Too bad that they have to take their weblists and helpfuls with them.

I appreciate the concept RIA, don't get me wrong, the ability to delete your work on your own behalf is a privilege that the site does not need to offer the user, who is not paying anything to enjoy the site. The option to delete specific comments or even weblists - okay that I can see, maybe your attitude can change or you just had a bad day and went off inappropriately. But what if you're having a bad day or another user really got your goat and you say, you know what, heck with this, I'm deleting my account. That is scary and more than likely a move to regret. Is this permanent, or can RIA re-post your work upon request? It is unfortunate that a few prominent members of RIA have already gone this route.

Okay, so we didn't have the ability to delete our accounts before the change? After perusing most of the prior comments, I will concur that until RIA management takes over a weblist these accounts are our own and so are our comments. Moreover, everyone is on notice that weblists are subject to a member's whim (for the most part). Since this feature is like a flashing red button that I've been afraid to touch, I'm not really sure of its effect, but from the prior comments, I'm assuming that this is the nuclear option that deletes a member's account and every weblist, comment and rating associated with the member and the member's lists. While I suppose we should have this option, additional choices should be available, namely the choice to leave all of our comments and ratings on the site and/or to orphan our weblists for adoption by remaining members. (I've already suggested that this latter option be added.) A prior reviewer suggested a cooling off period during which a member could reverse this decision, and this revision sounds like a nice compromise to me. The bottom line is that additional bells & whistles need to be added to the account deletion process before I can give this new feature more than three stars.

I can see the logic of the intellectual rights argument and the fact that a person should be able to do what they like with their own writing and account. That is fair and I agree with that point. However, maybe I am just being led by my emotions here but on an emotional front, especially if it was someone like GA, it is sad to see them just disappear and needless to get rid of a whole account. Because say if someone just had a bad night or was on an emotional downturn, well if they delete their account, even though they could of put all this thought and sweat into their comments, well thats three years of writing down the toilet. Seems like an awful waste to me. That means that that person who deleted all that work can never, EVER, get that work back again. Well there are some email accounts, and I think this is a better idea, where if you want to delete them, they honour your request, but, just in case you may of made a hasty decision, if you eg log back onto that email address, it will reactivate again. If you havent reactivated it within 30 days, then it goes into like a secondary stage. In this stage, although you cant log back onto it, the account still exists for eg another 30 days and you can ask to have it reactivated. But the account will only disappear after 2 months. Maybe that is a better alternative then just allowing someone to delete something hastily. Ie give them a 2 month grace period. If they havent eg asked Lawrence to reactive the account in that time, then it is deleted. Well it is not only sad to see a rater just go, just like that, but it also affects others eg if they have put hard work into putting comments into their weblists plus takes helpfuls away. Overall, it is good to honour their rights but there should be a compromise. Because people do make hasty decisions (remember the saying haste makes waste), maybe they should ask for the account to be deleted, then the account will then be deleted completely within 2 months of that request. In order for them to stop that account from being deleted in those 2 months, they do have to request that it be cancelled. It is like the auto destruct mechanism on Star Trek. Instead of just blowing the ship up straight away, you can eg have 20 minutes before the ship self destructs, giving the crew time to handle the situation, and even cancelling the auto destruct.

It will be nice when I get used to it. I think I accidentally deleted myself a couple times. otherwise it will be nice to get to pick if I want to delete something. I add that If someone wants to delete their entire account for whatever reason, they should be able to do it. It looks like we lost a few regulars in the last few months, Goneaway, Tbonyea, and Adios.Too bad they all seemed like nice people. I agree with a couple other posters that when their account is deleted, so are their lists they made up deleting anything other raters may have contributed to that post. Wish they did not do that.

** I have to admit, this one's tough to see in practice. I still think it's the right thing to do though, with the possible exception of the fact that when a reviewer with weblists chooses to leave, he/she is deleting other people's reviews. That doesn't seem fair to me.**

I think it's important. People should be able to leave and remove their stuff whenever they want to, without a lot of drama.

**further clarification at the request of another user ** I like the idea of total control over your account, but the havoc this can wreak is obvious. Aside from the fact that several excellent contributers to RIA have decided to use this feature, it also sucks that you lose all your posts and helpfuls associated with their accounts and the weblists contained therein. Some people put a lot of time and effort into their posts and to have them just "go away" at the whim of another reviewer is somewhat unsettling. It definitely makes me think twice before posting on another users weblist. I'm actually more apt to stick to RIA Main when making future postings. But nonetheless, better to have this feature than not to, I guess...

I am going to miss Tboneya. Intelligent reviewers from below the Mason Dixon Line are an asset on this site with so many ignoramuses "chat-speaking" their blather about the South.

I'm sad to see so many decent reviewers go, especially in the recent months, most of all the recent departure of tboneya. The voice of reason from him and others are, and will be, greatly missed.

However, I do recognize their right and wish to go, for whatever reason. Maybe they've run out of things to write about, or maybe they want to "kick the habit" and focus on more important things in life (let's face it, internet addiction is a growing issue; I probably spend more time on the internet than I should, too). Some that I know of have left for personal reasons (death in the family, continuation of school, etc.).

All of us will choose to leave at some point in time. Whether or not you choose to keep your words here, or take them with you, it's your choice to make. When it comes down to it, it's only a website.

I think it is unnecessary. Adios either deleted her account or was kicked off the site (which I cannot imagine what for) and her comments went with her. She had over a thousand reviews on here, many of which had been reacted to by other people. I really hate to see people get tired of RIA and make a rash decision one day to delete everything. If you get tired of coming here then do not come for a while, but leave your opinions here for folks to read. I would like for folks comments to at least be able to stay even when they are removed from or delete their accounts.

I'd probably never take the action, but I guess it's nice (for some) to have the option to do so.

No one would notice.

I think it's a big step for trusting your users. You aren't trying to mooch thier ideas. If they want it gone, it's gone.

Control of intellectual property is a big thing to some people, I guess. However, for me, this does mean I'm not able to go anywhere.

Its a hint I'm not taking...

I guess I have to agree with the right of people to choose to do this. There was a time when I may have disagreed because some people left with such bitterness but even so the words you write are your own and you should be able to do with them as you so desire.

Good thinking, but I would also like to have the ability to delete the accounts of other reviewers whose opinions I don't agree with.