JustDeleteMe Account Deletion Directory and Local Jekyll Setup

The Account Removal Problem Addressed by JustDeleteMe

JustDeleteMe addresses a practical problem: finding the correct page for deleting an account from a web service. Instead of presenting itself as account management software, the repository is a directory of direct links. Its primary language is HTML, while the repository layout shows that the site is built from Jekyll data, layouts, includes, pages, assets, and configuration files. This makes the project relevant to readers who know which service account they want to remove and need its account deletion entry point.

The audience also includes contributors who maintain the directory or translate it. The repository includes `CONTRIBUTING.md` and `TRANSLATION_REFERENCE.md`, so account links are not presented as an isolated HTML file. They are part of a site structure with explicit contribution and translation guidance. The public homepage is `https://justdeleteme.xyz`.

The repository describes itself as a detached fork of `justdeleteme/justdelete.me`. Its stated purpose is to keep the project alive because the original repository was abandoned. That distinction matters for anyone evaluating the source: this is not presented as a new account deletion service, but as continued work on the same kind of public directory under a different repository organization.

Jekyll Data, Layouts, and Pages Behind the Directory

The repository uses Jekyll as its site generator. Its top-level `_data/` directory is consistent with Jekyll's data-driven model, while `_includes/` and `_layouts/` provide reusable presentation components and `_pages/` contains site pages. The README does not show the format of individual service records or explain how a stored link becomes a rendered page, so those details cannot be confirmed here.

The README states that the project is linted and validated through a mixture of Ruby and Node.js packages and scripts. That means the repository is more than static content pasted into one HTML file. However, the README does not enumerate the validation rules or explain whether remote links are checked. The `Gemfile` and `Gemfile.lock` indicate Ruby dependency management through Bundler, while the documented Node.js dependency indicates that part of the validation or build process runs outside Ruby.

Search functionality is also identified as modified from `DevCenter.me`, under the MIT License, with copyright attributed to Steve Streza in 2013. The README does not explain the search algorithm or its client-side behavior. It does, however, establish that the project has a search-related component whose provenance is explicitly recorded.

Cloning jdm and Installing Its Documented Dependencies

A local setup starts by cloning the repository. The README gives the following command:

git clone https://github.com/jdm-contrib/jdm.git

After the clone completes, move into the `jdm` directory and install Bundler and the bundled Ruby dependencies. These are the exact installation commands documented by the project.

cd jdm
gem install bundler
bundle install

The stated Ruby requirement is version 2.7.2 or later, and Node.js is also required. The README does not provide a minimum Node.js version or a separate command for installing Node.js packages. It says the site is validated with Ruby and Node.js packages, but it does not identify the package installation command for the Node.js side. An engineer following the available instructions can install the documented Ruby dependencies, but may need to inspect `Gemfile`, any `package.json` files in the repository, and the CI configuration to determine additional setup.

The default branch is `master`. This matters when cloning or preparing a deployment because automation should target the documented branch rather than assume `main`.

Running the Jekyll Site and the cibuild Checks

The README's build instruction is short: run `jekyll serve`. This uses the command exactly as documented, without adding flags that the project does not specify.

jekyll serve

A successful invocation should start the local Jekyll site server. The README does not print or specify the resulting address or port, so this article does not assign either one. Open the address reported by Jekyll, then inspect the account deletion entries and navigation rendered by the site. That is the first useful local check because it exercises the configuration, layouts, data, pages, and assets as one site rather than reviewing only the HTML source.

The repository also defines a validation entry point named `cibuild`:

./script/cibuild

The README says tests are run through this script. It does not describe the individual checks or expected output, so a contributor should treat a zero exit status as the observable project-level result rather than assume undocumented test names. For code changes, running both the local site command and `./script/cibuild` provides separate checks for rendering and repository validation.

Limits of a Link Directory and the Fork Transition

JustDeleteMe does not document automatic account deletion. Its stated mechanism is a directory of direct links to deletion pages on web services. A user may still need to authenticate, locate the correct settings area, confirm the request, or handle service-specific retention requirements after following a link. The README does not document the behavior of any individual service, so it does not support claims that those steps are always available or completed automatically.

The directory also cannot prevent external pages from changing after an entry is added. The README does not document link checking, retry behavior, a freshness policy for service entries, or a rollback process. A stale deletion URL would directly affect the directory's purpose, but the README does not say how such failures are detected. This is a real limitation for operators and contributors evaluating whether the directory can be relied on for time-sensitive support requests.

There are no GitHub releases, so upgrades are not presented through a documented release-artifact channel. The last push was on 2026-10-14, but the README provides no compatibility policy or upgrade notes for changes to the Jekyll toolchain, service links, translations, or validation rules. Upgrade cost must therefore be assessed from dependency and site changes rather than from versioned release notes.

License Boundaries for Reuse and Forking

The repository is licensed under the MIT License. The README separately identifies Font Awesome as the source of the language icon, released under `CC-BY 4.0`, and notes minor alignment changes made for display size. It also identifies the modified search functionality as coming from `DevCenter.me` under the MIT License, with copyright attributed to Steve Streza.

These notices matter when a deployment copies the site or its visual assets. The repository's MIT status covers the project under its stated terms, while the README records a separate license for the Font Awesome icon. This is not legal advice, and the MIT and CC-BY 4.0 notices should remain intact when applicable. The attribution record is especially relevant to the search component because the README does not merely state that search exists. It identifies the source and its license.

The project is also a detached fork, so prospective maintainers should understand the relationship rather than treating the upstream repository as an unrelated implementation. The README identifies the original project and gives its reason for forking: the original was abandoned.

Comparing jdm-contrib With the Original Directory

The clearest repository-level alternative is the original `justdeleteme/justdelete.me` repository. The approach is the same at the product level: both represent the JustDeleteMe directory. The difference is organizational and lifecycle-related. The README says the original repository was abandoned, while `jdm-contrib/jdm` identifies itself as the detached fork that intends to keep the project alive.

That does not make the fork a different deletion mechanism. It remains a Jekyll directory built around direct service links, with the same broad user-facing purpose described by this repository. An adopter choosing between the two should not infer feature parity from the fork statement alone, because the README does not provide a feature comparison or synchronization policy. It does clearly establish where continued work is intended to happen.

The last push was on 2026-10-14. That date indicates recent repository activity, while the absence of GitHub releases means there is no documented release track to compare with an alternative. Engineers should first decide whether maintaining the fork, updating service entries, and handling translation work fits the scope they can support.

Editorial conclusion

Adopt this repository if you want to maintain or contribute to the JustDeleteMe directory and can work with its Jekyll site and translation structure. Do not treat it as an automated deletion API or assume that every listed service can remove an account without further steps. Verify first that Ruby, Node.js, Bundler, and the current service entries work in the intended deployment environment.

Frequently asked questions

Official sources

1. Issues
2. jdm-contrib/jdm on GitHub
3. License: MIT
4. Project website
5. README