Originally posted by prathapml@Jan 18 2006, 02:12 AM
Yeah, and I've been at the receiving end.
Its not nice.
Lets say you registered at a site. And due to whatever reason (no time, or no net access, or no CASH to get internet access, etc) you could not visit there for a long time. Or maybe you access the site from a lot of places, in which case you dont like to login each time (so you just browse as guest). Then one fine day, when you login because you want to post something, you are told your account does not exist. Its confusing at first, you assume you typed the password wrong, or that you forgot your login ID, etc etc. Then confusing gives way to rage at the maintainer of the site. From that point on, you hate it & dont bother registering or visiting anymore.
Thats about members who've not logged in for long. As for those who've not posted a long time, whats wrong with simply browsing a site? Cant you love a site unless you post? You may not always have something to say.
And for those who talk about deleting accounts of zero posters, sorry to say - but that would strike at the ROOT of regular readers. I have hundreds of sites where I simply created an account & logged in. Thereafter, I kept visiting day after day & my opera faithfully retained the cookie, ensuring I never again need to login (leading to me forgetting passwords eventually, but thats a different story). As a matter of fact, many internet users register at a site when they keep visiting it & found it useful - as a matter of courtesy, registering is like the least you can do, to payback the admin of a site that has helped you. Keep in mind that a person registers because he liked the site.
Conclusion?
Deleting so-called "inactive" members is like shooting yourself in the foot & alienating your support base.
[snapback]39569[/snapback]
