Deactivating and Reactivating Your Account
/Q: How can I deactivate my account temporarily?
A: Start by going to the "Account" tab on hOurworld and clicking on "Edit Profile." There, you will see a box that says "Inactive until ______." Fill in the date, and your account will be reactivated on that date without further action.
If you don’t know when you will be able to reactivate, leave the date blank, and click on the "YES" next to the question "Active Member?" This turns the green "YES" to a red "NO." Please remember, you must come back to your profile page to click on the NO in order to turn it back to a YES, indicating that you are an Active Member again. You don't want to remain deactivated without realizing it!
Q: When and why would I deactivate my account?
A: Consider deactivating your account when you will be unavailable to respond, within two days, to other members who write to you through hOurworld. (Maybe you're traveling or you've gotten extra-busy. Or maybe you just need a break from reading and typing.) In most cases, though, you may be able to reply to a member's query, even with a quick note to say you won't be available to do exchanges for a bit. If you won’t be able to reply at all, deactivation is a better choice.
When your account is made inactive, your presence on hOurworld is no longer visible to other members. They will not be able to see your offers, requests, bio, pic, etc. They will not be able to access the link to send you email; therefore, you are relieved of your obligation to respond promptly. (Exception: If other members already have your email address from previous exchanges, they may still write to you directly but not through the hOurworld system.)
Though your deactivated account is invisible to other members, it hasn't disappeared. You can still access it, and you can reactivate it whenever you wish. You will not lose your earned hours. You will not have to repost your photo or rewrite your offers, requests, and bio.
Q: Can I delete my account completely?
A: No. A timebank administrator can -- but only if you have not done exchanges with other members. Deleting your account entirely would remove a record of the hours you've earned and spent, which would create a problem for your exchange partners' accounts. Instead of deletion, an admin would deactivate your account and also remove your name, email address, offers, and all other information connecting that account to you. (The other members whose bikes you fixed will only see you as "Deleted Member" in their accounts.)
Deletion requests most often happen when members move away. If you are planning a move, we recommend that you check to see if there is a timebank near your new home. Your timebank Mentor can help with that, and, in some instances, we may be able to help you get any remaining hours in your account transferred to your new timebank.
Please also reach out to your Mentor for help with de- or re-activation. If you haven't been in touch with your Mentor in more than a year or don't remember who it is, please write to US.