How to Delete MacRumors Account & ALL Previous Posts/Threads?

[HappyDude20]

Hello all,

I love this community and have been a member for 10+ years. Unfortunately, for reasons I can’t get into, both my girlfriend and I are being requested to delete any online accounts associated with specific forums, for business and legal reasons.

I know after some time threads and posts are archived here within MacRumors and I was wondering how I would go about deleting every single thread and post I’ve added into MR.

My girlfriend has had 2 MR accounts; one for 6 years and another for 2 years and she needs to rid both by 1/1/2019. I have until 3/1/2019.

By now means will I stop browsing the forum, but posting will be an impossibility come Q1 2019.

Best approach to delete ALL?

 

[Apple fanboy]

Hello all,

I love this community and have been a member for 10+ years. Unfortunately, for reasons I can’t get into, both my girlfriend and I are being requested to delete any online accounts associated with specific forums, for business and legal reasons.

I know after some time threads and posts are archived here within MacRumors and I was wondering how I would go about deleting every single thread and post I’ve added into MR.

My girlfriend has had 2 MR accounts; one for 6 years and another for 2 years and she needs to rid both by 1/1/2019. I have until 3/1/2019.

By now means will I stop browsing the forum, but posting will be an impossibility come Q1 2019.

Best approach to delete ALL?

I’d contact the mods. Also might get more of a response in the site feedback section.

 

[stridemat]

I have moved to the S&FF section.

Would suggest reading this part of the FAQ:
https://macrumors.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/201260797-How-do-I-cancel-my-account-

 

[maflynn]

The admins can rename your account, which will greatly anomalize your content.

 

[notyourlawyer]

Hello all,

I love this community and have been a member for 10+ years. Unfortunately, for reasons I can’t get into, both my girlfriend and I are being requested to delete any online accounts associated with specific forums, for business and legal reasons.

If you believe that you may become involved in litigation, you want to be very cautious about deleting relevant records. A court could consider that "spoliation" and it could really foul up your legal position in future litigation. Judges don't like it when people erase evidence. Deleting your online accounts and removing posts from public view is probably fine, but you may have an obligation to retain copies of all material. Discuss with your counsel.

If this doesn't involve anticipated litigation (or other legal proceedings, like an administrative proceeding) then you can disregard. And as the username says, I am not your lawyer!

P.S. Also keep in mind that if you are anticipating litigation, and online accounts are expected to be an issue, your adversary will likely be able to require that you produce information about all your relevant online accounts and copies of all posts. So while deleting your account here and removing posts from public view may be permissible, don't assume your posts will never surface. Again, not relevant if this isn't about litigation.

 

[HappyDude20]

I’d contact the mods. Also might get more of a response in the site feedback section.

Thank you!

I have moved to the S&FF section.

Would suggest reading this part of the FAQ:
https://macrumors.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/201260797-How-do-I-cancel-my-account-

Just read this and contacted them. Thank you!

The admins can rename your account, which will greatly anomalize your content.

Unfortunately this isn’t a solution as I’ve been shown that I can be identified based on the posts and threads I’ve created. I truly need posts and threads hidden from public or completely deleted.

I apologize for not being able to get too into as to the ‘why’ I have to have everything deleted on this 1 specific site, but all I can say is I love Apple products and my governing body does not. Let’s just say it’s a direct competitor to Apple.

If you believe that you may become involved in litigation, you want to be very cautious about deleting relevant records. A court could consider that "spoliation" and it could really foul up your legal position in future litigation. Judges don't like it when people erase evidence. Deleting your online accounts and removing posts from public view is probably fine, but you may have an obligation to retain copies of all material. Discuss with your counsel.

If this doesn't involve anticipated litigation (or other legal proceedings, like an administrative proceeding) then you can disregard. And as the username says, I am not your lawyer!

P.S. Also keep in mind that if you are anticipating litigation, and online accounts are expected to be an issue, your adversary will likely be able to require that you produce information about all your relevant online accounts and copies of all posts. So while deleting your account here and removing posts from public view may be permissible, don't assume your posts will never surface. Again, not relevant if this isn't about litigation.

I was not expecting this sort of response but I am truly grateful that such an answer made its way into this thread. Thank you for much for having my back beforehand, just in case. I’ve spoken with lawyers, mine and the other party and I am completely allowed and am requested to rid all of my previous posts and threads from this forum.

In fact, if I don’t delete I won’t be able to proceed into an amazing personal opportunity.

Again, thank you all for ALL of your help.

 

[jtara]

I think if one had this requirement, the last thing one should do is write a post about it!

According to the "how do I cancel my account" article, there is no way to accomplish what you want. It sounds like you will have to settle for account renaming.

It begs the question of GDPR, then. Is MR GDPR-compliant, or does it intend to become such? GDPR includes the "right to be forgotten". (OP seems likely not a subject where GDPR is applicable, but this raises an interesting GDPR question nevertheless.)

The article points out the very good reason for not deleting all of one's posts - it leaves "holes in the conversation" which create confusion and disrupts the purpose of the forums.

GDPR would seem to create some unique challenges for forums! I wonder if there is some special treatment? There is some language about the Controller (He Who Controls the Data) comparing the subject's rights to "the public interest in the availability of the data".

You pretty much said you and your girlfriend are going to work for Google (or perhaps Samsung, Huawei, Sony, Nokia, LG - or hahah - SuperMicro, or some other desktop/server/notebook maker.) Their request (and, actually, regardless of who the employer is, assuming it is an employer) would make a fascinating news story. And Google's been in the news lately around similar subjects.

If this is not a troll, it should have been done as a private conversation with the forum management.

To others: (regardless of the OP's specifics) how would you react/feel if a prospective employer required you to "erase your past" in some regard as a condition of employment? The implication here, is that OP is being asked to erase the fact that they've been an Apple fanboy for many years. I wonder if they are also being asked to supply an "alternative history". Will photos on Facebook have to be edited to show OP holding an Android phone instead of an iPhone?

(There have been a few cases of celebrities lately breeching their promotional contracts by being seen in public with the wrong kind of phone!)

And if you were not the one being offered employment (e.g. everyone else here) how would you feel about the company making such a request?

 

[Scepticalscribe]

To others: (regardless of the OP's specifics) how would you react/feel if a prospective employer required you to "erase your past" in some regard as a condition of employment? The implication here, is that OP is being asked to erase the fact that they've been an Apple fanboy for many years. I wonder if they are also being asked to supply an "alternative history". Will photos on Facebook have to be edited to show OP holding an Android phone instead of an iPhone?

I would not be at all happy about it.

To my mind, while they may have a right to your loyalty from the time they appoint you to a position, they do not have this right to re-write or control your past, and above all, not to your private space, or time and online activity in the past.

And, to my way of thinking, they can exercise this right in the present only to the extent that you do not harm, or traduce the company.

Professionally, I was (and am) an historian - at a professional level, destroying and rewriting the past is something I find repugnant.

And personally, it strikes me as over-intrusive and controlling.

Actually, at a personal level, it reminds me somewhat of those jealous boyfriends one hears about, you know, the ones busily destroying letters written to their significant other by her previous boyfriend.

And if you were not the one being offered employment (e.g. everyone else here) how would you feel about the company making such a request?

Outrageous and totally out of order; unnecessarily intrusive and controlling and making demands that it has no right to make.

 

[HappyDude20]

I think if one had this requirement, the last thing one should do is write a post about it!

According to the "how do I cancel my account" article, there is no way to accomplish what you want. It sounds like you will have to settle for account renaming.

It begs the question of GDPR, then. Is MR GDPR-compliant, or does it intend to become such? GDPR includes the "right to be forgotten". (OP seems likely not a subject where GDPR is applicable, but this raises an interesting GDPR question nevertheless.)

The article points out the very good reason for not deleting all of one's posts - it leaves "holes in the conversation" which create confusion and disrupts the purpose of the forums.

GDPR would seem to create some unique challenges for forums! I wonder if there is some special treatment? There is some language about the Controller (He Who Controls the Data) comparing the subject's rights to "the public interest in the availability of the data".

You pretty much said you and your girlfriend are going to work for Google (or perhaps Samsung, Huawei, Sony, Nokia, LG - or hahah - SuperMicro, or some other desktop/server/notebook maker.) Their request (and, actually, regardless of who the employer is, assuming it is an employer) would make a fascinating news story. And Google's been in the news lately around similar subjects.

If this is not a troll, it should have been done as a private conversation with the forum management.

To others: (regardless of the OP's specifics) how would you react/feel if a prospective employer required you to "erase your past" in some regard as a condition of employment? The implication here, is that OP is being asked to erase the fact that they've been an Apple fanboy for many years. I wonder if they are also being asked to supply an "alternative history". Will photos on Facebook have to be edited to show OP holding an Android phone instead of an iPhone?

(There have been a few cases of celebrities lately breeching their promotional contracts by being seen in public with the wrong kind of phone!)

And if you were not the one being offered employment (e.g. everyone else here) how would you feel about the company making such a request?

You know, In Retrospect I suppose it may have been best to contact moderators from MR directly before creating a thread, however I honestly thought MR would be able to delete my entire account before I created the post.

I’ve received a response from MR already and the solution seems to be to indeed remake the account. However, I’ll need to go and review any revealing posts. I’ve been show with good accuracy how with enough writing I can be ‘found out’.

I’ve not done anything illegal or anything of that sort; it’s just that I’m the future anonymity will be harder to achieve and as it turns out I’ve been shown that my Achilles heal is MR. I personally don’t mind my threads and posts of the past ten years but this is an incredible opportunity I just can’t pass up.
[doublepost=1543336634][/doublepost]

Professionally, I was (and am) an historian - at a professional level, destroying and rewriting the past is something I find repugnant.

This too struck a chord with me.

 

[Apple fanboy]

Another good reason to keep ones true identity off the web. If Microsoft asked me to delete my MR account, easy. What MR account?

 

[jtara]

I honestly thought MR would be able to delete my entire account before I created the post.

Think of the implications of that.

That would mean deleting perhaps hundreds of posts by you - and then what is to become of thousands of responses to hundreds of posts by you? And thousands of responses to thousands of responses by you and perhaps hundreds of cases where others have quoted your posts or responses?

It would quickly make Swiss cheese of any subject you've had an interest in here over the years.

I've been thinking about the difficulty of satisfying the "right to be forgotten", since I work on a product that will eventually have to meet GDPR requirements. You've got data in databases. You've got backups. You've got logs that potentially have some of the information from the databases. And beyond your control, you've got decommissioned storage that still has your data on it. (Which is why the sudden interest on the part of cloud providers about "encryption at rest".)

Fortunately, it is not a forum. (It is educational software.) The interesting GDPR question when it comes to that, is... do you have the right to have your grades forgotten? LOL

Getting back to OP if somebody is THAT interested in identifying you as an Apple Fanboy, erasing your past from MR is probably not going to stop them. But it's also not an easy thing to do. First, they have to have a copy of MR data to work with. And don't think it doesn't exist, and in a form that you can't touch. I don't mean the Wayback Machine, which I think only samples, especially forums. I mean e.g. brand monitoring companies.

You can be potentially identified potentially by writing style, but it would require trudging through all MR accounts. But although there is a real science to that, it's also pretty out-there that anybody would go to the trouble if not a matter of national security or you're planning on running for President, or you are really Satoshi Nakamoto. You would more likely be identified by leaked personal details, but still a lot of stuff to trudge through and try to see correlations. You'd have to e.g. stuff an AI with a bunch of personal facts and then see if they turn up somewhere in all that data.

I think if MR renames your account, you've made a best effort and satisfied the requirement.

 

[Apple fanboy]

Think of the implications of that.

That would mean deleting perhaps hundreds of posts by you - and then what is to become of thousands of responses to hundreds of posts by you? And thousands of responses to thousands of responses by you and perhaps hundreds of cases where others have quoted your posts or responses?

It would quickly make Swiss cheese of any subject you've had an interest in here over the years.

I've been thinking about the difficulty of satisfying the "right to be forgotten", since I work on a product that will eventually have to meet GDPR requirements. You've got data in databases. You've got backups. You've got logs that potentially have some of the information from the databases. And beyond your control, you've got decommissioned storage that still has your data on it. (Which is why the sudden interest on the part of cloud providers about "encryption at rest".)

Fortunately, it is not a forum. (It is educational software.) The interesting GDPR question when it comes to that, is... do you have the right to have your grades forgotten? LOL

Getting back to OP if somebody is THAT interested in identifying you as an Apple Fanboy, erasing your past from MR is probably not going to stop them. But it's also not an easy thing to do. First, they have to have a copy of MR data to work with. And don't think it doesn't exist, and in a form that you can't touch. I don't mean the Wayback Machine, which I think only samples, especially forums. I mean e.g. brand monitoring companies.

You can be potentially identified potentially by writing style, but it would require trudging through all MR accounts. But although there is a real science to that, it's also pretty out-there that anybody would go to the trouble if not a matter of national security or you're planning on running for President, or you are really Satoshi Nakamoto. You would more likely be identified by leaked personal details, but still a lot of stuff to trudge through and try to see correlations. You'd have to e.g. stuff an AI with a bunch of personal facts and then see if they turn up somewhere in all that data.

I think if MR renames your account, you've made a best effort and satisfied the requirement.

I’m @Apple fanboy!

On the GDPR issue, I hope I can have my grades forgotten! They were shocking

 

[jtara]

I’m @Apple fanboy!

"Hello! I'm the Google HR Assistant. Let's get started! Please state your full name."

"Apple Fanboy".

"Next!"

 

[MacNut]

I have to ask how easy it is to just wipe your online presence. Everything is recorded somewhere.

 

[jtara]

I have to ask how easy it is to just wipe your online presence. Everything is recorded somewhere.

Exactly.

Once discovered trying to erase history, the potential damage from the discovery of that fact may easily exceed the original "damage" from just leaving things as-is.

 

[MacNut]

I think if MR renames your account, you've made a best effort and satisfied the requirement.

That would have worked if he didn't publicly announce he wants to delete his account. Now people can search the forums and fairly easily tell who's name changed overnight. The record is still there. At this point the cat is further out of the bag and won't go back in. The first thing the admins need to do is delete this thread and hope those watching decided to look the other way about the op's request.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

That would have worked if he didn't publicly announce he wants to delete his account. Now people can search the forums and fairly easily tell who's name changed overnight. The record is still there. At this point the cat is further out of the bag and won't go back in. The first thing the admins need to do is delete this thread and hope those watching decided to look the other way about the op's request.

But, there are a number of separate issues here.

One is the request of the OP asking that his account be deleted.

Secondly, is the discussion that has arisen around that - a discussion exploring whether it is possible, or whether it is even desirable, to do so, given that he may have had a considerable online presence, which, in turn, may have given rise to responses.

Should one wish to erase an online presence, or life?

Then, thirdly, there is the extraordinary request from a future employer that such accounts be erased, which is a totally different issue.

This technology is so new, and so revolutionary in its potential impact on our lives, that key matters such as personal and professional boundaries - one's own, and one's employers - and what and where one is permitted to post - are only now in the process of being negotiated, navigated and discussed.

That is why, for now, (unless we start a separate thread to discuss the issues - which clearly need to be discussed), I would not favour removing or shutting down this thread.

 

[MacNut]

But, there are a number of separate issues here.

One is the request of the OP asking that his account be deleted.

Secondly, is the discussion that has arisen around that - a discussion exploring whether it is possible, or whether it is even desirable, to do so, given that he may have had a considerable online presence, which, in turn, may have given rise to responses.

Should one wish to erase an online presence, or life?

Then, thirdly, there is the extraordinary request from a future employer that such accounts be erased, which is a totally different issue.

This technology is so new, and so revolutionary in its potential impact on our lives, that key matters such as personal and professional boundaries - one's own, and one's employers - and what and where one is permitted to post - are only now in the process of being negotiated, navigated and discussed.

That is why, for now, (unless we start a separate thread to discuss the issues - which clearly need to be discussed), I would not favour removing or shutting down this thread.

I agree with everything you said. There are a lot of issues at play here and we don’t know the reasons or protocol for such things. Unfortunately for the OP publicly asking to be erased from a forum will go against any reasons why they need to be erased from the forum. It’s like announcing you are being placed in witness protection. Changing the OPs username now is just about announcing where you are moving too and your new assumed name.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I agree with everything you said. There are a lot of issues at play here and we don’t know the reasons or protocol for such things. Unfortunately for the OP publicly asking to be erased from a forum will go against any reasons why they need to be erased from the forum. It’s like announcing you are being placed in witness protection. Changing the OPs username now is just about announcing where you are moving too and your new assumed name.

Yes, in that instance, the obvious approach (for the OP, or someone in a similar position), is to write to the mods/admins privately, with this request, in which case, it does not become a matter for discussion, or known publicly.

 

[MacNut]

Yes, in that instance, the obvious approach (for the OP, or someone in a similar position), is to write to the mods/admins privately, with this request, in which case, it does not become a matter for discussion, or known publicly.

The better option is just stop posting and request the account be deactivated. That would draw less attention.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

The better option is just stop posting and request the account be deactivated. That would draw less attention.

Yes, of course.

However, I do find the 'pull/push' dynamic - almost a sort of dialectic - of the online world, whereby one is encouraged to post about the most private stuff in one's life, (online), and share details you would never have shared with friends a quarter of a century ago, while, at the same time, employers and other bodies seem to think it appropriate to request access to (or termination of) your private online identity.

This was not how I would have perceived the direction to be taken by the online revolution.

 

[tobefirst ⚽️]

Wait a minute.

You're asking how to get rid of all evidence of you being on this forum and then–AFTER THAT–still starting new threads?

 

[jtara]

You're asking how to get rid of all evidence of you being on this forum and then–AFTER THAT–still starting new threads?

Haha, I see what you did there!

If my hunch is right, this likely isn't about a "job job", but some sort of "social influencer" arrangement. Nothing wrong there, some of the "social influencers" make way more money that most people will ever make at a "job job"...

But.... I think most are off-put when they find out a "social influencer" isn't really that on-board with the product they are promoting.

It's POSSIBLE I think to switch brands, but you have to be honest about it. After all, "Paul" ("can you hear me now?!") made the switch! But... he's just an actor/TV personality, and (to my knowledge) doesn't blog extensively, participate in forums, etc. (And if he does, it's probably material written for him.) FWIW I saw him once at a (Motorola) trade show. Dunno if he still does trade show appearances... Guess what the first words were out of his mouth?

I think it would be best just to be forthright, and tell them you have an extensive past writing about Apple products in an enthusiastic way. If they can't live with that (and it's likely they can't), and you feel you fit the "social influencer" role and can do a bang-up job - pick something else to influence, rather that one that has a conflict of interest and will make people doubt your sincerity if ever found out you are/were an Apple Fanboy. (apologies to Apple Fanboy!)

 

[TheTruth101]

Question... how anybody could find your posts? For example, what can you find from my profile? This is not the email I use for normal stuff anyway. Usually, human resources look at you Linkedin, Instagram, Twitter and probably Facebook if they can. How can they dig somewhere else?

 

[Apple fanboy]

Haha, I see what you did there!

If my hunch is right, this likely isn't about a "job job", but some sort of "social influencer" arrangement. Nothing wrong there, some of the "social influencers" make way more money that most people will ever make at a "job job"...

But.... I think most are off-put when they find out a "social influencer" isn't really that on-board with the product they are promoting.

It's POSSIBLE I think to switch brands, but you have to be honest about it. After all, "Paul" ("can you hear me now?!") made the switch! But... he's just an actor/TV personality, and (to my knowledge) doesn't blog extensively, participate in forums, etc. (And if he does, it's probably material written for him.) FWIW I saw him once at a (Motorola) trade show. Dunno if he still does trade show appearances... Guess what the first words were out of his mouth?

I think it would be best just to be forthright, and tell them you have an extensive past writing about Apple products in an enthusiastic way. If they can't live with that (and it's likely they can't), and you feel you fit the "social influencer" role and can do a bang-up job - pick something else to influence, rather that one that has a conflict of interest and will make people doubt your sincerity if ever found out you are/were an Apple Fanboy. (apologies to Apple Fanboy!)

So looks like I’m not ever going to get a social influencer job with Microsoft then!
I was sure I had it in the bag with my 7 followers!
(Apology accepted!)
[doublepost=1543464407][/doublepost]

Question... how anybody could find your posts? For example, what can you find from my profile? This is not the email I use for normal stuff anyway. Usually, human resources look at you Linkedin, Instagram, Twitter and probably Facebook if they can. How can they dig somewhere else?

I’m on none of those! Maybe if it’s a tech company they scan your browser history or something!