Blocking A User

[DrPaulLee]

This forum needs a way to block someone. Just ignoring someone isn't good enough as they can still see what I post. A user on this board was incredibly rude about my research a month or two back and this has made me very reluctant to post on this board.

 

[hunck]

This forum needs a way to block someone. Just ignoring someone isn't good enough as they can still see what I post. A user on this board was incredibly rude about my research a month or two back and this has made me very reluctant to post on this board.

Come on - post what you like. With ignore you won’t see any of the user’s responses so why worry? Publish & be damned!

 

[Frideswide]

@gordonrutter?

 

[gordonrutter]

@gordonrutter?

Not aware that this can be done?

 

[gordonrutter]

It does appear that Xenforum which is the software that runs this site does not offer this as an option.

 

[gordonrutter]

This forum needs a way to block someone. Just ignoring someone isn't good enough as they can still see what I post. A user on this board was incredibly rude about my research a month or two back and this has made me very reluctant to post on this board.

Remember if you have issues about a post please report it to us.

 

[Yithian]

This forum needs a way to block someone. Just ignoring someone isn't good enough as they can still see what I post. A user on this board was incredibly rude about my research a month or two back and this has made me very reluctant to post on this board.

Paul,

You know well that I hold you and your work in high regard and would very much like you to continue to post here, but even if such a change could be implemented--and at present I can't see how it could--it would potentially change the whole nature of this board.

Although successive upgrades have introduced both 'gamefication' and 'social media' aspects to the forum (neither requested), we are very much dedicated to this remaining a public message board; the ability for members to limit not only what they see but also who sees their content would fracture our single community into a bundle of disparate private 'channels'.

This I would view as deleterious to community cohesion it itself, but I fear it would also sow seeds of discord by emphasising private disputes, friendships and animosities; obviously these will exist in any community, but granting the power to publicly display those sentiments (closing and locking doors) would (this being the Internet) lead to factionalism.

It's the same reason that we've never pursued the oft-requested and superficially attractive DISLIKE button.

Trust you understand my logic, even if you do not agree.

 

[Lb8535]

I am from time to time tempted to hit the ignore field in My Account. Would not that hide someone's posts from me?

 

[Yithian]

I am from time to time tempted to hit the ignore field in My Account. Would not that hide someone's posts from me?

Yes, but not vice-versa; they would still see all your posts unless they also 'ignored you'.

You will see this in place of the ignoree's posts:



It may also--I'm not sure as I never use it--block private messages ("conversations") from that user.

 

[EnolaGaia]

I am from time to time tempted to hit the ignore field in My Account. Would not that hide someone's posts from me?

Yes.

If you Ignore member X, you will not see any posts made by member X.

The reverse is not true. If you ignore member X, member X will continue to see any / all your postings until he / she puts you on Ignore as well.

 

[EnolaGaia]

One more point, since we're on the subject ...

If you Ignore member X, member X can still follow you.

 

[Yithian]

One more point, since we're on the subject ...

If you Ignore member X, member X can still follow you.

Which is clearly a red flag for us!

 

[Mikefule]

This forum needs a way to block someone. Just ignoring someone isn't good enough as they can still see what I post. A user on this board was incredibly rude about my research a month or two back and this has made me very reluctant to post on this board.

I don't see that them being able to see your posts is a problem if you cannot see their rude comments.

Generally, this forum is a very friendly and open place where there is intelligent and good natured discussion. For every sad individual who feels the need to be rude or dismissive, there are half a dozen who will respond positively, and a lot more who will quietly read and enjoy but not respond. (For completeness, there will also be some who read, privately disagree, tut, and move on.)

Please continue to post your research — and anything else that is relevant and of potential interest to those of us who are not rude.

 

[PeteS]

This forum needs a way to block someone. Just ignoring someone isn't good enough as they can still see what I post. A user on this board was incredibly rude about my research a month or two back and this has made me very reluctant to post on this board.

Don't be put off by the occasional idiot Paul. They exist on every forum and everywhere in real life. Generally they are rather pathetic individuals as I found out when I tracked down a couple of trolls who were making the life of someone I know a misery. Totally ignoring them is the best way to go since they are usually attention seekers. Post away is my view.

 

[escargot]

This forum needs a way to block someone. Just ignoring someone isn't good enough as they can still see what I post. A user on this board was incredibly rude about my research a month or two back and this has made me very reluctant to post on this board.

This is the right board to discuss your type of research. If someone's being a twat about it they're in the wrong, not you.
You can formally ignore someone you don't like, or you can do it informally and just refuse to engage with them. Arguing or defending yourself feeds their ego.

If I notice my finger shoot towards the 'F' key I know it's time to step back and let'em get on with it.

 

[Lb8535]

Yes.

If you Ignore member X, you will not see any posts made by member X.

The reverse is not true. If you ignore member X, member X will continue to see any / all your postings until he / she puts you on Ignore as well.

Thanks. It doesn't seem to be worth the trouble to me, but just following the train of thought, I don't need their comments but how helpful to them to see mine. Then you could add another metric to the personal info - how many people are ignoring you?

 

[escargot]

Thanks. It doesn't seem to be worth the trouble to me, but just following the train of thought, I don't need their comments but how helpful to them to see mine. Then you could add another metric to the personal info - how many people are ignoring you?

Yup, and you could say what you liked about their weird hobby and how all enthusiasts of it are sad inadequate tossers and they have to read it but can't reply.

 

[Lb8535]

Yup, and you could say what you liked about their weird hobby and how all enthusiasts of it are sad inadequate tossers and they have to read it but can't reply.

Well they can they can replay but they know that you know that they know that you're not going to see their reply.

 

[escargot]

Well they can they can replay but they know that you know that they know that you're not going to see their reply.

 

[EnolaGaia]

I've been a user / moderator / admin on multiple online forums using multiple popular software platforms for several years now.

I've never seen an implementation of Follow / Ignore features that allows a given user to check who's following or ignoring him / her.

My interpretation of the rationale for this is that these features were conceived and constructed as conveniences for the individual user in managing which content he / she wishes to receive. In other words, they are discretionary filters. As such, they've always been treated as private preferences and no other user's business.

 

[Lb8535]

I've been a user / moderator / admin on multiple online forums using multiple popular software platforms for several years now.

I've never seen an implementation of Follow / Ignore features that allows a given user to check who's following or ignoring him / her.

My interpretation of the rationale for this is that these features were conceived and constructed as conveniences for the individual user in managing which content he / she wishes to receive. In other words, they are discretionary filters. As such, they've always been treated as private preferences and no other user's business.

It was a joke.

 

[EnolaGaia]

It was a joke.

Yes, I get that, but ... I've wondered about this in the past, and IMHO it's a valid question. In principle, there's no technical reason why users couldn't be given the ability to check who's following / ignoring them. The reasons for this affordance never having been offered (in any platform I've seen or used) must derive from consideration of interactional and privacy issues.

 

[Nosmo King]

Yes, I get that, but ... I've wondered about this in the past, and IMHO it's a valid question. In principle, there's no technical reason why users couldn't be given the ability to check who's following / ignoring them. The reasons for this affordance never having been offered (in any platform I've seen or used) must derive from consideration of interactional and privacy issues.

I think if someone 'follows' you, you get an alert, I'm not sure if you do if someone blocks you

 

[EnolaGaia]

I think if someone 'follows' you, you get an alert, I'm not sure if you do if someone blocks you

True - you have the ability to enable / disable an alert issuance whenever someone starts following you. However ...

You don't have the ability to get a listing of all members currently following you, nor do you get alerted when someone discontinues following you.

 

[Lb8535]

True - you have the ability to enable / disable an alert issuance whenever someone starts following you. However ...

You don't have the ability to get a listing of all members currently following you, nor do you get alerted when someone discontinues following you.

I think it's because then this forum becomes facebook. I shouldn't be posting to get follows or avoid ignores. There are certainly posters here whose opinions I value more, but it's just too much social interaction to start pressing those buttons.

 

[EnolaGaia]

I think it's because then this forum becomes facebook. I shouldn't be posting to get follows or avoid ignores. ...

That's what I was thinking ... Adding such following / ignoring monitoring features only makes sense if managing your relationships is a primary concern, and Web forums are all about open discussion rather than social networking per se.

 

[Trevp666]

I think that at times we all need to develop 'a thick skin' when it comes to certain things.
There have been an extremely small number of people that I have thought to either block, or ignore, here on the FTMB.
And/or a few people who I have found either 'snarky', or argumentative, or deliberately wanting to provoke a reaction, or indeed just plain wrong or rude - what I now do is either deal with these people with facts and/or humour, or just don't engage with them whatsoever, whilst using the mantra "Don't argue with idiots - they drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience".

And as our lord and master Gordon says,

Remember if you have issues about a post please report it to us.

 

[Frideswide]

Has the person who created this effect been dealt with?

 

[PeteS]

I think that at times we all need to develop 'a thick skin' when it comes to certain things.
There have been an extremely small number of people that I have thought to either block, or ignore, here on the FTMB.
And/or a few people who I have found either 'snarky', or argumentative, or deliberately wanting to provoke a reaction, or indeed just plain wrong or rude - what I now do is either deal with these people with facts and/or humour, or just don't engage with them whatsoever, whilst using the mantra "Don't argue with idiots - they drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience".

And as our lord and master Gordon says,

This exactly - I do the same. Life's way way too short to get worked up about what's said on a forum, by the occasional moron.

 

[DrPaulLee]

I think I was pissed off by the asymmetry of the situation, that I don't have to look at this rantings but he can see mine, which is a shame as I wanted to contribute to the Flight 19 discussion.
Basically, I recounted a story that I'd spent weeks researching and because he couldn't initially find it, he called it a load of bullshit. Then he ate humble pie and admitted that he could corroborate it. Then, to get his own back, he basically said that my conclusions were crap because I'd used the inquest into people's death rather than a Government report. Then he had a go at the locals round here because the commonly known name of the incident isn't what he wanted it to be called, or what was in the Government report.