Last modified: 2007-11-13 13:29:47 UTC
I request user interface for deletion of unused accounts. There is useless for having such a large list of non-contribute users (users who never edit even once).
I also fully support your request, useful.
There is a perl script somewhere in maintenance, i think the author rewrote it using php.
Maintenance script can be used on local installation only. Still need a user interface mechanism for wikipedias and it's sister projects.
Perhaps a better solution is to have a field, "hidden", or the converse, "visible". This would be set to hide the user by default (upon creation), and make them visible upon their first edit. A special page could be used to set the user's hidden flag back.
Scratch that, better idea. Add a user_state field to the users table, defaults to 1; this causes the user to be marked as non-contributing, and hidden. Upon editing, a user who has state 1 is given state 0. This causes them to be marked as active, and un-hides them. A special page is created, with which users who have suitable permissions (bureaucrats, I'm thinking) can set users' states to 2. This causes them to be hidden, and prevents their state from being reset when they edit. "Hidden" users are not blocked, and their contributions are still logged in recent changes, etc. They're just not visible on the list of users.
The purpose of having inactive accounts deleted is to make the account name available to other users. For ex. account adam and alex on id.wikipedia is never used. And that accounts are simple name for a lot of users. If users which created those accounts never meant to use it, then those accounts are unavailable FOREVER!
Sorry, I was thinking along the lines of hiding user accounts which have been used, but shouldn't be visible - the first few pages of En's user list, for instance. Permanent deletion might be something we could do on a periodic basis, perhaps with a maintenance script and a cron job...
(In reply to comment #6) > The purpose of having inactive accounts deleted is to make the account name > available to other users. > For ex. account adam and alex on id.wikipedia is never used. And that accounts > are simple name for a lot of users. If users which created those accounts never > meant to use it, then those accounts are unavailable FOREVER! There is a way to achieve this by using [[id:special:Renameuser]]. I do not know if this would conflict with WikiMedia foundations policy. If this is not the case you should achieve WP:ID consensus about the precedures to "reuse" existing user names. Please read also the discussions at Bug 57 "Single login on all wikimedia projects", [[meta:SUL]], [[meta:Single_login_specifications]] etc. I assume that user names / accounts as "Adam" and "Alex" exists already in other projects. This means that if users would like to have these account names *now* they might not be able to use them for other projects, maybe even not for sister projects. In the comments from above there was the proposal to list only accounts with contributions. This is a similar request as Bug 2474: Change Special:Listusers to show only accounts with edits which has the resolution WONTFIX. What would account with contributions mean today? - Imagine a scenario where a user made some contributions and all have been deleted. - Think about the policy at some wiki's where *all* contributions of a banneds user are deleted. - Think about the fact that deleted contributions prior to the change of the database scheem end of 2004 do not exist in the database any more (?). I still beleive that [[Special:Listusers]] should be improuved maybe by using some "show" / "hide" user names / accounts without contributions links similar as the "show" / "hide" links in "Recentchanges". A proposal for the mechanism / database query was made by Rob. A / The new field in the user / account database table would allow to make an efficient db query. The improuved [[Special:Listusers]] could also include information about blocked users containing the expiration date. (I think there is already a request about this.) If you think that improuving [[Special:Listusers]] is a good idea please reopen another request which would not conflict with MediaWiki's philosophy as bug 2474. "delete unused accounts" is a policy issue. Some "users" / visitors migth create an account in order to benefit from the watchlist. They will not contribute now but they migth contribute in the future. "Product" of this request is "MediaWiki", component is "User interface". A literaly implementation would not be the same as providing a user interface to *delete accounts* (regardles of contributions or not). Is "delete unused accounts" exactly what you want?
If account deletion is violating MediaWiki policy then I would accept Rob Church's idea #5. Note that if #5 is accepted then please provide the correct number of users. (only active users. Next issue:What is active user?) Current "number of users" in special:statistics is a false and useless information because only a small portion is active and valid users, the rest is spam and vandal users, sock-puppet users, blocked users, mistype user accounts, created just for fun users, etc. I agree with gangleri (#8) that one can create accounts just for reading/watching and that is valid. This users considered active eventhough non-contribute one. This surely can't be deleted/renamed. Perhaps additional field such as last_login and login_frequency is necessary to decide the status of user active or inactive.
*** Bug 4415 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***
I think we need a delete funtion when somebody foold to register the user name. youcan see bug 4415. (In reply to comment #5) > Scratch that, better idea. Add a user_state field to the users table, defaultsto 1; this causes the user to be marked as non-contributing, and hidden.Upon editing, a user who has state 1 is given state 0. This causes them to bemarked as active, and un-hides them.A special page is created, with which users who have suitable permissions(bureaucrats, I'm thinking) can set users' states to 2. This causes them to behidden, and prevents their state from being reset when they edit."Hidden" users are not blocked, and their contributions are still logged inrecent changes, etc. They're just not visible on the list of users.
1. I think we should delete the user name registered spitefully; 2. the [[Special:Listusers]] can add a show function ordered by user contributions. 3. a script to clear the user name without edit, which registered after 3 or 6 months, or longer will also be accepted.
(In reply to comment #5) > > Upon editing, a user who has state 1 is given state 0. This causes them to be > marked as active, and un-hides them. > I agree. + But editing must not include editing in user pages or user_talk pages, upon these edits state shall remains "1". > A special page is created, with which users who have suitable permissions > (bureaucrats, I'm thinking) can set users' states to 2. This causes them to be > hidden, and prevents their state from being reset when they edit. > I agree. state "2" should means vandal/spam/sockpuppet users. + If user state now "0", there should be a mechanism to automatically set the state back to "1" if no edit within (say) 2 months. Proposed user states: 0: active users 1: (default), new users, inactive users (no edit within last 2 months) 2: vandal/spam/sockpuppet users. Also please provide the {{NUMBEROFUSERS}}, {{NUMBEROFSTATE0USERS}}, {{NUMBEROFSTATE1USERS}}, {{NUMBEROFSTATE2USERS}} as well, or include those variables in special:statistics
Merging with bug 6397. *** This bug has been marked as a duplicate of 6397 ***
