Wikipedia:Courtesy vanishing

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Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

The usual way to leave Wikipedia is simply to stop editing and abandon the account. However, a courtesy vanishing may be implemented if a user in good standing decides not to return and wishes to make their contributions less easily traceable or to remove their association with their edits. If there is no administrative need to retain the information, a departing user may request the deletion of a wide range of their

user talk pages
are usually not deleted.

Courtesy vanishing is discretionary and may be refused. It is not intended as a temporary measure, nor as a way to

avoid sanctions. "Vanishing" differs from a clean start and does not guarantee anonymity. Pages deleted as part of vanishing may be restored following community discussion
. If the user returns, the vanishing will likely be fully reversed, the old and new accounts will be linked, and any prior sanctions or restrictions reinstated.

Because all contributions are licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 License and GFDL, every edit must be attributed to a user. Consequently, it is not possible to delete an account.

Vanishing from Wikipedia

Vanishing typically involves the following:

What vanishing is not

WP:VANISHNOT

How to request a courtesy vanishing

Before proceeding, consider whether a simple

would be more appropriate than vanishing. Vanishing is a last resort, intended only for those who wish to stop editing permanently and minimize their visible past associations.

If deciding to vanish, it may be helpful to blank or request deletion of user pages and subpages. To request deletion of existing pages, add the {{

Db-userreq}} tag at the top of each page to be deleted. An administrator will then delete the page. Do not create a page solely for the purpose of requesting its deletion. Another option is to replace the user page with the {{Retired
}} template. Note that user talk pages are generally not deleted, except in rare cases (see below).

To initiate courtesy vanishing:

  • The preferred method is to use Special:GlobalVanishRequest to access the vanish request interface. Requests submitted here are handled by global renamers or stewards.
  • If your request is particularly sensitive, contact the global renamers via e-mail, using "Request for courtesy vanishing" as the subject. The contact interface is available at
    VRT
    system, accessible only to current renamers, stewards, and Wikimedia Foundation staff.
  • Although a
    public request page
    exists for name changes, using it is not recommended, as it creates a public record of your vanishing request that cannot be hidden.

For questions about vanishing or to explore less permanent solutions, consider contacting a

Arbitration Committee
for advice.

Finally, take these steps before completing the vanishing process:

Deletion of user talk pages

WP:CVUT

While

Arbitration Committee. Otherwise, deletion requests for user talk pages should go through Miscellany for Deletion (MfD). Any deletion may be challenged and reversed at deletion review
. User talk pages must not be moved to user subpages as a means to facilitate their deletion.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Old signatures embedded in past posts cannot be changed due to technical limitations of the MediaWiki software, although in some cases collapsing or blanking is possible.