Who is the unknown/deleted user?

Yeah, this maybe doesn’t merit its own thread, but what’s the deal with the topic cited above?

It’s like something out of Butch C/Sundance K. What is this unknown/deleted user? I don’t mind getting random “likes,” but I’d rather know who or what is giving them, especially as I get to know more of the people around here, who are almost 100% pretty chill people.

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Uh… I don’t get it. What are you talking about?

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Well, I don’t know! Just often I’ll get a “like” and I click on the heart thingie and it’s “Unknown/deleted user” with a blank avatar.

If it were a spammer/troll/dupe account, that’d be one thing.

But, I just don’t know.

Not a big deal, just curious is all.

And, BTW, still two thumbs up to you for being a chemistry ace!

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Since I don’t know I’m free to speculate wildly. So I’m going to say it’s either Gary Busey or Dr. Steiner from The Projected Man.

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Wow. You have an anonymous fan! Don’t you feel so special? As long as it’s not Kathy Bates, that is.

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Could it be the act itself of liking one of your posts causes such inner turmoil and ennui that anyone having done so must immediately divest themselves of all online interactions and seek professional help? :upside_down_face:

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She’s not so bad. I always keep the ceramics in the correct location. Haven’t been hobbled yet, so I guess I’m not a dirty birdie.

It could be. But is it?

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I’ve not noticed this phenomenon, but I would guess that it’s literally what it says, a Like from an account that is no longer registered in the system. There are a few ways these kinds of “orphan” data records can be created, and it depends on the system architecture as to what would lead to this happening.

If you expand the Like list under a post and hover the mouse pointer over the deleted user icon, what is the resulting link? For example, the link on my icon is https://forums.mst3k.com/u/sandyfrank. Does the one for the deleted user still show a username as part of the string?

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Users can choose to hide presence/status. Might be tied to that. Something to respect, then.

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Here’s an example: no, no information I can gather. I don’t really claim to be an expert at Discourse, but I’m familiar with markdown and such.

[Show us your most recent mundane, stupid, non-MST3K accomplishment - #170 by jimmy_two_times]

I did not know that: actually, that’s a really valid, important feature, and AFAIC, that’s the most likely solution. I prefer everything out in the open, but obviously, I can respect others’ wishes.

It was just making my head all crazy, like Charlie Day and ess! Or Butch Cassidy and such, “they still following us?”

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Hurm, I suspect @Derek is correct and it’s probably a private/hidden/blocked/muted account setting thing. Still, the mystery user gave you a Like, so it’s probably not personal! I can see where some folks would want to fly in lurker mode for one reason or another.

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Yeah, I think that’s 100% the thing. I get a little “mute/block” users trigger happy, as well as on the phone and on gmail accounts, so that’s the likely explanation.

What did Gordon Ramsey used to always say on that TV show? “Shut it down!”

Obviously I’m not going to say who’s on my “mute” channel, because gawd knows I’m sure I’m on many others’ lists.

Just so long as it isn’t “Carrie” from work effing with me, or this other chippy from meatspace who still hasn’t given me my hat back yet.

It’s not easy finding hats for large heads! It’s harder than finding good head!

OK, that was a bit over PG-13, but Joel said worse!

AFAIC, mystery solved.

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Let’s be sure. Everyone turn on their privacy setting and give me a bunch of likes and I’ll tell you what I see.

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Real cute.

All right, fine.

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[cues up Tom Poirot’s Merrit Stone speech]

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Actually, that was these guys.

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I saw your username on the like that just popped up. It was the same as normal. Which suggests that your experience was not of that variety.

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I got you that giant crate of Likes for your last birthday and you never wear any of them when we go out!!

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Popped like Kiefer Sutherland in that disaster of a movie one calls Dark City?

I knew it!

Woman, please! I’d never taken no none of crates of likes!

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It’s too late to backpedal now!! [shakes fist]

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