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

Maybe it’s his final goodbye tour.

 

I eagerly await the on-stage immolation.

 

Isn't there also the issue of MR Forums posts being duplicated on other shady forum copies one finds when looking for an answer to a Mac or iOS specific problem?

Or is that not an issue anymore?

 

Requests like this pose a logistical challenge for a couple of reasons, first is that it can ruin the integrity of any replies to posts, making for what can be nonsensical flow of the conversation. The other is when deleting threads the user has started, you are also deleting posts from other users, that or staff would have to modify the posts to remove just that user and it's a ton of work. Then all of this has to be trued up on the backend, reconciling post counts, etc.

Just throwing this out there so users know what goes into this type of request. I agree with the staff here when they recommend simply changing the name, it's easiest for all involved.

 

Bearer of dreadful news. GDPR subject access requests and right to be forgotten both apply to forums

 

This is the Internet. Nothing is ever "deleted" on the Internet.

It can only be "marked as deleted" at most.

 

Sounds more like two people joining a cult and being told to erase their past. Even if it's actually some kind of professional opportunity, this request seems way too extreme.

 

Our legal team has identified posts as personal data and the right to be forgotten applies to forums too. This can however be nothing more than a sweep for personal data and the data controller(macrumors) replacing the username with something like Deleted-User-1234

 

I'm inclined to agree with you.

 

I can think of a couple of users I wish the Admins would delete all their posts

 

According to subject's profile, subject is not subject to GDPR.

Unless I woke up and we've swapped realities with The Man In the High Castle, Los Angeles is in the United States, and it's citizens are not covered by the GDPR. Plus... even so, Los Angeles is in the Japanese Sector. (Interesting edge case if subject is a European citizen residing in Los Angeles.)

I appreciate the generosity of MR in offering to provide GDPR protections where they are not required!

And, as a practical matter, sites that have international reach (which basically is ALL) are coming around to just complying with the GDPR uniformly. It's like how the car makers eventually stopped making "California" cars and just built all to the same emissions and safety standards.

That said, there are literally millions of small sites that simply don't have the resources to comply and never will. If ever put in a position of enforceable legal challenge, most would probably choose to just shut down. Fortunately, Europe does not have the litigious legal culture of the US. If it did, we would probably be facing small site owners losing both their income sources (if any, there are so many hobby sites) and assets to legal sharks.

 

It's going to be hard to delete his posts when he keeps making new ones.

 

Excellent post and some very well made points.

There is that, agreed.

 

Part of me thinks we should speculate, since it seems highly unlikely the general sketchiness of this whole situation will be revealed. My guess: secret agents (with superpowers) want the OP to delete his and his GF's postings because... nope, can't do it. National Security?

Apollogies to HappyDude. I'm sure it's legit.

 

Legit or not, I don't know and cannot say, but - given the nature of the actual request - I confess that I am curious about two things.

Firstly, I am surprised that the OP did not contact the mods/admins privately to raise this matter and make his request, rather than announcing his wish to do so publicly.

Secondly, given that he wishes to erase all evidence for an online existence in this forum, I am absolutely amazed that he has continued posting in other sections of the forum.

 

That IS odd, isn't it, and not only that -- after having posted this thread, later in at least one other he provides more comments and potential information regarding children in his family or associated with them in some way..... Very strange if one is stating that he needs and wants to preserve privacy and have his MR account t eliminated altogether! ????

 

Why is it odd? Easily explained by:
1. If not account completely erased - No job, so more posts do not matter.
2. Agent training hasn't kicked in yet.
3. Both of the above.
4. Various other reasons.

 

When you announce that you need to erase your online identity for work it is implied that you don’t keep posting.

 

One big warning - even if you remove the content of your own posts, when people quote-reply, the quoted part isn't "linked" to your original post, it's just text. People will still be able to see any "quoted" posts of yours.

For example, the bit I just quoted above. It will (unless I edit my post,) always say it is "by (Original Poster's name redacted)", with the quoted part of the text. (I have just such this problem. I had another account that I used for awhile, with my real name, which I didn't want. I removed all content (I hadn't posted more than a dozen times,) and while the "evidence" of that account is basically gone, the quoted posts still show my real name and the content of my posts.

MR's account deletion policy does understand that employment contracts may need you to shut down your account, but they will not edit/remove other people's content (posts quoting yours) without an actual court order compelling them to.

(Because I do understand the need, I will wipe the quoted part of this message in a few days.)

 

Name: HappyDude 20
Position Applied For: Social Media Influencer - Windows/Dell/anything not Apple
Conflicts of Interest: Apple Fanboy

I want to see the driver's license that says HappyDude 20.

 

I am in agreement with @MacNut - cited below.

One can make such requests discreetly of the mods/admins, rather than announcing such matters to the forum - or world - at large.

Once that has been agreed to, it seems - to me - to be rather curious if you continue to post when you wish to erase your online identity.

 

A person's identity is not merely comprised of your past, but is also related to the present and future.

I'm sorry for I couldn't be angry with him if I tried. Who suffers by his ill whims? Himself always!