Why accounts cannot be deleted?

  • Unknown's avatar
    sirgazil · Member ·

    Hi,

    I’m backing up my blogs and then deleting them because I’m leavin WordPress.com in some days. After I delete all my blogs I’d like to delete my account, but reading the support pages I found that that is not possible. [1]

    Why can’t you delete your account?

    I’d like to remove all my contents from WordPress.com and Gravatar some day.

    Thanks,

    [1]: http://en.support.wordpress.com/deleting-accounts/

    The blog I need help with is: (visible only to logged in users)

  • Unknown's avatar
    timethief · Member ·

    Here’s how to deactivate your account:
    All you were required to provide to register an account here was an email address that can be replaced at any time.

    Any personal information that you voluntarily posted can also be removed at any time.

    Although username accounts are not deleted, so you cannot be impersonated and have your reputation affected by anyone registering the same username in the future, there are steps you can take that amount to removing all personal information and result in leaving only a throwaway email address behind. http://en.support.wordpress.com/deleting-accounts/

    1. You can go to My Account->Edit Profile and remove all data except the account name and an email address. Create a throwaway email address and change the account email to that throwaway address. This only leaves the username behind.

    2. To unsubscribe from email sent to you from WordPress.com, go here and click on “Block all subscription emails from WordPress.com”:
    https://wordpress.com/settings/notifications/

    3. To ensure the account is locked up tightly, visit this site, generate a password of 15-20 characters, and change the account password to it:
    http://www.thebitmill.com/tools/password.html

    4. To hide your Gravatar profile, login and on the bottom right hand corner of your Gravatar profile page you will find a “hide” button visible only to you that you can click.

  • Unknown's avatar
    sirgazil · Member ·

    Hi timethief, and thanks for the info.

    […] username accounts are not deleted, so you cannot be impersonated and have your reputation affected by anyone registering the same username in the future […]

    That line should be added to http://en.support.wordpress.com/deleting-accounts/ .

    I have to say, however, that the workaround you describe to remove user information is horrendous. Why not just do the same WordPress.com does with blogs?: You delete them with one button, and the name can’t be used anymore.

  • Unknown's avatar
    timethief · Member ·

    I’ll tag this thread for a Staff response. Please subscribe to the thread so you are notified when they respond and please be patient while waiting.

  • Unknown's avatar
    sirgazil · Member ·

    Sure, thanks.

  • Unknown's avatar
    timethief · Member ·

    You’re welcome.

  • Unknown's avatar
    jackiedana · Member ·

    If you delete all of your blogs and do not log into WordPress.com again, it will be effectively the same as deleting the account.

    @timethief has already provided you with additional steps to ensure the account cannot be used again.

  • Unknown's avatar
    sirgazil · Member ·

    Hi, jackiedana.

    But you see the inconvinience in step (1) of the workaround suggested by timethief? Having to create a disposable email account to be able to remove my current email address from my WordPress account information?

    I understand that’s the way it is right now, but, for future versions of WordPress, I’d like to suggest to add a delete button for user accounts that works in a similar way the delete option works for blogs.

    For now, I’ll just delete my blogs and leave my account info untouched.

    Thanks anyway.

  • Unknown's avatar
    jackiedana · Member ·

    Thanks for the feedback.

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