Deactivate data instead of deleting it

[Michael]

I posted about this on my blog a little while ago and it was suggested that I suggest this here as well:

http://www.invisionmodding.com/index.php?a...p;showentry=113

Basically, what I'd like to see is that IPS considers the ability for data in the database to be 'deactivated' instead of deleted. This would cover all kinds of data, such as members, posts, topics, forums, personal messages, etc. The reason I suggest this is that outright deletion of data is bad for the relational database concept of referential integrity.

This is especially bad in the case of members. Consider what happens when you delete an existing member from your database. Uploaded avatars and personal photos get deleted. Topics and posts they made convert to being made by a guest poster. Profile comments, ratings, friends, custom profile fields, personal messages, etc., all get deleted. Right now, in the context of IPB, this is fine. But if they ever add something later where a new database table has member ID data associated with it, this section of code would need updated to clear that out too. And nothing related to any modifications would ever be touched by this routine unless the mod edits this code to do this when the member gets deleted. And what happens if later you need to retrieve this data, such as an extreme case of a legal issue.

Instead of deleting the member, it would be better if the member were just deactivated. Deactivated members wouldn't show in the member list, their posts could either just not show or still show as a guest poster. Their data would still be in the database, and any tables that use the id column in ibf_members would now not have the risk of losing the foriegn key.

It's a big change from the way IPB currently works, so I don't honestly expect this to ever be implemented, but after having worked with a system that does this I can see the huge benefits it brings, it is completely worth it IMO.

[medic583]

Awww... k... that would come in soo handy. I had one of my members ask me to delete him from our forums (it was a welcome request)... and doing so... wow... everything went except the "guest*......" posts that remained.

Because the member continues to log in from different areas all the time (I.P. changes in each location)... it would be nice to refer back to his previous stuff now that he's back under a new name and e-mail addy so we have the information for a later date if issue reoccur.

[TrixieTang]

+1

(Especially for posts, something like vB's "Soft Delete" would be extremely nice to have.)

[Morrigan]

I like the idea but I would also like to still be able to fully delete information as saving everything would eventually get a really bogged down, bloated database.

This would help in getting rid of posts from deleted users though.

[Michael]

The way I've been coding my new mod, I still give the option to delete data, but it gives a javascript warning telling you that the deletion is permanent and that you should consider deactivating it, a similar technique could be used in IPB.