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Author	Topic: Member Poll: When should be "recycle" and make available again, old GasBud...	Post a Reply Back to Topics

JT Moderator	Message Posted: Jul 27, 2007 12:21:56 PM Ignore JT Report Abuse When should be "recycle" and make available again, old GasBuddy user names where people registered but never did participate in the website? After 6 months of non-use After 1 year of non-use After 2 years of non-use After 3 years of non-use After 5 years of non-use Never Recycle Old Unused Names Post your thoughts about this poll below.

Moderator

Message Posted: Jul 27, 2007 12:21:56 PM

Ignore JT Report Abuse

When should be "recycle" and make available again, old GasBuddy user names where people registered but never did participate in the website?
After 6 months of non-use
After 1 year of non-use
After 2 years of non-use
After 3 years of non-use
After 5 years of non-use
Never Recycle Old Unused Names

Post your thoughts about this poll below.

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RZF350 Rookie Author Tacoma Posts:27 Points:91,740 Joined:Dec 2010	Message Posted: Jan 15, 2013 8:07:00 AM Ignore RZF350 Report Abuse Don't recycle old names. Take off from the system after two years of inactivity but don't recycle them. Some people have to leave the country due to work sometimes for one year at the time.
rumbleseat Champion Author Winnipeg Posts:23,066 Points:3,550,100 Joined:Oct 2002	Message Posted: Dec 12, 2012 8:46:15 PM Ignore rumbleseat Report Abuse How about a time constraint. Any member who has used their account should have the name locked up. But some bozo who makes one post and never comes back? The name should be available for re-use. Of course, many of those will never be asked for, but why should a one-off post-n-run come up with a clever name and take it out of the pool forever?
coffeebrake1015 Champion Author Florida Posts:1,290 Points:300,010 Joined:May 2012	Message Posted: Dec 12, 2012 8:36:27 PM Ignore coffeebrake1015 Report Abuse after 6 month's
coffeebrake1015 Champion Author Florida Posts:1,290 Points:300,010 Joined:May 2012	Message Posted: Nov 26, 2012 8:56:16 PM Ignore coffeebrake1015 Report Abuse 6 months of non use
Gas_seekr Rookie Author Philadelphia Posts:8 Points:152,185 Joined:Aug 2012	Message Posted: Nov 7, 2012 6:51:47 PM Ignore Gas_seekr Report Abuse Never. When I first considered this question, I thought a year should suffice. But after reading previous response, I've reconsidered and now think usernames should never be dropped from the system or recycled. For several reasons: 1. usernames are chosen that have meaning for that individual, if another person chooses the same username, it should be only a moment for that person to pick another username, and 2. perhaps more important, some members obviously are able to associate a username with a real live individual. Recycling usernames would only create confusion.
pricewar Champion Author Ogden Posts:2,075 Points:302,490 Joined:Jul 2012	Message Posted: Sep 28, 2012 3:02:47 AM Ignore pricewar Report Abuse nope
IB2ChillE Champion Author Los Angeles Posts:14,157 Points:2,956,675 Joined:Mar 2004	Message Posted: Sep 11, 2012 9:30:43 AM Ignore IB2ChillE Report Abuse no recycle... it could lead to confusion
ggg452 Champion Author Manitoba Posts:1,705 Points:358,550 Joined:May 2012	Message Posted: Jul 26, 2012 8:40:34 AM Ignore ggg452 Report Abuse Should never reuse old names...
pobaldwin Rookie Author Detroit Posts:5 Points:4,310 Joined:Apr 2012	Message Posted: Apr 11, 2012 10:40:42 AM Ignore pobaldwin Report Abuse This happens all the time to me when I loose interest in a site. Make them be active or give-up the user name! You get 6 months buddy!
uxrs75 Rookie Author Victoria Posts:5 Points:43,900 Joined:Mar 2012	Message Posted: Apr 10, 2012 6:32:24 PM Ignore uxrs75 Report Abuse 6 months: for user names associated with accounts that were never active. 2 years: for accounts that were active, but never posted. Never: for accounts with posts associated with it.
SuperMoto Champion Author Connecticut Posts:1,026 Points:1,600,490 Joined:Sep 2007	Message Posted: Feb 11, 2012 4:44:44 PM Ignore SuperMoto Report Abuse After 2 years of non-use
Panama19 Champion Author Louisville Posts:25,732 Points:2,571,010 Joined:Sep 2005	Message Posted: Feb 10, 2012 11:19:17 PM Ignore Panama19 Report Abuse Never Recycle Old Unused Names
herndonks Champion Author Baltimore Posts:1,116 Points:211,685 Joined:Dec 2011	Message Posted: Feb 10, 2012 6:38:35 PM Ignore herndonks Report Abuse I recently was using the wayback machine to look at some old versions of the gasbuddy websites. I noticed that in May of 2006 there was a member with the username "dakotajoe" who was on the list of Baltimore point leaders. There is now a member with the same username who joined in January 2011, but has not been active since joining. It is my opinion that a username should not ever be recycled if the original member accumulated more than 35,000 points.
gws2980 Champion Author Philadelphia Posts:2,316 Points:527,090 Joined:Oct 2010	Message Posted: Jan 27, 2012 10:47:13 AM Ignore gws2980 Report Abuse I think that if someone becomes inactive more than six months they should be notified by email that they will be deleted. If they forgot their password there should be a way for them to get it back.
frank0077 Champion Author Calgary Posts:2,079 Points:240,875 Joined:May 2011	Message Posted: May 13, 2011 8:20:40 AM Ignore frank0077 Report Abuse I think if users forget their passwords, this site should have a way of sending the password to the users registered email address first. People will occasionally forget their passwords after a period of non-use.
WoofRU1 Sophomore Author Long Island Posts:156 Points:164,755 Joined:Apr 2011	Message Posted: Apr 13, 2011 9:33:50 AM Ignore WoofRU1 Report Abuse I think the names should be recycled after 2 years, with the following actions- @ 18 months of inactivity, an automatically generated email is sent to the default email used to open the account, request them to post in the next six months, at the end of the six months they have no new posting, they are deleted. I do not believe unused accounts should remain forever, no matter how many points are accumulated. No email service allows dormant accounts to remain forever. Sadly people do expire at some point, so should their inactive accounts.
svtom Rookie Author Indiana Posts:3 Points:9,635 Joined:Feb 2008	Message Posted: Mar 6, 2011 2:03:31 PM Ignore svtom Report Abuse Never 'recycle' user names. As stated above,they are frequently used elsewhere by members and and reusing them will lead to confusion and other problems. Close their accounts or other sanctions.However,if unused for say,one year,then it should go in the trashbin. [Edited by: svtom at 3/6/2011 3:05:55 PM EST]
Lukeduke Champion Author Arkansas Posts:17,240 Points:3,199,725 Joined:Jun 2004	Message Posted: Jan 2, 2011 12:34:23 AM Ignore Lukeduke Report Abuse My thinking is that anyone who just gets to 35000 points or less and not post for 3 years should have their user name "recycled". GasBuddies who have posted for 1,000,000 points or more and have not posted in the past 5 years should be noted as such and maybe moved into a inactive category but not recycled for at least another 5 years.
SundayDriver92 Rookie Author Indiana Posts:8 Points:259,560 Joined:Sep 2007	Message Posted: Jun 27, 2010 4:42:51 AM Ignore SundayDriver92 Report Abuse I'm with bcheap1217; people may have a temporary annual need, may have a temporary relocation off the continent, or get the data through another user in the house. 18 months seems about right to me.
bja0030 Champion Author New Mexico Posts:3,194 Points:535,930 Joined:Jan 2010	Message Posted: Apr 9, 2010 2:24:09 PM Ignore bja0030 Report Abuse SOON AS THEY FORGET THERE PASS WORD
bcheap1217 Rookie Author Tacoma Posts:19 Points:1,080 Joined:Jan 2010	Message Posted: Jan 29, 2010 9:18:32 AM Ignore bcheap1217 Report Abuse i think 2 years. reason being, that some members may be sent to foreign countries where they may not have internet access. for many of these individuals, it may be a year or more before they can log back on.
BobD2009 Champion Author Long Island Posts:7,129 Points:1,267,485 Joined:Apr 2009	Message Posted: Jan 24, 2010 8:50:05 AM Ignore BobD2009 Report Abuse 4-6 Months.
HFAJR0034 Champion Author New Mexico Posts:6,603 Points:1,194,485 Joined:Jul 2009	Message Posted: Jan 15, 2010 10:53:47 AM Ignore HFAJR0034 Report Abuse 6 MONTHS
bja0030 Champion Author New Mexico Posts:3,194 Points:535,930 Joined:Jan 2010	Message Posted: Jan 15, 2010 8:17:36 AM Ignore bja0030 Report Abuse after a year
kegga_99 All-Star Author Maryland Posts:890 Points:269,300 Joined:Sep 2006	Message Posted: Nov 14, 2009 11:48:36 PM Ignore kegga_99 Report Abuse After 1 year of non-use
IamWhoIam Champion Author San Francisco Posts:14,091 Points:1,469,950 Joined:Jan 2007	Message Posted: Nov 14, 2009 11:46:08 PM Ignore IamWhoIam Report Abuse I agree with atater. There are a lot of people who manage to get to the 35,000 level and then just vanish. I also like the in memorium in the Forum for those who have passed on. Perhaps we might consider making it easier to find, or more visible for the use of those who do not know about it. I have noticed a lot of our GBs do no understand basic navigational use of this site but should be learning it. We have a lot of inactive members on the SF site who just sit there and never put in points. We should have a never-never land available for their transfer off the active lists. Oh yes, and if they return then reinstate them just as is done in other areas. However, leaving them on the list when they do not post anymore is counterproductive. [Edited by: IamWhoIam at 11/15/2009 12:47:08 AM EST]
atater Champion Author London Posts:15,998 Points:3,136,975 Joined:May 2004	Message Posted: Nov 14, 2009 5:16:16 PM Ignore atater Report Abuse I would like to make THREE suggestions.-- 1. A user name belongs to the individual who managed to get it, and as such, it should remain. 2. A user who becomes inactive should have his/her "Rank" removed from the "Points Leaders Lists" after a period of inactivity. I would suggest a sliding scale, based on the points level achieved at the last posting of the member. I would also suggest that if, or when, that member recommenced activity, his/her points level should be reincorporated. 3. If a longstanding member dies and GasBuddy is made aware, then his/her achievements should be recognized, if not in the 'Points Leaders', then in a "Remembrance Link". My second point pertains to the number of Buddies who reach the floor of 35,000, or higher, and then move on. In our List, there are 147 members on record. Over the past year, less than 43 are active (meaning two years or less between postings). Most of the rest have left permanently. Like all organizations, web sites, OSes, etc. there comes a time when it is necessary to clean house.
jrsva Champion Author Virginia Posts:9,999 Points:1,639,950 Joined:Jan 2006	Message Posted: Nov 13, 2009 1:41:27 PM Ignore jrsva Report Abuse Look at what the question asks: “...where people registered but NEVER did participate in the website?” [emphasis added] A new member who has never participated will have exactly 100 points. Give them a year to do something, anything, and then recycle the user names if nothing has happened.
Naturenut99 All-Star Author Illinois Posts:985 Points:292,400 Joined:Sep 2009	Message Posted: Nov 9, 2009 9:50:48 PM Ignore Naturenut99 Report Abuse I was going to say after a year or two. but then I scrolled down and read UnfortunateSUV's comment and I think I have to agree with him. or some combination of. How about... wait at least 3 years for those who have not posted since signing up. Giving them a chance to come back to use their username. Then keep those who had above ??? 15,000 ??? points about five years. And for those who have passed on and had above ??? 100,000 ??? points ... "hang their jersey/username" in memoriam. I dont think it could or should be a simple after 1 year you lose your right to the acct you set up.
GT2er Champion Author Toronto Posts:1,421,041 Points:1,389,665 Joined:Jun 2009	Message Posted: Nov 9, 2009 11:06:42 AM Ignore GT2er Report Abuse After 6 months of non-use. I think any registered user should participate more than twice each year. If a username has sentimental value, the member should maintain it.
HFAJR0034 Champion Author New Mexico Posts:6,603 Points:1,194,485 Joined:Jul 2009	Message Posted: Nov 7, 2009 3:37:33 PM Ignore HFAJR0034 Report Abuse I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD CHANGE,I'M HAVING FUN WITH THIS ONE
Tigersplane Rookie Author Texas Posts:2 Points:290 Joined:Jul 2008	Message Posted: Aug 2, 2009 11:13:58 PM Ignore Tigersplane Report Abuse My user name is my username. I consider it very personal. It should not be someone elses. I use it everywhere, so it should never be available for others to use. To close the account or membership for non use is fine, but not to allow the usage of my username except by my return.
MnSwede Champion Author Twin Cities Posts:5,063 Points:824,325 Joined:Oct 2005	Message Posted: Jul 14, 2009 3:59:08 PM Ignore MnSwede Report Abuse After 1 Year
llooll Champion Author Alabama Posts:8,866 Points:858,750 Joined:Jul 2009	Message Posted: Jul 14, 2009 9:53:01 AM Ignore llooll Report Abuse After 6mos of no activity unless they had a lot of activity on the website i.e. posting forums, gas prices...really good contributor and to that I would say 1 year.
gass12 Champion Author Omaha Posts:8,528 Points:2,331,395 Joined:Oct 2005	Message Posted: Mar 21, 2009 3:06:58 AM Ignore gass12 Report Abuse 1 Year is more than fair. People could move to another State and it takes a while to get everything togaether.
UnfortunateSUV Champion Author Ventura Posts:10,387 Points:1,720,920 Joined:Jun 2008	Message Posted: Mar 4, 2009 3:50:04 PM Ignore UnfortunateSUV Report Abuse Never I am a member who tracks and reports statistics on Ventura County activity. It is fun, entertaining, and even competative. MANY people sign up and immediately become "inactive." But many become active again when they remember, or gas prices start changing. Some of our MOST active (post 975 points per day & 1075 on Sunday) did just that. I am opposed to "writing off" anyone who went to the trouble of finding this site to begin with. They really are only hurting those of us who track everyone's activity and not those of you who don't. And one more thing: Please do not dishonor those who founded some of our groups and have now passed on....like JIMBO and his wife CYNCYN1 in Ventura. We hope their name, points & legecy will live forever on GasBuddy.
lidude25 Sophomore Author California Posts:104 Points:780 Joined:Nov 2008	Message Posted: Nov 22, 2008 1:17:57 AM Ignore lidude25 Report Abuse 1 year.
veteranstaxi Rookie Author Massachusetts Posts:34 Points:12,435 Joined:Nov 2008	Message Posted: Nov 20, 2008 9:01:40 AM Ignore veteranstaxi Report Abuse 2 YEARS SHOULD SUFFICE
nilandfred1wa Champion Author Washington Posts:3,911 Points:770,745 Joined:Apr 2008	Message Posted: Nov 18, 2008 5:07:49 AM Ignore nilandfred1wa Report Abuse 1 year
nilandfred1wa Champion Author Washington Posts:3,911 Points:770,745 Joined:Apr 2008	Message Posted: Nov 13, 2008 1:55:49 PM Ignore nilandfred1wa Report Abuse 1 year
Paulfmco Champion Author Washington Posts:1,448 Points:327,740 Joined:Nov 2003	Message Posted: Nov 10, 2008 10:36:36 AM Ignore Paulfmco Report Abuse I'd say 18 mos, but since that's not an option, then 2 yrs.I agree, some members amy be unable to post due to ongoing military or other commitments.
kegga_99 All-Star Author Maryland Posts:890 Points:269,300 Joined:Sep 2006	Message Posted: Nov 8, 2008 10:03:00 PM Ignore kegga_99 Report Abuse After 1 year of non-use
bwatchin Champion Author Texas Posts:6,321 Points:502,130 Joined:May 2007	Message Posted: Nov 8, 2008 8:51:35 PM Ignore bwatchin Report Abuse Ya know I voted for 1 year. But now I think I was in error. Some of the Gas Buddies are active or reserve military and can't post for a year or more when they are on overseas duty. In fact there are several who are in that status now. Maybe those folks need to have a special allowance for those times.
Harley Dave Rookie Author Jacksonville Posts:82 Points:404,505 Joined:Dec 2002	Message Posted: Nov 5, 2008 1:16:44 PM Ignore Harley Dave Report Abuse After 6 months of non-use
SadCubsFan Sophomore Author Indianapolis Posts:172 Points:37,850 Joined:Oct 2008	Message Posted: Oct 30, 2008 9:20:48 AM Ignore SadCubsFan Report Abuse This is for people who signed up but never did anything, I think six months is actually too long. I feel bad for the next generation who will only have extremely long online names available with many numbers in them, since all the short ones will be gone!
clutchcargo Sophomore Author North Carolina Posts:237 Points:581,740 Joined:Feb 2006	Message Posted: Oct 5, 2008 4:28:22 PM Ignore clutchcargo Report Abuse six months is fair...
Maranatha! Champion Author Ohio Posts:22,730 Points:3,375,455 Joined:Nov 2003	Message Posted: Aug 4, 2008 11:40:01 PM Ignore Maranatha! Report Abuse Consideration should be made for those in the military who are assigned to a duty station where they can't enter prices! Sure, they could utilize the forum, vote in the weekly polls and read the 'biased' daily news articles! However, most active members, I would presume are more interested in posting prices! Likewise, those with extenuating circumstances, sickness...with the opportunity to appeal or get a 'time-out' approved...and renewed every 'two or more months'...to keep a moniker 'active' should be considered, too!
MsDrPepper Rookie Author Wichita Posts:49 Points:57,700 Joined:May 2005	Message Posted: Jul 31, 2008 2:08:37 PM Ignore MsDrPepper Report Abuse errrrks I'm one of the guilty ones... signed up and was on like crazy for a good while...and life got busy and I never posted for some reason or another, computer problems etc. And so, after what, a year since this topic came on line, I'm reading this and thinking oh my! I would have been thrown off 6 months ago or be thrown off right about now - here it is July 31, 2008 and I'm back today, at least... I guess when prices fell a little lower it didn't seem to be as intensive, but now prices are back up and so the interest is greater. I realize a lot of people like DrPepper so would love to get my screen name for themselves or a variation of it (mzDrPepper, missDrPepper, and I already have similar versions for the other email accounts like yahoo and hotmail which I have but not used on this website.)....so I can see why some nicknames for popular cultural icons would be popular for screen names. I also agree that for some of us, at least, the user name here is connected to the email address so those types of names might be good to wait at least 2 years?? If the email connected to it is good and dead for six months or more then maybe it is fair game. Kinda hard to know when a person has actually died - many times a death, especially not expected, the survivors have no way of knowing the passwords etc. I had a friend who committed suicide and his mom and sister did not have any kind of a clue what password he used on his yahoo account so they had Yahoo close it some other way. Now another way of looking at this question is noticing the second part of the question ..."registered but never did participate..." . I'm a little ambivalent there as well because, if I recall correctly, I signed up quite a while ago under a different email and then forgot password and wasn't on for a year or more because I couldn't remember the password enough to reconstruct the account. Eventually I remembered or somehow got my old password, and then got on and was able to update the email address (which had long since closed and been changed to two or three other emails by the time I got to this present email), and then once I was on again, I changed to a password I could remember - and was on long enough to reach my "first car icon". So ... eh... I can't tell you the right answer. Is there a way to "delete" (from your own view of this website) certain user names where it bugs you to see their name knowing that they've "never participated"? (kind of like the "block user" feature you see on instant message chat kind of deals??)??Just a thought. Sorry I rattle on too much. MsDrPepper
Tigersplane Rookie Author Texas Posts:2 Points:290 Joined:Jul 2008	Message Posted: Jul 30, 2008 10:11:41 AM Ignore Tigersplane Report Abuse For what it is worth: A person who chooses a name to use on this site may consider this a very personal name. I do. I would not want others beginning to use my name. I am the only one who could explain why it was chosen and it should not become some other person's name to confuse issues. If I did not use the site as anticipated, I wouldn't have a problem with eventually being eliminated as a member, but don't feel that my name should then be allowed to be used by another. As far as the time that would be involved, I think 2 years would be fair. There are many of us who do not live on their computer for reasons of real time work, children, schedules, etc. I have come back to sites within a year to two years and began using again when it was feasible in time for me to do so.
MetroSexual Champion Author New Hampshire Posts:3,004 Points:316,380 Joined:Aug 2005	Message Posted: Jul 9, 2008 8:17:40 PM Ignore MetroSexual Report Abuse I don't believe the names should be recycled. When you Google a name and specify the site, all the posts, including the archived copies, appear. I had a lapse of 18 months without any entries but was able to find my posts by doing the aforementioned Google search. Google rarely "forgets," and unless you cleared all the posts belonging to a user, those posts could lead to confusion.