I agree that this would be nice and a lot of people probably assumed it was already an option because a lot of popular forum sites today do offer that option for the user.
OM made some good points but I think there are other reasons than a “tantrum” that causes someone to want to delete a post/account (although I’m not saying this doesnt happen)
But at the end of the day, when you join a forum you should know the rules/site options. That way you know how careful you need to be when using said site. If you are concerned with a post you wrote, you should flag it for Mod attention with reasoning for why.
I think it would be reasonable if there was an option that just deleted the username associated with the account but leave all posts and threads by that account. That way no “insights” or convos are lost. Similar to how reddit has lots of posts by [Deleted], but still show what was originally posted.
This is just an idea and I hope no one bites my head off for making this suggestion, I just thought I would throw it in because it seems like an okay option for a forum site to have; and one that many sites do have. Just my opinion.
To finish, I think Sammy and Uial and the other mods do a pretty great job and are very reasonable people to work with if you have an issue with a specific post you made. But like OM said, it is usually best to assume that what you wrote will potentially last for ever. Its just like speaking in a conversation, you cant take back what you said even if you regret it.