How to get removed from KBoards?

[Lysmata Debelius]

I really don't want to go back to that monster thread in Kboards about the VS TOC, but I don't know where else to find the information to get my account removed from there. There was an email address we needed to use? And what is the latest on what we actually have to request from them, to get removed?

[TimothyEllis]

From David Gaughran, on Facebook:

Send to:  privacy@verticalscope.com

David Gaughran EU peeps: here is a template you can use if you wish to exercise your rights under GDPR and have your Kboards account terminated and all your personal data wiped. Note that they have the right to anonymize your data instead, but that is a very laborious process if done correctly when it comes to a forum, meaning they would have to go through each of your posts and excise and potentially identifying information. It's highly likely that mass deletion - which we want anyway - will be much easier for them. Particuarly if they get lots of GDPR erasure requests, I guess.

To Whom It May Concern:

As an EU citizen, I am hereby exercising my rights under General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 ("GDPR") and requesting immediate erasure of personal data concerning me, according to Article 15 of GDPR. You have 30 days to comply with this request under the terms of GDPR.

Please inform me immediately the identity and contact details of the Data Controller appointed by your organization to handle issues pertaining to GDPR. Please immediately erase all personal data concerning me as defined by Article 4(1) of GDPR. Please also erase and personal data concerning me held on back-up systems.

I am of the opinion that the requirements set forth in Article 17(1) of GDPR are fulfilled.

If I have previously given consent to the processing of my personal data (e.g. according to Article 6(1) or Article 9(2) of GDPR), I am hereby withdrawing said consent. In addition, I am objecting to the processing of personal data concerning me (which includes profiling), according to Article 21 of GDPR.

In case you have disclosed the affected personal data to third parties, you have to communicate my request for erasure of the affected personal data, as well as any references to it, to each recipient as laid down in Article 19 of GDPR. Please also inform me about those recipients.

If you object to the requested erasure, you have to justify that to me.

My request explicitly includes any other services and companies for which you are the controller as defined by Article 4(7) of GDPR.

As laid down in Article 12(3) of GDPR, you have to confirm the erasure to me without undue delay and in any event within one month of receipt of the request.

I am including the following information necessary to identify me:
Name: [INSERT]
Kboards.com Forum name: [INSERT]
Date of Birth: [INSERT]
Address: [INSERT]

If you require documentary proof of my identity etc., please reply immediately with that request.

If you do not answer my requests above within the stated period, I am reserving the right to take legal action against you and to lodge a complaint with the responsible supervisory authorities.

Yours sincerely,

[INSERT]

[Lysmata Debelius]

Thanks, Tim.
But obviously, if you're not an EU citizen (I'm not!) then that would have to be amended.
I must say I feel resistant to sharing all that personal information with them.

[WasAnn]

Thanks, Tim.
But obviously, if you're not an EU citizen (I'm not!) then that would have to be amended.
I must say I feel resistant to sharing all that personal information with them.

That's something I think a lot of folks feel iffy about, particularly given their loose holding of data. Right now, the only real way to get data off the site is to erase posts one by one. If you have loads, then you can focus on the stuff that has more info and move down in importance from there.

[TimothyEllis]

I'm leaving mine there, but removing key information.

I changed my username displayed, and edited out most of my profile, leaving a warning that anything on my posts more than 6 months old is out of date and use at own risk.

This forum link is still there, but coming off now. KB is almost dead now. Time to close it out.

[guest390]

While I haven't posted on Kboards since 2015, I removed all relevant material long ago (covers, links etc.). For the most part I wouldn't worry too much unless they actually infringe on your rights. Remove all information that you can, but even if there is a way to have them delete your account entirely, they can slow walk it. While I'm not a lawyer, I would be willing to bet there is a way they can hold on to your data. There's likely a legal loophole somewhere. If not, they know they can simply out lawyer most people, burying them in legal fees. For most indies, it's simply not worth it. That's not meant as an insult. I couldn't do a damn thing about it on my own either. I'd need to bring Audible, Podium or Tor in to help me. I'd run out of money a long time before they did.
You see, these companies are shrewd. They're aware of the upheaval they're likely to cause. But they simply don't care. And for good reason. They know that in time the dust will settle and most people will continue doing what they always do - what's comfortable. Even losing a goodly portion of Kboards users is only a temporary hiccup. More will come. Others will stay away for a time then return. In the end, they know that they'll win. In fact, given that the Hugh Howey's and Michael J. Sullivan's of the world posted in the early days of indie, and have not deleted their accounts (likely because they're unaware of the issue) they've scored big out of the gate.

[TimothyEllis]

Bit of a ghost town at the moment.


Oh, and you can ask the mods to delete specific threads. My book bazaar thread just went foof!

[Lysmata Debelius]

I have more than 2000 posts. I have overwritten everything until 2016 or thereabouts. Might just remove the rest of my book description and cover tests, and call it a day.

[TimothyEllis]

If you started a thread, you can ask for its deletion. The mods will most likely do it.

[LilyBLily]

I've changed the titles of the few recent (2018) threads I started, and I removed the content and left a new note saying so.

It's laborious to remove individual posts on other threads. Who knew I had some much advice to give? I spent a lot of thought and time on them, and they belong to me, not to VS, so I'll continue until they lock the threads from deletion. Which I seriously doubt will happen this weekend.

I wonder. Does VS earn money just because I visit the site to remove my posts? I have Adblock Plus running, so I see no ads. And surely it costs VS when I keep searching for pages on which I have comments?

[Post-Crisis D]

There are two issues here and I think requesting deletion of your account only addresses one of them.

First issue is the matter of our personal data: name, eMail, whatever else.

Second is our copyrighted material: posts, images, etc.

From what I've gathered, requesting your account be deleted only results in them scrubbing your personal data, leaving your content still on there under a generic username that doesn't identify you.

I think what most of us want is our personal data and all content scrubbed from the site which was possible under the terms of use we signed up under, unless you're a new user who signed up subsequent to the sale of the site.

[Post-Crisis D]

If you started a thread, you can ask for its deletion. The mods will most likely do it.

I thought the mods had been given orders not to delete stuff anymore?

[Tulonsae]

If you started a thread, you can ask for its deletion. The mods will most likely do it.

What's the best way to ask? Use the report function? Or send them pms?

[guest120]

I went through and deleted all of my posts only to be informed after the fact that all of those posts wound up in the forum's version of a recycling bin, so...they're not gone...no one's deleted posts are gone. VS could revive everything that I'd posted at their whim, anyone else too.

I've changed my forum name to something anonymous and removed my books from my sig, but I'm not pleased that deleting posts doesn't actually delete them from VS's control. I know the internet is forever, but I was hoping - I guess naively - that deleting all of my posts would have somehow removed VS's ability to ever make use of them. No such luck.

Your best bet is to manually modify all of your posts to something that says pretty much nothing and then click 'save' so it stays that way on their servers since it doesn't appear they're allowing anyone to delete anything.

[MelanieMRodriguez]

I scrubbed everything that was related to my books, and I kept using the same copy and paste statement about my rights over my content. Google hates copied stuff over and over. Hopefully it takes them down a notch. After you remove anything of value, just log out and call it quits forever.

I went through and deleted all of my posts only to be informed after the fact that all of those posts wound up in the forum's version of a recycling bin, so...they're not gone...no one's deleted posts are gone. VS could revive everything that I'd posted at their whim, anyone else too.

I've changed my forum name to something anonymous and removed my books from my sig, but I'm not pleased that deleting posts doesn't actually delete them from VS's control. I know the internet is forever, but I was hoping - I guess naively - that deleting all of my posts would have somehow removed VS's ability to ever make use of them. No such luck.

Your best bet is to manually modify all of your posts to something that says pretty much nothing and then click 'save' so it stays that way on their servers since it doesn't appear they're allowing anyone to delete anything.

Yes modify, don't delete. Just put the same thing. The more google sees it, the more it gets mad at a site.

[okey dokey]

From out of left field:


Why can't we start flooding Google with complaints about having problems leaving the site.

Flood the new owners with copyright takedown notices?

If your states has any laws on this area (some do) find out which agency to complain to.

Notify the advertisers that you and your friends are leaving and why.

Post nasty Yelp reviews about how the site has gone down the toilet.

We are supposed to be creative people. Make irritating moves.

[Becca Mills]

Dan's correct that the KB moderators were instructed to stop deleting accounts. The tools for account deletion and mass deletion of posts and threads have since been stripped from the software for us.

It's worth noting the material we deleted (back when we could) was not removed from the VerticalScope servers. It landed in the "Recycle Bin" (a no-public-access subforum). The same goes for posts deleted by regular members. Those with moderation privileges in the Bin used to be able to delete threads and posts from it one at a time, but that ability has been stripped as well.

The email address Tim posted -- privacy@verticalscope.com -- is the one you need to use to attempt to get material taken off the site in a real way. Those still using the site can also PM Philip, the VerticalScope guy, at the vsAdmin account. What we've been told is that there is an apparently GDPR-compliant process in place, and that it can take up to 30 days.

[Tulonsae]

Dan's correct that the KB moderators were instructed to stop deleting accounts. The tools for account deletion and mass deletion of posts and threads have since been stripped from the software for us.

It's worth noting the material we deleted (back when we could) was not removed from the VerticalScope servers. It landed in the "Recycle Bin" (a no-public-access subforum). The same goes for posts deleted by regular members. Those with moderation privileges in the Bin used to be able to delete threads and posts from it one at a time, but that ability has been stripped as well.

The email address Tim posted -- privacy@verticalscope.com -- is the one you need to use to attempt to get material taken off the site in a real way. Those still using the site can also PM Philip, the VerticalScope guy, at the vsAdmin account. What we've been told is that there is an apparently GDPR-compliant process in place, and that it can take up to 30 days.

Thanks for that information. I find it interesting that they're ignoring the fact that under Canadian law, they also have to honor requests to delete personal data. I don't think it's as comprehensive as the GDPR. I found the text that talks about it pretty quickly. And it looked like what we've been talking about. (Of course, I don't remember where I posted that now...)