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Is it possible to block other users from view on the forums?




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Lothar



Joined: 19 Sep 2005
Posts: 67
PostPosted: Mon Nov 30, 2009 11:53 pm Reply with quote
I would like to know if a feature that lets a user block other users from view on the forums exists. If it doesn't, I request that it be created. An added bonus would be that, like on the SomethingAwful.com forums, a link would appear in place of the blocked user's post that says, "Jerk detected! This user is on your ignore list, click to view post anyway."
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dtm42



Joined: 05 Feb 2008
Posts: 14084
Location: currently stalking my waifu
PostPosted: Tue Dec 01, 2009 1:19 am Reply with quote
So an ignore list, huh? I don't know how well it would work to make forum life easier. Oh sure, there have been plenty of times in which I've wished I could ignore someone who was being rude or whom I simply didn't like. However, the problem areas are thus:

--- the three Guessing Game threads wouldn't really work. People need to see what others are posting on those threads for obvious reasons.

--- it doesn't really foster good behaviour on the forums. All it does is hide the insults from view of those who are the targets.

--- following on from that, we don't really need it. If someone is making an arse of themselves, or they are rude or what-have-you to other users, we already have Moderation options in place. By and large, those options work, so where is the need for an ignore list?

--- perhaps most importantly, it cements negative feelings. There have been people which I had a "beef" with, but time and apologies have largely healed the rifts. However, putting them on an ignore list sort of stops those reconciliations from happening, don't you think?

As for a better system, I don't think we need one. I really don't like karma systems, which is one reason I don't pop into /. (Slashdot) very often. Any other system is kind of moot.
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Shiroi Hane
Encyclopedia Editor


Joined: 25 Oct 2003
Posts: 7584
Location: Wales
PostPosted: Tue Dec 01, 2009 12:10 pm Reply with quote
There was a thread discussing this in the (subscriber-only) feature request forum.
For the record I am against it - apart from the fact that I don't like having gaps in conversations even if I don't like all the people in the conversation, the fact remains that if someone says something objectional you should report them. If you simply don't like them you should just ignore them yourself - there's no need to have a machine do it for you.
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Blood-
Bargain Hunter



Joined: 07 Mar 2009
Posts: 24177
PostPosted: Tue Dec 01, 2009 3:22 pm Reply with quote
Would it possible to have a set up where users receive a sharp electrical shock every time they post something that annoys me? I'd be willing to pay a premium subscriber fee for this service.
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dtm42



Joined: 05 Feb 2008
Posts: 14084
Location: currently stalking my waifu
PostPosted: Tue Dec 01, 2009 4:25 pm Reply with quote
I agree with Shiroi Hane; gaps in the conversation annoys me to no end, even if I can still manually look at the posts.

And just because a user annoys people doesn't automatically mean they will never have anything useful or intelligent to say.

Blood- wrote:
Would it possible to have a set up where users receive a sharp electrical shock every time they post something that annoys me? I'd be willing to pay a premium subscriber fee for this service.


I don't care how much money you'd be willing to pay; break into my house (to have the device installed) and I'm calling the cops.
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Lothar



Joined: 19 Sep 2005
Posts: 67
PostPosted: Tue Dec 01, 2009 5:17 pm Reply with quote
dtm42 wrote:
I agree with Shiroi Hane; gaps in the conversation annoys me to no end, even if I can still manually look at the posts.

And just because a user annoys people doesn't automatically mean they will never have anything useful or intelligent to say.


There are those of us who just going to bristle every time a user who pissed us off appears. They can build orphanages in Rwanda and soup kitchens in Haiti, and we'd still never forgive them because they will always be the jerk who pissed us off on the Internet. So instead of getting angry because that jerkoff User X is on our screen, probably being a dick, we could browse with ease knowing that we won't have to deal with them ever again. This would be the ideal feature for people like me who just can't forgive people on the Internet.
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Keonyn
Subscriber



Joined: 25 May 2005
Posts: 5567
Location: Coon Rapids, MN
PostPosted: Tue Dec 01, 2009 5:25 pm Reply with quote
A little tolerance goes a long ways. You're not going to like everyone, that's just the way it is.

Unfortunately, an ignore feature would really impact discussions, which is what ANN works hard to promote. When users are seeing only parts of the conversation or selectively getting only the portions from people they want to hear, then that definitely has a lot of potential for problems. This is particularly the case when you go to the game threads, where a missed or ignored post can easily effect how you perceive the games compared to other participants.
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egoist



Joined: 20 Jun 2008
Posts: 7762
PostPosted: Tue Dec 01, 2009 5:34 pm Reply with quote
Then if we had such feature installed and later on, a contest to decide the most "ignored" person, I'd be the winner. Hahaha. Anime smile + sweatdrop
Jokes aside.

Blood- wrote:
Would it possible to have a set up where users receive a sharp electrical shock every time they post something that annoys me? I'd be willing to pay a premium subscriber fee for this service.

That's smart thinking! But that would have an averse effect. Because people like me, who enjoys pain up to a certain extent, exists.

I agree with everything dtm's said so far. Though I've never considered ignoring another user, because I, sometimes, enjoy a nice heated discussion, but I do my best to hold back. But this line dtm said gets the spotlight:
Quote:
--- perhaps most importantly, it cements negative feelings. There have been people which I had a "beef" with, but time and apologies have largely healed the rifts. However, putting them on an ignore list sort of stops those reconciliations from happening, don't you think?


Although I can see Lothar's point, I can't really agree with it. You, my friend, have a serious problem with dah internet. Don't take it too seriously, sit back, relax, and enjoy a glass of coke while laughing at this person you dislike whenever they say something stupid(which reminds me, I must be the laughingstock around here).
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Lothar



Joined: 19 Sep 2005
Posts: 67
PostPosted: Tue Dec 01, 2009 5:37 pm Reply with quote
Keonyn wrote:
A little tolerance goes a long ways. You're not going to like everyone, that's just the way it is.


But if I don't like them in real life, then I avoid them. I'm just asking for an equivalent feature for the Internet.

*snip*

Keonyn wrote:
When users are seeing only parts of the conversation or selectively getting only the portions from people they want to hear, then that definitely has a lot of potential for problems.


Nah, when I see a thread on Awful that's populated by banned jerks, I go and invoke "special dispensation"/"temporary diplomatic reinstatement" and reveal what they said, but ONLY if I really really really want to post in the thread.

If that's what you're worried about, here's another idea. Say someone wants to post in a thread that's full of jerks they banned. Before they post, a message can appear that says, "You seem to be posting in a thread that has one or more horrible jerks on your ignore list. Are you sure you've read all of the posts so that you have a clue of what you're talking about?" Once the user clicks "Yes", then they can post.

egoist wrote:
You, my friend, have a serious problem with dah internet. Don't take it too seriously, sit back, relax


Nope, not gonna do it. I've been on the Internet for 15 years, and I can't quit the rageohol. I just need a device on the Internet to make me cut down, because I can't do it on my own. Tried too many times, fell off the wagon over and over again.

President Barack Obama wrote:
Lothar, I have signed an executive order that forbids you from being on the Internet for the rest of your life. Unlike the vast majority of Americans who can take advantage of the Internet in terms of productivity, innovation, leisure, and commerce, you are part of a very small minority who becomes psychologically and emotionally damaged from its use. The original designers of the Internet did not foresee this development, and for that I apologize. For the benefit of yourself and your fellow Netizens, I have no choice but to prohibit you from any and all online networks, effective immediately.


Thank god. I just needed someone with state authority to actually do what I couldn't do myself. Well, bye guys. I can finally get on with my life.
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Keonyn
Subscriber



Joined: 25 May 2005
Posts: 5567
Location: Coon Rapids, MN
PostPosted: Tue Dec 01, 2009 7:10 pm Reply with quote
You're not really asking for the equivalent here. If this person you knew was at a club that you wanted to go to, then you'd have to avoid the club. Even if you went there, if they were in a conversation you wanted to take part in, you'd have to either not take part or tolerate their presence. Real life doesn't offer you an option to make people disappear for you.

Well, to be honest there is quite a difference between the material and discussions on ANN and SomethingAwful. It may work with the kind of forum content on SomethingAwful, but it really wouldn't work as well here.

As for the warning, people will just hit "okay" and go on, it's doubtful people who want to ignore a user are going to suddenly decide not to just because they have that user ignored.

On top of all this, such a feature with as many checks as would be required to do all this would take a lot of work for Dan, which is work that would be best used for other features and to keep the forums running and working well. Dan's a busy guy, and even if this feature were on the block, there are much more important things on their plate right now.
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SpacePope



Joined: 02 Dec 2009
Posts: 11
PostPosted: Wed Dec 02, 2009 4:27 pm Reply with quote
Didn't "Obama" "ban" that guy already? He's a nutter, and one who says he's not coming back, so it's all a bit of a moot point, isn't it?
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egoist



Joined: 20 Jun 2008
Posts: 7762
PostPosted: Wed Dec 02, 2009 4:42 pm Reply with quote
SpacePope wrote:
Didn't "Obama" "ban" that guy already? He's a nutter, and one who says he's not coming back, so it's all a bit of a moot point, isn't it?

I request an ID check to know whether you're the same guy as the above or not. Suspicious, indeed.
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Keonyn
Subscriber



Joined: 25 May 2005
Posts: 5567
Location: Coon Rapids, MN
PostPosted: Wed Dec 02, 2009 5:21 pm Reply with quote
No, it's not the same person. Regardless though, let's stay on topic. If there's nothing more to say than to make jokes, then I'll have to assume this thread is done.
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