[AngelBlue]

Originally Posted by Videx

AngelBlue, you're most of the way to a whole separate mod "Virtual Delete a user". This is an often requested feature. Why don't you take it all the way?

Several reasons.
First is that I would like people to test my modified version of this hack before I release it as my own product. After all, testing is good
Second is that I'd prefer, for simplicity, that the two hacks were merged into one. Why have two very similar hacks? Why not just have one hack with the option to toggle between the two modes of behaviour? My version of calorie's mod includes a setting in vB options that toggles between either using my "disable, but don't delete" method, or using calorie's "really remove them from the database" method. Calorie could include my code in this mod, adding another option to the mod with no effort required on his part.

If he decides that he doesn't want to use my code, I will probably release my own version of the virtual self delete hack, with the ability to do both what calorie's mod can do and also support the virtual or "fake" deletion behaviour. If calorie really doesn't want me using his code in my mod, I could probably strip out his code and create an entirely different fake deletion mod, based on the same principles, but without using this code. I really don't want to do this, however, as I would consider it reinventing the wheel, and hence, a waste of effort. I think it would be much better if calorie included my code in his mod, or at least, replied here saying that it would be OK for me to create a development fork of his mod to explore adding to the virtual/fake deletion code... maybe they could be merged later once the fake deletion part of it has been tested for awhile and I've added a few more things that I think would be nice to add.

Originally Posted by Soonerdude

AngelBlue, if the virtually deleted member decided to return later, can they just be moved back to their original usergroup and be just like they were before?

Yes, simply changing their usergroup back to any other usergroup will completely reverse the effect of the "deletion". However... I advise against doing this, because if you do, then users will quickly figure out that "deleted" accounts *aren't* really deleted.

In future, I plan to have the option to either phrase this as a "delete" mod (useful if you don't re-activate accounts that users want deleted, but you want to keep them on file anyway)... or a disable mod (useful if you don't want to suggest to your users that their accounts are gone forever, or you aren't able to do so because you sometimes reactivate them).

I'd also like to add a "permit self re-enable" option, which, if enabled, causes the account to be un-deleted when the owner logs in and clicks a link. If disabled, behaviour would be as currently, where once deleted, the account cannot be used and admin intervention is required to re-enable it.

It would probably be possible for me to expand this fake deletion system into a system whereby users could choose, from a set drop-down menu, a list of usergroups to move their account to. Deletion would be one of those options... but there might be other options, too... like newbies having a choice of setting their account to the "Men" or "Women" groups, and getting access accordingly (but, that doesn't necessarily mean that the admin would have to allow movement from the Men group to the Women group, or vice versa!).

In effect this system could be expanded to a usergroup movement flowchart, where admins define which usergroups allow their members to move to which other usergroups. Allowing all accounts to set themselves "deleted" (fake deleted, I mean) might be one option there.