
http://en.wordpress.com/signup/You also have the option to purchase a custom domain name and map that back to your WordPress.com blog. In that case, nobody would ever see the underlying WordPress.com URL. They would just see your purchased domain. For full details, please see this guide:
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