It depends on the board software and the rights the admin/mod has been granted. For example, I can't delete accounts, but I can ban them so no one can log onto them again. On another board, I can ban their IP address as well, so they can't set up a new account without changing their IP address.I have a question about that. Can an administrator nullify an account without banning the ISP of the computer.
If a user has already posted, deleting his/her account has to include removing those posts since the ID won't exist anymore. That's why most software packages ban the user if they request that their ID be removed.
I've found that a PM works for new users, but if the person's really gone to the deep end of the psycho pool, that backfires on you. They'll casually mention online that you've been harrassing them via PM, lol. I usually send a generic "Welcome to ()" message that includes a "enjoy the ride" statement or two, so that the person doesn't feel that they're being disciplined.Does anyone here know how to send a subtle, "enjoy but don't take it overly serious " message?
Rather than playing disciplinarian, I've found that it's better to distract the members. When someone posts something that could lead to a battle, I just quote a prior post in the thread and add a comment that I hope will take the thread back on topic. Or, "bump" several other threads so that the one in question drops to the bottom of the forum/new posts lists.
If all else fails, I post a comment about thread drift or "no personal attacks" in my moderator voice using font/color/options.
It's also good to have a separate ID for admin/mod duties vs. your personal opinion ID. That same user I discussed above would often make comments about not being free to express herself because I was a mod. Everytime I post on that board, my user title reflects that status and if I didn't agree with anyone or if I had to tell people to chill out, someone in her circle would make a comment about their freedom of speech rights being violated.