UBB.threads PHP Forum Software Community Forums Resources and Customizing How Do I? "Hide" a member rather than delete?

Hi fellas, long time no see!

TL;DR Is there a way to disable/hide a member and all his posts/replies/etc as an alternative to deleting the member and all his data?

I got a request from someone who claims his roommate used his email address to sign up on my forums -- that was 2 years and 930 posts ago. The roommate moved out, on bad terms, and the guy wants his roommate's account deleted because he doesn't know what may've been said in any of the posts. And he doesn't want to be associated with a Mafia-themed forum.

I usually don't like to delete members and all their data because you can't refer back to it (right?). I will if I have to, but I'm wondering if any of you guys have alternative ideas to simply hide the account altogether (from other members, search index, spiders, etc)...

Thanks!

JG

On UBBT 7.7.5 you can ban the member. the user profile will only be visible moderators with access, and admins.
You can also use Control Panel > Manage Threads to move all of their topics and/or replies to a forum of your choice, and leave a marker in place that the post was moved. Only members with access to the destination will be able to view its content.

To add to isaac's post.

You could do what UBB and I and several others do.
Create a forum with access to only admins and trusted mods.
use as a temp delete forum repository.
So say you would ban him and then move all the posts to that forum

I use it for deleting posts in case I get over zealous and make a mistake, then I can just move it back.

Then once in a while I purge old posts from it.

Thanks, guys! I like the idea of the hidden forum for now, will give it a shot...

Okay, there are over 900 posts... is there a SQL command or another backend way I could use to move them all at once?

You can move entire threads started by a user by using the Manage Threads tool in the Control Panel (CP -> Content -> Manage Threads); there is not a tool to move just posts.

Argh, okay, thanks Giz.... I guess I'll just have to delete the account altogether. Most of the 900+ posts are replies to threads not started by the person, and it's just not worth my time to move them one by one. So there's no SQL command that'll do it?