As much as I’d like to stay I don’t like to carry on without subscribing which I can’t do right now, so can I have my account deleted? And this thread I started in General Questions?
US student question - Factual Questions - Straight Dope Message Board I wasn’t sure who to PM asking about this so I thought I’d put it here…
There’s no need to delete your account. If you don’t subscribe, your account will become dormant. Then if 30 days or 2 years down the road you decide you want to become a member, all you have to do is come back in and pay up.
The mods generally don’t delete threads, since they are part of the “history” of the board, unless they were started by a “sock puppet” or spammer.
One thing you don’t want to do is to come back later and start a new account with a different user name. That is a big no- no here. If you want a new name, email one of the mods and they can change it for you.
Right, I’ll officially echo what FatBaldGuy said. We don’t delete history, in general; the main exception is that when we find trolls, we usually delete all their posts.
If you’d like to come back at any time, use the same user ID please.
We have always been at war with erasure.
Ok I see. Ooh! I have a question, if someone else who uses the same computer wants to join the board, would they have to use the same user account?
Damn you Andy Bell!
No, in fact each person should have their own account.
In this case (or when you sign on from a “public” computer), when you first sign on to the board with your username, you should not check the box that says “Remember my login information” (or something similar). That way, each time someone logs on they will have to use their own login/password.
Nope. In fact, I believe that sharing accounts is, if not against the rules, at least strongly discouraged.
If you think having multiple accounts on the same computer will cause the mods to assume sockpuppetry, don’t worry. The mods don’t rely solely on IPs to determine socks. I believe they augment it with some variety of incredibly evil black magic.
It’s one account to a person, so each of you must have your own. We do not currently offer family plans or group discounts, sorry.
If the problem is of a monetary nature, if you ask someone will front you the money an you can work out the details between you. Just ask up, you’re among friends.
Another option is to set up multiple profiles for the Web browser you use. That way, whenever you start the browser, it’ll ask you which profile you want to use, and each profile will have its own bookmarks, cookies, history, etc, here and on other sites.
Paahleese
That’s a bit overblown isn’t it? The kid admitted where he went to school and that he smoked pot. Now he wishes he hadn’t been so candid. Is that thread “history”? To whom? Why not just fulfill a simple request and erase it?
If it were your own thread you had second thoughts about, it would disappear in a second, “history” or no. I’d wager.
Why? Unless his real name is Toto Dies, his anonymity is safe, and all anyone in a position of power at University of Wisconsin Stout knows is that one of their students smokes pot. I don’t think that is going to come as much of revelation, nor will it result in campus cops busting down the door to Mr. Dies’ dorm room. Retaining board history is more important than indulging unjustified paranoia. Which will probably go away if he stops smokin’ pot.
Some people ask why, I asked why not. Just a different attitude toward the golden rule I guess.
As far as I can see he didn’t say that he now regrets posting the info and would like it deleted. He saying he doesn’t have the money to subscribe so please delete his account and all his posts. I’m not surprised the mods aren’t willing to do that.
I’m pretty sure in the past people have posted stuff that in retrospect they regretted, asked that it be removed and the mods removed it. Maybe they would agree to do that in this case if toto dies asked, maybe not. But he hasn’t said anywhere that he posted anything he now wishes he hadn’t.
And again, he made a simple request, the type that other boards honor without blinking, much lest Sturm und Drang and chest pounding and pontification about the sanctity of their History.
If you had been the party innocently asking, would you have wanted to be put though this gauntlet? Be honest. Yes or no? For a simple request and you really want a long winded rebuke thread?
So I tell you what I told the last guy, “Some people ask why, I asked why not. Just a different attitude toward the golden rule I guess.”
Welcome aboard! Stay a while. Everone gets one 30-day free trial. A good deal if I ever heard one. You registered on the 3rd, so take advantage of your remaining 26 days. Use them wisely, grasshopper 
and get familiar with the place.
Do you really consider either C K Dexter Haven or TubaDiva’s response to the OP as “Sturm und Drang and chest pounding and pontification about the sanctity of their History.” or being “put though this gauntlet”? Because I really don’t see it.
I don’t really care one way or another if there’s a long winded rebuke thread. However posting a thread pretty much automatically means the possibility that every other board member may chime in with their two cents. That’s the nature of a message board. If a person starts a thread they don’t have much right to complain that a lot of people may involve themselves in the discussion. But actually I don’t see the OP complaining. 
If I regretted posting something and I wanted it removed (something which so far the OP hasn’t given the slightest indication of being the case), I would have e-mailed a mod and asked, not started a thread about it.
No, don’t put words into my mouth. I was responding to you and was describing you. Now do you get it?
You want him to provide you personally with an explanation, or take your personal suggestion to move it to email. Which I’m sure he will in the future, because of your chest pounding.
And you have a right to post your opinion, but you have accept that I exercised that right as well, and that since you have not accepted any of my comments there is no earthly reason for me to care about yours. My opinion of you is unchanged, something that grates you I’m sure, but you’ll get over it in the fullness of time.
Wow. No I don’t get it at all. It certainly wasn’t my intention to put words in your mouth. I assumed the “sanctity of their History” comment was aimed at CKDH because he was the one who talked about the forum history, not me.
Actually, I agree with you. I hardly think the forums “history” will be harmed if they delete his posts. As I said, I’m pretty sure the mods have deleted posts for people in the past when they’ve regretted them. I just think that if he’s uncomfortable with what he posted he would have a better chance of it being removed if he tells them that.
Which I don’t see any hint of in his post. So saying that I don’t see the OP saying anything about regretting what he posted is “Sturm und Drang and chest pounding and pontification about the sanctity of their History.”?
No, I really don’t. Quite the opposite. All I said was that you seem to be seeing an explanation that sounds totally different that the one I’m seeing in the OP.
No, it’s not that I want him to move it to email. All I said was that’s how I would have done it. And that was in response to your comment about him being “put though this gauntlet”. If he feels as you do that this thread is putting him “though this gauntlet”, then he could avoid that by emailing with the mods directly.
Either you’re joking or you’re mistaking me for another poster. I can’t see how anything I’ve written above could possibly be interpreted as “chest pounding.” 
Who says I haven’t accepted your opinion? All I said was I didn’t agree with your interpretation of the OPs stated reason for wanting his posts deleted.
Until this thread I didn’t know you had an opinion of me. I really have no idea if we’ve ever even posted in the same thread before. And it doesn’t so much grate at me as totally confuse me. You’re somehow reading an awful lot more into what I’ve said above than was intended.
Mods please delete my post. It is intentionally boring and therefore spreads a negative vibe throughout this thread.