To deactivate or not deactivate Twitter

Following the many shenanigans of the past couple of weeks since you-know-who started his mad rampage through the Twitterverse, I've decided to stay off Twitter and focus on Mastodon for now at least. It's a wrench. I both adore and hate that beloved hellsite, which I've used since 2007. But the question is, do I want to fully deactivate the account? Do you? There are pros and cons on both sides depending on who you are and how you use Twitter.

Reasons to deactivate

• Can't be tempted back on "just to check something." At least not after the 30 days has passed and the account is fully gone. Can make a new start elsewhere.
• Inactive but not deleted accounts are vulnerable to being hacked without you noticing.
• Removes all the data from Twitter that they aren't legally allowed to keep - assuming they are fully complying with data protection laws.
• You're free now and part of the vast majority of the world that doesn't give a toss about what's happening on Twitter and why they should be furious about it. 

Reasons not to deactivate

• You lose control of your username. After 30 days your Twitter handle is up for grabs and potentially could be exploited by bad actors. That's bad enough for you just as an individual. But if your username relates to something that's your "brand" in any way - whether it's a pen name, your podcast, your Etsy shop, whatever, it could be a catastrophe - especially when blue ticks go on sale again.  
• You can't leave a pinned tweet or profile that tells people where to find you now.
• You won't be able to use Fedifinder or similar services to find Mastodon profiles or whatever that your friends have put in their profiles.
• You might simply want to go back. No shame in that. Many people have built communities there. Or it's an important part of how they earn a living. It's possible things will calm down over there and some people will want to return.

The Lifehacker article below goes into more detail about why you might prefer not to deactivate, and suggests what you might do instead if you want to fully shake the dust of the birdsite off your feet.

Don't delete your Twitter account (do this instead)

I'm personally leaving mine there for now, with the links to where else to find me in a pinned tweet and profile. It's still got 2 factor authentication on it, so I'll know if anyone else tries to get into the account. Assuming it doesn't become moot - i.e. Twitter falls over and can't be revived, I'll review it in a month or so.