For heavens sake, all I want to do is delete my account!

Providing a facility to delete an account; it seems such a simple thing to for a web service to implement doesn’t it? The Internet is not the Wild West any more. So why is it that in 2006 this simple capability is still such a challenge for the user on many sites? It’s possible to understand and forgive this with a simple ‘Web 2.0′ service whose designers are testing a new concept and have built the site on a shoe string, but with services that have seriously backed by VCs this is just plain weird.

Is it because the whole ethos of these services was focused on building a community and adding relationships rather than worrying about how one of their users could delete their footprint and personal information from the site easily? Probably.

I’ve been user sof several business networking services and address book synchronisation services since their very early days. I’m a great fan as they enable me to maintain contact with my hard-earned business colleagues even when they change jobs on a disarmingly regular basis. A business network, like a social network, also allows me to ‘link’ to key colleagues.

What do you have to do to delete an account on an example business network service? You won’t find a delete account link on the site and you need to delve into the Customer Service / FaQ section where you find the following buried advice:

Yes, you have to contact Customer Services to delete your account! I’m not sure how you provide proof of who you are? Why can’t you do this on-line?

Personal relationships change as well don’t they? This leads to the occasional necessity of deleting a community link. This capability is hidden well away at the side of the community list. You would never find it if you needed it. Even after following the guidance in the help section it is very hard to spot.

Why is this link not placed prominently at the top of the page in plain view? Also, why do you have to go to a separate page to delete a link? Why aren’t the delete tick boxes not on the same page as the list of contacts?

Also with an address book synchronisation service, yet again you have to search the Help section to find out that you have to contact customer services to delete your account.

When you click the link, it explains that you need to delete the application on your PC but it does not mention how to delete your uploaded contact directories on their server!

Of course, some do it right! In the Account Profile of a leading social network service is a clear link (albeit small) that enables you to cancel your, or your child’s, account.

Clicking this button leads to a clear delete account form. This is excellent!

With trymehere, we have made the ability to delete your profile and community links as easy as possible. To this end we have placed a prominent Delete profile button slap bang in the middle of the home page of the service site.

If you do decide to stop using the service, you just press the button, type Yes and all your personal information and your community links are gone! We couldn’t make it easier.

On the home page of the service site, there is a tab called Manage Members which you can select and immediately delete an individual Member Community link if you wish.

 

Of course, we hope you would never need to use the delete profile capability, but if you ever decide to do so, you can do it easily without having to search to find out how to do it. Not wanting you to use the feature, is not a good reason for not providing the capability.

Chris