Why do people close their Fluther accounts? Especially long term members?

Yes, members who come back can have their accounts reinstated. Sometimes, they do and sometimes they come back with a new identity.

The reasons why you would leave and close your account are as varied as people. Sometimes, they are just tired of it for a while. They often come back.

I did it once. Auggie reversed it for me.

I was tired of a certain few jellies, especially one in particular, telling me my answers weren’t good enough or were in appropriate. I’m fairly addicted to fluther, so no access is more likely to keep me away if I want to be away then just trying to avoid logging on.

I actually want to reduce how often I log on, I might close my account, we’ll see.

I would close an account in protest over a question getting pulled for no real good cause.

Fluther lacks blacklisting functions of any type; there is no “ignore” list to block out posts from certain users whom one has had nothing but bad dealings with. I’ve been to some sites that have that while others have a rating system and a user-defined filter that blocks comments below a certain threshold. (They’re still there if you click the “View Anyway?” link though, so it isn’t really censorship like modding would be. Thing is, I think it only works there because of their special culture. I doubt neg-repping would work here any better than it does at AB.)

That combined with the fact that I have a few anti-fans has made me consider it myself a few times as there are certain types of people I just don’t feel like dealing with because they are inflammatory. There has been more than one thread that was killed by me getting into an argument with one that could’ve been avoided if there were a blacklist function. Maybe someday I’ll learn to avoid the bait that certain trolls are prone to posting, but I have enough repressed rage that I can’t help myself when provoked. Until then, my options are limited to heated discussions that often wind up modded or leaving Fluther altogether.

So it’s basically because of asshats and an inability to surf Fluther without being forced to deal with them.

Over the years, I’ve seen several members delete their accounts in a huff over a social conflict; some get tired of swimming against the reigning cultural current here, some have chronic friction with specific members. I can understand how participation here under those circumstances could be just not worth the stress, and why you might want to slam the door on the way out.

Several others have found that as long as playing with Fluther friends remains a possibility, it’s hard to get more serious stuff done. They need to put Fluther up on a high shelf for awhile, so they delete their account, knowing that they can just contact a mod somewhere down the line and get plugged back in. We’re happy to do that.

It can be liberating to let go of a long time, well known account and start over.

I have nearly closed my account several times, including very recently, due to the tenor of some of the questions and comments by members who don’t share the same beliefs.
One kind response will often negate 10 nasty ones.

@filmfann I appreciate those who decline to yield the field to the nasties.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=w6Q3mHyzn78

#1: No, but nearly. That thought came to me twice. Once was about three months after signing up. The reason was that I didn’t see the importance of Fluther and I had asked all I need to. The second time was after this incident. I was just too pissed off that my question was modded and everybody agreed so. I was just too silly to ever realize I was the antagonist…

#2: Not sure about this. I have seen one long-time user here who deleted their account, reactivated it then deleted it again. But that’s my only experience of situations like that. Never know anyone else.

#3: I have never tried it yet, but I think that button is the only way we can delete the accounts.

@jerv Thing is, I think it only works there because of their special culture. I doubt neg-repping would work here any better than it does at AB.)

Then it did. When they made the huge facelift, they abolished the negative pointing thing, remember?

Maybe there aren’t enough questions worth discussing. I try hard to come up with questions. Sometimes I know they’re not quality questions, but if no one else is posting a question then I feel compelled to entertain everyone with another possibility.

@JLeslie & @filmfann: Don’t ever leave. We wouldn’t be us without you.

@JLeslie I was tired of a certain few jellies, especially one in particular, telling me my answers weren’t good enough or were in appropriate.
IMO I would chalk that up as the #1 reason; people being driven away either directly or indirectly.

@Crazydawg I would close an account in protest over a question getting pulled for no real good cause.
I would say that is in the top 5, people get tired of asking questions that evaporate even when they do their best to live up to the highfalutin standards set here.

@GloPro Maybe there aren’t enough questions worth discussing.
When one tries to ask though provoking questions it often slays someone’s sacred cows and it becomes a battle royal instead of a thoughtful debate. I been in disgust sever times that there are no quality questions the guidelines tout questions are supposed to be here. Instead you have to wade chest deep through useless amphibian s*** that is not even worthy of being questions, certainly some will disagree or even get pissed I said it. I keep at least trying to ask mind-expanding questions even if it pisses some off because it hits to close to their sacred cows. How many he/she loves me, dream, and game questions does Fluther need before it is too much?

I would say I never seriously thought about closing my account here, even with the general nastiness and ruthlessness; I figured out some time ago what waters I swam in. When and if that time comes, I will walk out the front door with my chest out than being dragged out the backdoor by my heels. If I go I am gone forever, no reincarnation, no reactivation, it will be like a bad marriage; why go back to the ex when it won’t be any better than it was when you left.

We should just drop the thought provoking shit. Social is pretty much the comments section on CNN with less racism.

Privacy. Also this place gets grating. The ebb and flow is off. Questions and answers seem to have devolved to an all time low.

Once, I left out of respect for a jelly that got chased out by a stalker.

I came back because I thought I had betrayed some sort of trust to the very few folks who share my opinions.

Duty.
Occasionally, duty is a real burden.
Oh well…

I walked away for several weeks after I first signed up because of a negative comment but finally said (to myself) “Fuck them, I enjoy my time there” and came back. I did not officially “close” my account. I just left. And, if I ever decide to do so in the future, that is what I will do. Just walk away.

That was my gut reaction, @rojo. Reason for this question. Why formalize it?

@ibstubro Yeah, something formal like Steve Martin suggested: saying “I break with thee. I break with thee. I break with thee” then throwing dog poop on their shoes.

Hilarious, @rojo!

1) To ensure that it would take a bit more effort in order to log on to here, to start a new identity or because you’re really done with it. Don’t forget too, that sometimes people eliminate their accounts based on emotion in the heat of the moment too, so your capacity for thinking ahead gets somewhat hindered.

2) In my four years on and off of this site users will pm the mods, and get their lurve and account reactivated again. Some users do this repeatedly.

3) Hitting the delete your account tab will not eliminate your account. The next step where they ask you something along the lines of “are you sure”?, then after that tab is hit your account is gone pretty quickly. Like in # 2 above as I’ve stated you can begin again where you’ve left off though. The last time I had deleted my account was more than three years ago where I had decided to devote more time to sodahead, so maybe this process has changed during that time.

I have considered deleting my account because I don’t share many of the liberal beliefs that most people hold here. It is a liberal climate, not necessarily bad, just not my cup of tea. It’s an overall uneasiness, not anything to do with specific members.

I have no idea if I will or not at this point.

Nah. Stay, @seekingwolf. It seems a kinder, gentler Fluther than it was a short while ago.

@seekingwolf Yeah. We need the diversity on here. Stay, dang it. I thought of deleting my account sometimes too, thing is I’ll just come back in like, two days, so there’s no point lol.

@seekingwolf I consider myself to be a nonconforming type of progressive, where I disagree with many on here on quite a few issues, and I actually believe there’s a god. I probably get into more skirmishes on here than most conservatives do. One thing fluther doesn’t need is more people deleting their accounts with different viewpoints, making the site rather stagnant.